Movie Review: Did You Hear About the Morgans?

By FOX43tv.com's Film Reviewer, Stephanie Cooke

Watch the trailer!

What was I thinking going to see Did You Hear About the Morgans?   Well, I thought I would get a little escape into romantic comedy land.  After all, I like Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker and judging by the trailer it's clearly a fish-out-of-water story, which sounded like fun.  How could it go wrong?  How about in every way?

When the movie opens we meet Paul Morgan (Grant) and Meryl Morgan (Parker).  They are a separated New York CIty couple, only he wants the marriage back and is going to great lengths to make up for his affair.  Both are super busy and have no time for what happens when they inadvertently witness the murder of an international arms dealer and the killer sees them.  What happens is that they, of course, MUST be immediately put into the government's witness protection program and flown to the middle of nowhere AKA Ray, Wyoming. 

They move to a ranch, living with U.S. Marshal Clay Wheeler (Sam Elliot) and his wife Emma (Mary Steenburgen).  These two teach them a little about the better, simpler ways of life -- like a giant country breakfast, to which Paul declares he needs an angiogram.  So, cue the bear encounters, the donning of weapons and cowboy hats and oh for goodness sakes -- cue the rodeo.

Did You Hear About the Morgans? is a slow-moving, snooze of a movie.  The screenplay falls short and not even Grant's normal charm can save it.  There are a couple of scenes where he seemed to try, but for the most part he almost seemed content to be in pain throughout the movie, knowing it was just horrible.  Parker is certainly out of water here.  There are only so many things I'm willing to watch Carrie Bradshaw do and rodeo-ng isn't one of them.  I mention Carrie, because it seems for all the world like she is playing her in this movie, only without the wit and charm and zest of the character.  Eliot and Steenburgen are usually highlights in most movies, sadly they are the only lights in this one.

Just when she is beginning to get over his affair and they are about to get back together, Meryl admits to her own indiscretion during their separation.  Suddenly he can't get past that.  She almost dies and he changes his mind and you know what that means in romcom land?.  Cue the cheesy look, the awkward kiss and the credits.  Did You Hear About the Morgans? was predictable from beginning to end.  The screenplay lacked any depth of characters or useful plot turns.  Wyoming was pretty and the sweepingt shots of the Manhattan skyline when they return to the city are beautiful.  But other than that, I wish I'd never heard about the Morgans.