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This comedic drama from writer-director Don Roos (THE OPPOSITE OF SEX) comes packed with many unusual themes including abortion, homosexual parenting, teenage pregnancy, marrying for green cards, and the unscrupulous practice of bringing a client to orgasm at the conclusion of a massage (the happy ending referenced in the title). Lisa Kudrow plays the recipient of one such massage, and she later makes a video about her masseur/lover--who says he has information about a son she gave up for adoption years earlier. Meanwhile, her gay brother (Steve Coogan) suspects that his boyfriend may have given sperm to a lesbian couple (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke) to help them have a daughter. Another thread of this intricately woven plot concerns a sexual libertine (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who seduces both a rich widower (Tom Arnold) and his closeted gay son (Jason Ritter). Amazingly, it is Arnold who manages to stand out among the ensemble cast with an endearingly vulnerable performance that lingers in the mind long after the film is over. With onscreen pop-ups relaying information about both the past and the future of the characters, the acting and the script are uniformly first-rate. Tracks by Calexico and Kid Loco comprise a lot of the great soundtrack, and Gyllenhaal's real singing voice is heard during her character's several torchy numbers.

The Seat Filler (DVD)

As a young boy growing up in Montecarlo, Georgia, Darrin sings in the church choir alongside his mother (Faith Evans). Darrin and his mom leave town after the choir discovers that she has been singing rhythm and blues in a local club. Twenty years later, Darrin (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is a broke, junior-level advertising executive in New York City who has just been fired. Summoned back to Montecarlo when his only living relative dies, Darrin discovers that he stands to inherit her estate if he can revive the choir at his old church and win the annual Gospel Explosion. Against the odds, Darrin assembles a first-rate choir of talented quirky characters. He also recruits Lilly (Beyonci Knowles), a jazz singer and single mother who just may steal his heart and help him find himself. Rich with impressive musical talent culled from the worlds of Gospel, hip-hop, and R&B, the choir includes members of The O'Jays, as well as T-Bone, Melba Moore, Angie Stone, the Reverend Shirley Caesar, Zane, and Montell Jordan. Directed by Jonathan Lynn, the film also stars LaTanya Richardson, Steve Harvey, Wendell Pierce, Mike Epps, and Rue McClanahan.

A young man returns to New Jersey after nine years away, and meets up with family and friends.

In his previous effort, ABOUT A BOY, writer-director Paul Weitz managed to smoothly blend elements of dark comedy with heartwarming drama to deftly undercut both of the genre`s undesirable excesses. IN GOOD COMPANY is Weitz`s solo directorial debut sans his brother Chris, with whom he co-helmed the aforementioned BOY and the wildly successful AMERICAN PIE series. Here, he perfects his gift for the so-called
dramedy,
softening the jagged, sometimes ugly edges of corporate satire with warmth and sentiment.Dennis Quaid is perfectly cast as Dan Foreman, a slightly weary yet still dashing advertising boss and dedicated family man. He seems to have it all as a wholesome and admirable father, an existence which smacks of the archetypical mid-century sitcom dad that he so brilliantly portrayed as the secretly homosexual husband-father in Todd Haynes` FAR FROM HEAVEN. Enter Carter Duryea (THAT 70s SHOW`s Topher Grace), a cocky young upstart hired to replace him. Before long, Dan is forced to be deferential to his new baby-faced boss, not only in the office but also at his own dinner table when Dan begins dating his lovely daughter Alex (Scarlett Johanssen). This old-fashioned, slightly soap-operatic twist is the perfect catalyst for the integration of humanity into an environment (and cinematic genre) that is so often devoid of it, and the film simultaneously lightens in spirit and deepens in emotion as a slow-yet-sure, father-and-son bond develops between the former adversaries.

Billed as the sequel to the hit 1994 film THE MASK--which featured an unforgettably cartoonish performance by Jim Carrey--Larry Guterman`s SON OF THE MASK is another energetic movie that blends special effects, action, and comedy to create an admirable entry to the genre. This time around, the star of the film is Jamie Kennedy (MALIBU`S MOST WANTED), who plays Tim Avery, a young husband with a fear of fatherhood. Unfortunately, he is about to become just that, alongside his excited wife Tonya (Traylor Howard). What makes an already bad situation worse is Tim`s eventual realization that his son was conceived under the powers of the eternal Mask of Loki, which has turned his son into an uncontrollable monster. Then there`s the arrival of the actual Loki (Alan Cumming), an evil figure who has come to reclaim his mask and win the approval of his overly critical father, Odin (Bob Hoskins). As Tim battles against Loki and tries to return his son to normalcy, he learns what being a good father is all about. Featuring stellar special effects, standout performances (most notably by Kennedy and Cumming), and lewd gags, SON OF THE MASK is ultimately a celebration of fatherhood--albeit in a very supernatural way.

In Andy Tennant's (SWEET HOME ALABAMA, ANNA AND THE KING) delightful romantic comedy HITCH, Will Smith stars as Alex Hitchens, an urban date doctor who helps the common man woo the woman of his dreams. Hitch will use any means necessary--dance lessons, back waxing--to instill romantic confidence in his clientele. Why? He was once a lonely wallflower himself, who learned about love and heartbreak the hard way. His latest project, Albert Brennaman (Kevin James), may be his most difficult. Brennaman, a junior accountant prone to clumsiness, has fallen head-over-heels for one of his clients, Allegra Cole (Amber Valleta), a well-known celebrity. To complicate things further, Hitch's dating dogma is shaken when he meets and falls for a beautiful gossip columnist, Sara Melas (Eva Mendes), whose sharp wit easily pierces his cool fabade. Conflict arises when Melas uncovers Hitch's true profession and blames him for her best friend being dumped.HITCH is set in affluent hot spots around New York City, making for some splendid visuals. Tennant gets charming performances from all of his leads, especially James, who makes an amazing transition from television's KING OF QUEENS and nearly steals the spotlight from Smith with his talent for physical comedy. Nevertheless, James and Smith have excellent onscreen chemistry. Kevin Bisch's first script is full of clever, contemporary dialogue, alternately pointing out the silliness and the poignancy of love and dating.

Auckland`s red light district is really no place for a teenage girl. A certain teenage prostitute, however, has other ideas. In fact, she is actually putting together a scam to steal her pimp`s drug money. Comedy and suspense follow as the awkward plot becomes a little more complicated to deal with.