Five out of five stars – Absolute perfection

“Answer Man” is a magical little romance brimming with charm. This is one of the best romantic comedies I’ve seen in a long time. Director/screenwriter John Hindman’s script is warm and winsome, garnering a grand jury prize nominee at the Sundance Festival this year.

Jeff Daniels is author Arlen Faber, a curmudgeon recluse who penned “Me and God,” the best-selling spirituality book of his generation. He boasts an uncanny ability to toss out incredibly insightful answers to life’s most difficult questions. His fans think he is channeling the voice of God.

But he hates the multitudes who hound and hunger for a sight, a word from him — and hides a desperate secret: he’s unable to hear from God these days and no amount of meditation helps. He meets, and falls for, Lauren Graham as Elizabeth, “an angel of alignment” chiropractor after throwing his back out.

While Graham is somewhat typecast as the feisty single mom, after seven years as Lorelei Gilmore on “Gilmore Girls,” she is pitch perfect and the chemistry kindles plausibly between the pair as Arlen befriends her small, scared son Alex (Max Antisell).

Kris, a recovering alcoholic with a bookstore on the brink of bankruptcy, discovers Faber’s identity and blackmails him for answers to the many questions in his life: his alcoholic father, the problem of pain, pre-destination or free will?

Slowly Arlen is drawn into the world, and relationships, again – with all of their pain and messiness. In one memorable scene Elizabeth questions why God cares about her. The answer is soul-rending: “Because every day, through you, He falls in love with the world again.”

This movie is absolute perfection. Don’t miss it. Screens Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Source: www.hollandsentinel.com