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Some movies are no better than second-rate sitcoms. Other movies are no better than third-rate sitcoms. "The Back-up Plan" doesn't deserve comparison with sitcoms. It plays like an unendurable TV commercial about beautiful people with great lifestyles and not a thought in their empty little heads. So timid is this film that when it finally arrives at its inevitable childbirth scene, it bails out after two "pushes"!

Jennifer Lopez has never looked better. That's about all she does here, is look better. She is talented and deserves more than this bird-brained plot about characters who have no relationship to life as it is lived by, you know, actual people. The movie deals with artificial insemination, romance, sex and organic goat cheese, which are promising areas for investigation, but it's so watered-down, it approaches homeopathy.

Lopez plays Zoe, a Manhattan pet shop owner who despairs of finding the perfect inseminator and decides to become artificially impregnated. Leaving the doctors' office, she is so happy she finds herself singin' in the rain. Then she hails a cab and a strange man pops into the back seat the same moment she does. As a Meet Cute, this ranks right down there with two characters bending over to pick up the same thing and bumping heads, which is what Tony Randall is always doing whenever I think of Meet Cutes.

This stranger is Stan ( Alex O'Loughlin ). We know, according to the Law of Conservation of Dramatic Resources, that (a) Zoe will become pregnant, and (b) she and Stan will fall in love. Consider the alternatives: (a1) she doesn't become pregnant, and (b2) they never see each other again. Anyway, fate brings them together, and then again, and soon they're falling for each other.

This Stan is a prime catch. Not only does he personally sell organic goat cheese in a ridiculously upscale farmers' market, but he produces it himself, on his own upstate farm. I am at a loss to explain why the movie squandered an opportunity to show Lopez milking a goat. Or having a goat eat her shoes, or whatever goats usually do in movies of this sort.

Obviously, the only way to make this movie reach a feature length is for Zoe and Stan to break up and get back together again, which they do, I think, three times. Their break-ups tend toward communications difficulties, as one or the other idiotically misunderstands dialogue that is crystal clear for everyone in the audience. In Little Movie Glossary lore this is Damon Knight's famous Idiot Plot, in which all difficulties could be resolved by the uttering of one or two words.

I don't believe "The Back-up Plan" is intended to be set in the real Manhattan. Take a close look at the farmers' market. It's more of a Farmers' Faire at a church benefit in a rich suburb. Farmer Stan and his goats, indeed. But consider the scene where Zoe is a bridesmaid at a wedding, and her water breaks. What does she do? Rush to the hospital? No, she commandeers the wedding's rented white Bentley and is driven to the market, where the auto shoulders its way right down the middle of the street and halts before the organic goat cheese stall, where Zoe can leap out and make up with Stan right there in public, while onlookers all smile and listen like benevolent insiders, instead of New Yorkers wondering who the hell these jerks are. Does Stan happen to have one of those little boxes with a ring in it handy? What does a goat do in the woods?

I have neglected poor little Nuts, Zoe's Boston terrier. Nuts follows her everywhere, and whenever he gets a closeup, he barks appropriately, as if he understands what is said. When was the last time in a movie where somebody said something, and there was a cut to a dog who barked, and you thought, "That's so funny! Nuts is paralyzed from the waist down and pulls himself everywhere on his little cart, without the benefit of much loving and cooing from his mistress, who relates to him as exactly what he is, a prop. But the little tyke can really wheel around and is always there when he's needed on camera.

This movie is desperately boring. No one says much of anything interesting. They have extremely limited ranges of interest. There are older characters: Zoe's nana ( Linda Lavin ) and grandpa ( Tom Bosley ) and gynecologist ( Robert Klein ). They seem human, so the camera cuts away, lest they get started on something.

At the playground where Stan hangs out (allegedly fascinated by the prospect of fatherhood), there's "Playground Dad" ( Anthony Anderson ) as a proud black father who gives Stan pep talks on the joys of parenting. African-Americans are so wise in movies like this, always playing proud dads and wise advisers and God and so forth, it's a wonder the movies are about anyone else.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

The Back-up Plan (2001)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content including references, some crude material and language

106 minutes

Jennifer Lopez as Zoe

Alex O'Loughlin as Stan

Michaela Watkins as Mona

Eric Christian Olsen as Clive

Anthony Anderson as Playground Dad

Directed by

Kate Angelo

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Cast & crew
User reviews

The Back-up Plan

A woman conceives twins through artificial insemination, then meets the man of her dreams on the very same day. A woman conceives twins through artificial insemination, then meets the man of her dreams on the very same day. A woman conceives twins through artificial insemination, then meets the man of her dreams on the very same day.

Kate Angelo
Jennifer Lopez
Alex O'Loughlin
Michaela Watkins
118 User reviews
144 Critic reviews
34 Metascore
2 nominations

Playground Dad

(as Danneel Harris)

Dr. Scott Harris

Baby Store Sales Clerk

Cesar Millan

All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia Jennifer Lopez was first attracted to the script as she had just gone through her twins' pregnancy. Screenwriter Kate Angelo too had just been pregnant. The two had actually met at a post-birth aerobics class.
Goofs In the final scene the babies in the strollers are obvious dolls.

Baby Store Sales Clerk : [Looking at baby strollers] It's a bit overwhelming huh?

Stan : There are so many and they are so... big!

Baby Store Sales Clerk : Well they have to be big, 2 babies right?

Stan : Yeah but babies are small, these are for like giant mutant babies

Baby Store Sales Clerk : Well you should see some of the babies that come in here, total fatasses

Crazy credits Outtakes play over the end credits.
Alternate versions The UK cinema and DVD versions were cut to get a 12A and 12 rating, respectively, by removing strong sexual references. The Blu-ray is rated 15 and is the uncut version.
Connections Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: From Paris with Love/Dear John/Frozen (2010)
Soundtracks Bottles Written by V.V. Brown (as Vanessa Brown), George Astasio and Tim Larcombe Performed by V.V. Brown (as V V Brown) Courtesy of Universal-Island Records Ltd. and Capitol Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises and EMI Film & Television Music

User reviews 118

AngieeeBabayy
Apr 20, 2010
How long is The Back-up Plan? Powered by Alexa
April 23, 2010 (United States)
United States
Official site
Official site (France)
Forest Park, Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Escape Artists
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$35,000,000 (estimated)
$37,490,007
$12,201,710
Apr 25, 2010
$77,477,008

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 44 minutes
Dolby Digital

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The back-up plan, common sense media reviewers.

J.Lo romcom bursts with frank pregnancy, sex talk.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie's ultimate point is that couples sho

The characters in the movie are fairly flimsy, wit

There are some arguments and some shouting, and a

There is very frank talk about sex and pregnancy,

We hear strong, but not constant language, includi

The couple likes to eat at Gray's Papaya, a re

Zoe and Stan drink some wine during a date. Zoe

Positive Messages

The movie's ultimate point is that couples should learn to communicate and trust one another before jumping to conclusions and assuming anything. The lead characters must overcome many obstacles -- often related to the complexity of having children -- before they achieve this. Unfortunately, the movie can also be somewhat cynical and has the side effect of making childbirth and parenthood look unappealing.

Positive Role Models

The characters in the movie are fairly flimsy, with narrow behavior patterns. Stan is annoying, but once he decides to stay with the pregnant Zoe, he sticks to his guns throughout, no matter how tough it gets for him.

Violence & Scariness

There are some arguments and some shouting, and a few moments of slapstick, but nothing major.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

There is very frank talk about sex and pregnancy, including the names of body parts and some unfortunate little details (such as uncontrollable bowel movements during a birth). The main character, Zoe, is artificially inseminated through a sperm donor, and we see and hear about this process. There's a scene of a natural birth (played for laughs) that includes a shot of a pregnant woman squatting naked in an inflatable pool; everything is visible through the water. Otherwise, the main couple (Zoe and Stan) flirts, kisses, and has sex, though nothing is shown. Zoe has a noisy orgasm, and Stan appears shirtless in one scene. In another scene, Zoe checks out her pregnant body in the mirror, but ducks out of sight a second later.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

We hear strong, but not constant language, including one "f---k" and at least half-a-dozen uses of "s--t." Also in earshot: "Oh my God," "Jesus" (as an exclamation), "vagina," "pee," "sperm," "ass," "stupid," "penis," "damn," "hell," "bitch," "douchebag."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

The couple likes to eat at Gray's Papaya, a real hot dog restaurant in New York. But otherwise, not an issue.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Zoe and Stan drink some wine during a date. Zoe's best friend Mona guzzles a glass of champagne in one scene, for comic effect. No one gets drunk. Zoe does not drink while pregnant.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Back-up Plan is a romantic comedy that deals frankly with sex and pregnancy, even though it contains very little actual nudity and the story itself is fairly chaste. There is one notable scene of a natural birth in which a naked, pregnant woman squats in an inflatable swimming pool; in one brief shot (played for comedy), her entire body is visible through the water. The movie also contains strong language, including one "f--k" and at least half-a-dozen uses of "s--t." Ultimately, the gruesome details of childbirth and looming parenthood may be unappealing and perhaps even terrifying to teens, but some parents may find something to laugh about. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parents say (13)
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Based on 13 parent reviews

The back up plan review

The back up plan review, what's the story.

New York pet store owner Zoe ( Jennifer Lopez ) wants to have a baby but can't find "Mr. Right." Worried that time is passing her by, she goes to her back-up plan: artificial insemination. Later that same day, she meets Stan ( Alex O'Loughlin ), a cheese maker, who turns out to be "the one." By the time Zoe discovers she's pregnant and Stan hears the news, they are already in love. Stan must learn to deal with the shock of suddenly becoming a father, while Zoe must learn to trust that Stan isn't going to run away.

Is It Any Good?

Directed by Alan Poul, a TV veteran making his feature debut, THE BACK-UP PLAN drags out every lazy romantic comedy cliché in the book. The lovers withhold information from each other, and then get mad and run away when the truth comes out. (In one scene, the heroine tells the truth out loud, but a cut reveals that she's only speaking to herself in a mirror.) The characters are paper-thin and their journey together is entirely routine and totally predictable.

But the movie also has the unfortunate side effect of making both pregnancy and impending parenthood look unappealing and even terrifying. For a movie with such a chaste setup, it has a very oddly cynical view of such things, not to mention a large collection of foul language. Teens are unlikely to find much appeal in the storyline, though there's enough juvenile humor to mildly entertain those who dare. Parents are more likely to find some laughs peppered throughout the otherwise tired routine. If this was the "back up," the filmmakers probably should have stuck to the original plan.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the movie portrays pregnancy. Teens: What opinions did this movie leave you with about pregnancy and parenthood? Was this a realistic scenario ?

Do you think this movie reinforces or challenges any stereotypes about male-female relationships? How do romantic comedies, in general, portray intimate relationships?

Teens: Could you relate to any of the experiences or ideas about taking care of kids that came up in the movie? How did this movie portray kids and the practice of caring for them?

Movie Details

In theaters : August 24, 2010
On DVD or streaming : April 18, 2023
Cast : Alex O'Loughlin , Jennifer Lopez , Linda Lavin
Director : Alan Poul
Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
Studio : CBS Films
Genre : Comedy
Run time : 104 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sexual content including references, some crude material and language
Last updated : June 2, 2023

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DVD & Streaming

The Back-up Plan

Comedy , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

April 23, 2010
Jennifer Lopez as Zoe; Alex O'Loughlin as Stan; Michaela Watkins as Mona; Anthony Anderson as Playground Dad; Linda Lavin as Nana

Home Release Date

August 24, 2010

Distributor

Movie review.

When the alarm on a woman’s biological clock starts ringing, no snooze button on earth can truly turn the thing off.

Just ask Zoe. Sure, some folks might assume that she already owns everything the average Manhattanite could want: a comfortable apartment, a thriving business, the looks of Jennifer Lopez. But Zoe feels like something’s missing … something small and warm and burpy.

No, no. We’re not talking about a Boston terrier. She already has one of those. She wants a baby. And since she’s not in a relationship, she sets up a date with a fertility specialist and a vial of sperm.

Wouldn’t you know it, the day—nay, the very hour—after her first clinical rendezvous, Zoe runs into Stan, a hunk-a-hunk-a-hunky cheese farmer from upstate. Edam! Zoe exclaims to herself. He’s just too gouda to be true! But too true he is, just like a nice, ripe feta, and it’s not long before they’re going on picture-perfect dates, spending long weekends on the cheese farm and falling in love.

Oh, yeah, and growing a baby, too.

When Stan first finds out, he sours a bit on the whole relationship. But not wanting to be a curd, he decides to stick around, molding true love out of an unusual baby-makes-three arrangement.

Which leaves us with just one question: If it’s a boy, will they name him Colby?

Positive Elements

We don’t see Zoe interact much with children, even after she has them. (She delivers twins.) But we do know that she dotes on her dog—supplying the canine (whose back legs don’t work) with special carts so he can walk/wheel himself around. And not once considering abortion as an option—even when Stan goes a little green at the thought of having kids—her yen for them is nice, so far as it goes.

But the real hero here is Stan. Once he comes to grips with the fact that kids are on their way, he does everything he can to support his ever-expanding sweetie—dealing with her cravings, her neuroses and, for a time, even her omnipresent full-body pillow. He contracts a custom-made stroller and manfully breeches the great unknown with a sense of understated sacrifice and humor.

When Zoe asks him why he would want to deal with her children, he answers, “Because I love their mommy—and what I want more than anything else in the world is to be their daddy.”

Cheesy? Naturally. But admirably so—as is the fact that the two eventually marry.

Spiritual Elements

When Stan and Zoe gather to watch one of Zoe’s friends give birth, they find the place filled with women pounding on drums and chanting in a vaguely Native American/New Age sort of way. Zoe believes it’s lucky to pick up a penny—but only if it’s showing “heads.”

Sexual Content

Here’s where this review takes a sharp downward turn. Zoe and Stan wait until their third date to have sex—hardly laudable self-control. And once they’ve started, they don’t stop.

We hear from Mona, Zoe’s friend, that because Zoe’s pregnant, her body’s particularly sensitive and she’s apt to be particularly orgasmic. And so we’re soon exposed to a scene in which Zoe climaxes during the early stages of foreplay. During intercourse, she has three or four orgasms. Stan rips open Zoe’s dress on one occasion, and we see her bare back.

Zoe examines her nearly naked self in the mirror. (We see a brief glimpse of her thong-clad backside.) She tells Stan how much better her rear used to look—offering him pictures to illustrate. She wears some tight-fitting outfits with plunging necklines. For his part, Stan often wears no shirt at all, and the film treats him very much as a sex object—more so even than J.Lo’s Zoe.

Beyond all the shown and talked-about orgasms, there’s all sorts of conversation about pre- and post-baby vaginal conditions, nipples, “penis partners,” pubic hair, sperm, sexual habits and rapid-fire serial monogamy.

The camera watches as a woman breast-feeds her 3-year-old girl. And there’s a bit of explicit content related to pregnancy itself. We first meet Zoe in her fertility doctor’s office where the camera doesn’t blink very often during her insemination. A later appointment includes a vaginal ultrasound and a doctor who repeats the word vagina many, many times to make Stan uncomfortable.

We see one of Zoe’s friends give birth in a tub of water. Shots include her pubic region.

Violent Content

Zoe crashes into a tree with her SUV. One woman, in the throes of delivery, threatens Zoe with bodily injury, clawing at her.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word and about 20 s-words are mixed in with “a‑‑,” “b‑‑ch,” “h‑‑‑,” “d‑‑n” and “douche bag.” God’s name is misused more than a dozen times (once with “d‑‑n”), and Jesus’ name is abused twice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Zoe drinks wine and champagne—but not when she knows she’s pregnant. Others drink those intoxicants, too, along with beer.

Other Negative Elements

Mona, a mother of four, tries to dissuade Zoe from having a baby, telling her that kids are “awful” and “I hate them.” A playground father echoes this to Stan, telling him that fatherhood is “awful, awful, awful … and then something beautiful happens … and then it’s awful, awful.” When Stan notices that one of this unnamed dad’s children is eating sand, the man says, “By the time you get to the third one, you don’t worry about that stuff.” Later, a child carries over a piece of poop for his dad to inspect, and the father merely asks him whether it’s from a cat or from him or from some other undetermined source.

Zoe and Stan both initially keep information from each other (Zoe her pregnancy, Stan the fact that he’s going to night school). We see both Zoe and her dog throw up. Mona talks about the effect pregnancy had on her bladder. We see Zoe sit on the toilet and hear her urinate as she’s taking a pregnancy test. During Zoe’s friend’s birthing scene, fishing out excrement is played for laughs.

“Some things can last forever,” Stan tells Zoe. He’s trying to reassure her that one of those things is their love for each other—that he’ll never leave her no matter how much she may believe he has no reason to stay.

So they’ve got that going for them.

But then there are things that simply seem to last forever. Like, for instance, this film. The Back-up Plan was supposed to be, I think, an update of a classic romance—one that starts out with having kids, rather than ending there. It culminates in engagement and, apparently, true love. Along the way, it studiously avoids all that old-fashioned traditionalism seen in romances of yesteryear.

But I still believe in love, marriage and family, in that order. You might too. And partly because of that, The Back-up Plan didn’t much resonate with me. And it strikes me that it may actually do some harm.

While the premise of the romance centers on the desire to have children and the unstated belief that acquiring them will bring happiness, most of what we actually hear about kids is negative. They put dinner on their heads. They play with unfamiliar feces. They’re “awful.” They’re “horrid.”

Zoe, while she desperately wants children, seems to see them not as sacred responsibilities, but rather accoutrements. She’s obsessed with their clothes, consumed with their strollers. And when asked why she wants kids, she says she doesn’t want to be alone.

So The Back-up Plan is about Zoe and Stan and their love for one another. The children, rather than being the film’s ultimate gift, are its reoccurring obstacle. And as those twins were born, I couldn’t help but think that they’d better grow up pretty quickly—just in case their parents get bored with them.

Perhaps I’m not giving due credit. After all, we do see Stan reading a bedtime story to them before tucking them in at night. Few of us, when we become parents, are truly ready. It’s hard to grasp the joys, the trials and somber responsibilities that come with parenthood, and most of us learn along the way. So I should probably be more forgiving when it comes to Zoe and Stan.

But if this film has some sweetness to it, the content it displays is as sour as a hunk of gorgonzola left in the sun for six weeks. And that makes me a bit cranky. Its foul language and frank sexuality spoil whatever meager charms it might’ve offered.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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Movie Review: The Back-up Plan (2010)

General Disdain
Movie Reviews
3 responses
--> May 18, 2010

How many years has it been since we, the movie going public, have been graced with the stylings of Jennifer Lopez on the big screen? Two years? Seven? The correct answer is four. The other correct answer is: “Not nearly long enough. Not by a long shot.” The Back-up Plan , the reason for her rousing from her hiatus, proves the latter is the better of the two answers.

To her benefit though, the car wreck that is The Back-up Plan isn’t all the fault of her lack of having any acting prowess (this film would have stunk no matter who took the female lead). Oh no, there are several more damning reasons . . .

The male lead, Alex O’Loughlin, is completely miscast. That is unless of course, as Zoe’s (Lopez) suitor Stan, he’s supposed to give a performance that mimics the Tin Man with a look of bewilderment throughout. Each and every scene he is in is quite nearly a carbon copy of the preceding scene. Watch him watch girl get an internal ultrasound, gasp and pass out. Watch him learn girl is having twins, gasp and make an ass out of himself. Watch him watch girl give birth, gasp and make an ass of himself. Watch him, oh you get the cycle by now. Alex is a good looking guy, but his fortunes rest in television where he’s managed to keep himself employed.

The writing and directing, however, are undoubtedly the biggest offenders to the success of The Back-up Plan . I don’t believe Alan Poul even tried to direct this film — for all intents and purposes it appears he didn’t ask his actors to give him anything other than the bare minimum spelled out explicitly in the script. I’m not entirely sure he could have gotten anything of worth from the likes of Lopez or O’Loughlin but even the tiniest bit of prodding would have gotten him something better than what is in his final cut.

As for the screenplay, well, that is a wonderment unto itself. It’s said that if a monkey is given an infinite amount time to hit keys on a keyboard, it would produce the works of Shakespeare. Well, the work here shows what an adolescent monkey can type up if given 45 minutes alone with a keyboard. I mention adolescent, because only a twelve or thirteen year-old could find this movie even the slightest bit amusing. Screenwriter Kate Angelo ditched any semblance of chemistry between her leads and instead focused strictly on gross out gags. Throw-up, vaginal blood, afterbirth, and many more make an appearance — each landing with a resounding thud.

Personally, I can’t believe Ms. Lopez was able to outdo herself. In 2003, she starred in the oft-made fun of Gigli — a film so awful many regarded it as one of the worst ever. The Back-up Plan , gives that movie a run for the money. 2010, meet the worst movie of the year.

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

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'Movie Review: The Back-up Plan (2010)' have 3 comments

May 18, 2010 @ 7:22 pm Egg Drop

J Lo don’t need no acting skills. She got herself a fat ass.

May 27, 2010 @ 8:39 am M. Carter @ the Movies

I’m going to stand up right here, right now and say the unthinkable: I don’t see what all the fuss was about with “Gigli.” It was fairly entertaining, though it made me wonder how Jennifer and Ben ever had a relationship (NO chemistry there). Besides, it was more inventive than any of the romantic comedies she’s done, including “Back-Up Plan.”

May 29, 2010 @ 4:26 am General Disdain

Egg Drop –

Hence the reason she has a job.

M. Carter @ the Movies –

In my eyes, Gigli wasn’t the worst movie of the 2003. It was, however, a really bad movie (no overcoming two actors who have no rights to be acting).

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The back-up plan — film review.

Jennifer Lopez carries a thin concept about as far and as well as she can, with Alex O'Loughlin in his first leading-man outing managing not to get lost in the shuffle of birth preparations and doctor appointments.

By Kirk Honeycutt

Kirk Honeycutt

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“The Back-Up Plan” hopes to generate romantic comedy by reversing the normal order of things so that pregnancy comes before a couple meets. Otherwise, it’s still boy-meets-girl, and the only issue between them — because it’s more or less a love match right away — is how the boy feels about the girl already being pregnant. Because “The Back-Up Plan” is closer to an old Doris Day comedy than “Sex and the City,” that pregnancy is the result of artificial insemination rather than a complicated relationship with anyone else.

Jennifer Lopez carries this thin concept about as far and as well as she can, with Alex O’Loughlin in his first leading-man outing managing not to get lost in the shuffle of birth preparations and doctor appointments. “Back-Up Plan” will have to generate its boxoffice primarily from women, though: The male characters definitely play second fiddle.

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The Back-up Plan Reviews

The comedy part leaves a lot to be desired and as for the romantic scenes of the film, there are too many well-known clichés, which is why The Back-up Plan fails to stand out in the genre. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Mar 13, 2024

The Back-Up Plan is inoffensive but inert. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 4, 2022

Imagine Knocked Up - only without any wit, charm, honesty, pathos or like-ability. It's almost impressive.

Full Review | Original Score: 0.5/5 | May 19, 2021

It's the kind of movie where the Rom Com Script Generator (TM) spits out dreaded exchanges like: "You're not making any sense." "No, all of a sudden everything makes sense." It's not that it's bad exactly, it's just that we've seen it all before.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 31, 2021

Ultimately, the film crumbles under the weight of its formulaic storylines and cookie cutter conflicts.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4.0 | Sep 2, 2020

And while yes, while you will laugh and yes, while you will cry at THE BACK-UP PLAN, you most definitely will find yourself thinking of your own back-up plan after seeing THE BACK-UP PLAN.

Full Review | Nov 7, 2019

Lopez could have chosen a better comeback project than The Back-up Plan. Despite her best efforts, this romantic comedy is pretty dreadful, with a silly sitcom-like plot that even Lopez can't overcome.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | May 10, 2019

But by the time 104 minutes of off-putting pregnancy dramas are up, you may wonder if the film's goal isn't so much about entertainment as population control.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 23, 2018

Just as in sitcoms, every conflict and resolution often takes place here within the very same scene.

Full Review | Dec 23, 2014

The Back-Up Plan has all of the cliches of a bad rom com, but it's not enough to fall into that formula. It also tries to be a raunch fest

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jan 5, 2014

Has an intriguing concept, but with tired jokes, dumb characters and uninspired direction, the execution is botched all around making for a perfect example of all that's bad with the romantic comedy genre.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Sep 7, 2013

Alan Poul's "The Back-Up Plan" is another film in a long line of films that are formulaic to the bone, containing little to no originality, all while following around characters that we could care less about.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 24, 2012

Full Review | Original Score: D | Feb 18, 2012

Yes, you will get to see Lopez eat chili with her bare hands, but that's only half as disgusting as a close-up on a pregnancy test sinking into a pile of fresh dog vomit.

Full Review | Feb 10, 2012

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Nov 17, 2011

Nothing to see for anyone who's already viewed their fair share of formulaic romantic comedies.

Full Review | Aug 15, 2011

Full Review | Original Score: D | May 6, 2011

...comes off as an almost prototypical example of a modern romantic comedy...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 18, 2011

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Apr 4, 2011

This movie feels just like J-Lo's 'Back-Up Plan'.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 24, 2010

Review: The Back-Up Plan

Thanks for checking out our Back-Up Plan review.

Genre: Romantic Comedy Directed by: Alan Poul Staring: Jennifer Lopez, Alex OLoughlin Released: April 23, 2010

THE GENERAL IDEA

After years of dating, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long. Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes an appointment and decides to go it alone. That same day, Zoe meets Stan (Alex OLoughlin) a man with real possibilities.

Trying to nurture a budding relationship and hide the early signs of pregnancy becomes a comedy of errors for Zoe and creates confusing signals for Stan.

Lopez is often very pretty in this movie. She plays awkward and flustered far too well for anyone BUT her to play this role. Its a shame the rest of the movie didn’t cooperate with her.

I liked this movie better when it was called Knocked Up. Honestly, the concept of trying to make a relationship work while dealing with the chaos of unplanned parenthood is not exactly exclusive domain, but I couldn’t stop making the paralells.

And the potty gross-out humour. How many feces jokes can we have? Dog poop, pregnancy poop, swimming in pregnancy poop, dog puke. Honestly. They revolve too much around the crude that other films strive on, but in a Lopez rom-com it just seems so out of place. You expect nice – and its fine to go against what’s expected, but when its done this poorly the shock value is weak an ineffective.

I didn’t laugh at all during this. If a comedy is bad, or weak plot, or bad acting – if it makes you laugh it will get some value. This doesn’t.

This is a series of “oh no – that happened!” moments that just don’t amuse.

I give The Back-up Plan a Lopez pretty 2 out of 10

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12 thoughts on “ review: the back-up plan ”.

Like you I struggle to find the good points of The Back Up Plan, the only one I can think of is that is only goes on for 1 hour and 36 minutes. Other than that it is a cheest fest haunted by insemination ideas and that awful awful scene where that woman gives birth….. oh my.

okay i would say that if u’re alone on a weekend and have absolutely nothing else to do then perhaps this movie aint so bad………….i loved alex though…………this is the first movie ive seen of him……….i wish to see him in more movies………J-Lo….naaaah…….i guess she should just sing…..cuz thats what she’s good at………has she ever given birth…….cuz the scene where she was giving birth was just so darn fake…….i mean she seemed so much more relaxed then any other woman would at such a point…….

ok sorry, Selena was a fantastic movie… and the one with Matthew Perri or whatever was kind of cute… She’s better in small doses.

I believe you are confusing Salma Hayek in Matthew Perry’s Fools Rush In.

I dont recall a Perry film with J-Lo in it

We accidentally saw this movie thinking it was something else because the synopsis doesn’t follow what actually happens.

For anyone who knows anything about child birth or is a mother DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. It’s grossly offensive with maybe 1 or 2 actual funny bits. It’s more for the 9-12 age range of humor, and certainly Not appropriate for any child to watch. I’m glad the younger crowd in the audience enjoyed it more than we did, but I don’t think our youth should be exposed to this sort of disgusting toilet humour… Even Dude Where’s My Car was funny enough to roll over laughing at it… The Back Up Plan was not funny at all…

p.s. Just for the record, Heads Up is bad like (like “Heads up! Watch out!”) and Tails Up refers to a happy animal when it’s tail is up in the air. Jennifer Lopez… I’ve seen better, but never great.

J Lopez is the female version of Hugh Grant… one trick pony… yawn. Stupid romantic comidies.

That’s too bad. Yeah, JLo does so many of these kinds of movies — its just the same thing with a different title. I do like Alex O. He’s the only reason I would bother to see this movie.

i was really hoping you would have just ripped this movie apart. i saw that you saw it and reviewed it and i was excited to see you tear j-lo up from the floor up, but you let her get away with it. she sucks. her movies suck. i hope that her last movie is el cantante 2.

Sorry to disappoint, but I dont bash on an actress because you don’t like her. Even good personalities have bad films.

For the most part I enjoy Lopez in Rom Coms, but I dont expect much out of them. But even for a JLo romcom, this was bad.

I would only “tear into” a movie if it was so bad that it upset me or offended me. This did neither, it just had no redeeming qualities.

I did rate it a 2. Just sayin.

It’s not even worth wasting good money to see. Dvd worthy at most. She really needs to do some real drama! When she did Selena back in the day, she was almost credible as an actress. J-Lo, it’s time to re-invent yourself!…..And quick!!!

ya but the picture of the movie poster shows off her amazxing ass!

this looks so bad, i can see it bombing big time

MPAA Rating

The back-up plan (2010), directed by christophe le chanu / alan mark poul / alicia accardo / vincent lascoumes.

AllMovie Rating 3
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Review by Perry Seibert

If you knew nothing about a movie other than that it has two scenes in which fecal matter makes a prominent appearance -- as well as other scenes where dog vomit, human vomit, and human blood are showcased for comedic effect -- who would you assume the movie was aimed at? Teenagers? Frat boys? Well, in the case of The Back-up Plan, the surprising answer is women.

Jennifer Lopez plays Zoe, a thirtysomething Manhattanite who tucked away millions before the dot-com bubble burst, and now runs a pet shop. But what Zoe wants more than anything is a baby. Sadly, she never met Mr. Right, so, as the movie opens, she's undergoing her first attempt at artificial insemination. On her way home she ducks out of the rain into a waiting cab, just as Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) jumps into the same taxi. Of course, they bicker, but they end on friendly terms, and -- after an unexpected reunion days later at a farmer's market where Stan peddles his homemade cheeses -- the two begin dating. However, when Zoe discovers she is in fact pregnant, she wonders if her pending child will sabotage her best chance at finding true love.

The artist formally known as J-Lo, seemingly through a sheer Madonna-esque force of will, made herself into a cultural superstar, even if she never quite had the film career to back that up. She's had a handful of modest hits, but no blockbusters. And The Back-up Plan, coming five years after her last success (Monster-in-Law), smells like a desperate attempt to regain an audience that wasn't all that large to begin with. Sure, she still has a great smile, and she's savvy enough to do jokes about her revered ass, but never once can she make Kate Angelo's insipid script funny or make her character relatable. As Stan, O'Loughlin barely registers. He could be a good actor or he could be a terrible actor, but because Stan is such a nothing character it's impossible to tell one way or the other from his work here.

Compounding the problem that the two main characters are utter duds is the fact that the supporting characters are, for the most part, thoroughly annoying. Michaela Watkins grates as Zoe's best friend, who seemingly despises her four children; Eric Christian Olsen continues his string of playing annoying douchebags; and even the talented Anthony Anderson can't do anything with a monologue about how hard it is to be a parent. Only Linda Lavin, as Zoe's grandmother, and Robert Klein, as Zoe's gynecologist, escape unscathed. Lavin effortlessly brings an upbeat energy to her scenes, which painfully underscores how hard the rest of the cast is straining to make this subpar material interesting, and Klein sells his best sequence -- endlessly repeating the word "vagina" to Stan in order to get him over his squeamishness during an ultrasound -- with superb comic timing.

Even if the cast were loaded with comedic talents, however, they could not salvage a script this inept. In addition to a string of uninspired gross-out gags, the movie has Zoe drinking wine after she knows she could be pregnant -- something that makes no sense considering we've been told she wants a baby more than anything else in the world. At one point, Anthony Anderson's character says that being a parent is nothing but a seemingly endless string of horrible moments, and every once in a while something amazing happens. If you remove the amazing parts, that's an apt description of The Back-up Plan.

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Select Label Glossary

THE BACK-UP PLAN

"brave new family".

What You Need To Know:

Lopez carries the lead well in THE BACK-UP PLAN. Alex O’Loughlin as Stan is also charming. He gives a strong, appealing, funny performance. Capably directed and adequately written, the movie is marked by some engaging moments, but marred by an abundant mixture of foul language and questionable scenes. Also, the movie’s pagan worldview is based on the shaky foundation that sex outside of marriage is acceptable. To its credit, it does show some of the fallout associated with artificial insemination of unmarried women. Also, Stan really loves Zoe. The movie’s problematic content, however, warrants extreme caution for media-wise viewers.

Headline: ** Brave New Family **

Title: THE BACK UP PLAN

Quality: * * * Acceptability: -2

SUBTITLES: None

WARNING CODES:

Language: LLL

Violence: V

RATING: PG-13

RELEASE: April 23, 2010

TIME: 106 minutes

STARRING: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O’Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, and Linda Lavin

DIRECTOR: Alan Poul

PRODUCERS: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David J. Bloomfield and Rodney Liber

WRITER: Kate Angelo

BASED ON THE NOVEL/PLAY BY: N/A

DISTRIBUTOR: CBS Films

CONTENT: (PaPa, Ro, B, LLL, V, S, NN, A, M) Strong pagan worldview endorsing sex before marriage, mixed with Romantic elements and some light moral influences stressing the value of trust and commitment; at least 25 obscenities and one profanity, including and plus several crude references to private parts and functions; mild slapstick violence such as a water fight and an extreme example of pseudo-natural childbirth, including half-clothed woman giving birth in kiddie pool, excreting blood during the process, and an obscured view of birth as it begins; several implied scenes of sex and depicted sound of sexual pleasure; rear female nudity, upper male nudity, and several shots of cleavage; light alcohol consumption; no smoking or drugs; and, disturbing breastfeeding scenes of mother and three-year-old.

GENRE: Romantic Comedy

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Teenagers and adults

REVIEWER: Les Enloe

REVIEW: THE BACK-UP PLAN, a romantic comedy for older audiences, introduces viewers to Zoe (played by Jennifer Lopez), a single woman who is worried that her biological clock is ticking down. She wants a baby and decides to be artificially inseminated, but, in an ill-timed moment, she meets Stan (played by Alex O’Loughlin), who happens to be the man of her dreams. The two play cat-and-mouse, circling each other, but eventually they realize that they’re perfect for each other; except, of course, for the fact that she is pregnant from the insemination.

This situation is complicated by Zoe’s annoying neighbor, Mona, who relates both the highs and lows of motherhood and a “Single Mothers and Proud” group that Zoe flows into and out of periodically. As Stan ponders whether or not he really wants to be involved with this pre-packaged mom, he meets a man at the playground who describes the male perspective on child raising – awful, but incredible.

Although Zoe and Stan seem destined to be together, she constantly fights it. For the most part, he carries a flame, realizing she’s the one. The big challenge for this couple is when she goes into labor. At that point, both of them have to decide if they’re willing to fight for their relationship.

As with many or most romantic comedies, performances either make it work or not. THE BACK-UP PLAN is no different. Jennifer Lopez carries the lead and shows she can work the comedy effectively. She displays a decent knack for physical comedy, whether she’s discretely stuffing her face with her beau’s stew, or in the midst of a water fight during a date-gone-wrong. Her delivery is good, but her facial reactions are better. However, the audience at the screening seemed mostly charmed by Alex O’Loughlin, who brings out a solid performance that is appealing, funny and strong.

Capably directed by Alan Poul, the movie moves at a reasonable pace, but never picks up to an engaging tempo. It could have benefited from smoother pacing and a little more time working on the performances within the primary relationship. Written by Kate Angelo, the movie is marked by engaging moments, some great set pieces, and a charm that, although uneven, is evident. The movie has some static moments, however. Nonetheless, the overall story and characters are so appealing that it works despite those moments. Also, it is inspiring that Stan shows a real and abiding love for Zoe.

Once upon a time, people met, fell in love, got married, got pregnant, and had children, but THE BACK-UP PLAN mixes that up. It reflects a different way of thinking in today’s “modern” world. Although it shows all these elements in a jumbled order, it is reflective of a postmodern mindset. To its credit, however, it also shows some of the consequential emotional fallout that comes with that.

With as many things working for it as THE BACK-UP PLAN has, it’s sad that it’s filled with as much foul language, including one profanity, one “f” word, and several crude references to private parts and functions. There are also some very questionable scenes that, although they’re unusual, are sometimes more uncomfortable or out-of-place than funny. Several of these discomfiting scenes deal with the single mothers’ group, including a three-year-old breastfeeding and an unusually painful natural childbirth scene. Regrettably, the movie’s strong pagan worldview is built on a shaky foundation presuming that sex outside of marriage is acceptable. Thus, all in all, MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.

Please address your comments to:

Sumner Redstone, Chairman, Viacom

Leslie Moonves, CEO/President

CBS Corporation

Amy Baer, CEO, CBS Films

11800 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90025

Website: www.cbsfilms.com

SUMMARY: THE BACK-UP PLAN, a romantic comedy for older audiences, introduces viewers to Zoe, a single business owner worried that her biological clock is ticking down and gets artificially inseminated but then meets the man of her dreams. Despite some uneven qualities, THE BACK-UP PLAN has many humorous moments as this challenged relationship gives way to love and commitment, but it contains plenty of foul language and some implied sex scenes, so extreme caution is warranted.

THE BACK-UP PLAN is a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez. Once upon a time, people met, fell in love, got married, got pregnant, and had children. THE BACK-UP PLAN reflects a different way. Lopez plays Zoe, a woman worried that her biological clock is ticking down. She gets artificially inseminated, but then she meets Stan, the man of her dreams. The two play cat-and-mouse but eventually realize they’re perfect for each other. Nonetheless, Zoe resists making a final commitment. Eventually, they must decide if they’re willing to fight for their relationship.

(PaPa, Ro, B, LLL, V, S, NN, A, M) Strong pagan worldview endorsing sex before marriage, mixed with Romantic elements and some light moral influences stressing the value of trust and commitment; at least 25 obscenities and one profanity, including and plus several crude references to private parts and functions; mild slapstick violence such as a water fight and an extreme example of pseudo-natural childbirth, including half-clothed woman giving birth in kiddie pool, excreting blood during the process, and an obscured view of birth as it begins; several implied scenes of sex and depicted sound of sexual pleasure; rear female nudity, upper male nudity, and several shots of cleavage; light alcohol consumption; no smoking or drugs; and, disturbing breastfeeding scenes of mother and three-year-old.

More Detail:

HE BACK-UP PLAN, a romantic comedy for older audiences, introduces viewers to Zoe (played by Jennifer Lopez), a single woman who is worried that her biological clock is ticking down. She wants a baby and decides to be artificially inseminated, but, in an ill-timed moment, she meets Stan (played by Alex O’Loughlin), who happens to be the man of her dreams. The two play cat-and-mouse, circling each other, but eventually they realize that they’re perfect for each other; except, of course, for the fact that she is pregnant from the insemination.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

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Dare Daniel & Canon Fodder Podcasts

“The Back-Up Plan” Movie Review by Daniel Barnes

The Back-up Plan (2010; Alan Poul)

By daniel barnes.

The “and” credit is hallowed ground in the opening credits of any film, an honorable position of respect not to be bestowed lightly. Naturally, the film’s stars are always listed first in a movie’s credits, followed by the supporting actors and featured players, but it is those final acting credits – the “and credits” – that provide the last punch of pre-movie hype. Typically, the “and credit” is used to showcase the presence of venerated stars in small roles (“and Sean Connery as Professor Henry Jones”), or to spotlight a breakout performer (“and starring Robin Wright as The Princess Bride”), or even to assure franchise fans that they are still on familiar ground (“and Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky”).

Therefore, the “and credits” say a lot not only about a film’s star power but about its self-conception regarding which of its elements might actually appeal to the public. So what does it say about Alan Poul’s utterly disgusting and dehumanizing romantic comedy The Back-up Plan that the “and credits” are bestowed upon comedian Robert Klein and 1970s sitcom star Linda Lavin ? It probably says that absolutely nothing in this miserable movie appeals to audiences, which is not a surprising revelation when you consider that the first spit-take joke comes less than three minutes into the story.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin, who have an obnoxious lack of chemistry together, headline The Back-up Plan as star-crossed lovers Zoe and Stan. When the film opens, Zoe has given up the search for “Mr. Right”, and has elected to start a family alone by getting artificially inseminated. As she leaves the gynecologist’s office, Zoe gets into a cab at the same time as O’Loughlin’s smarmy Stan, which leads to one of the least cute “meet-cutes” in cinema history.

But how did this “meet cute” even happen? We see the cab pull over across a couple of lanes to pick up Zoe, who enters the backseat through the passenger side. At the exact same time, Stan enters the backseat through the driver’s side, but it is unclear how he even got to the door in the first place. Was Stan hailing a cab from the middle of the street? How he could not have seen Zoe, as he claims? How could she not have seen him? Is he a wizard or just a shape-shifter? These are the sort of mental Moebius strips that usually afflict emotionally disturbed prisoners in solitary confinement, which is actually an apt metaphor for the experience of being forced to watch The Back-up Plan .

Of course, the taxi pulls away as Zoe and Stan argue over who should take the car since cab drivers are notorious for hating cash fares. It is quite possible that the driver felt as I did and simply could not stand to be around either one of them for another second. Zoe is a childish nitwit (at one point, she refers to Stan as “a stupid head”) with some incredibly low self-esteem, and Stan is a sleazy jerk accessorized into a hipster dreamboat. He’s a goat farmer who lives in New York, and although he is a complete stranger, he follows Zoe home and later accosts her at work, behavior that would seem terrifying if Stephen Trask’s twinkly score didn’t insist otherwise.

Although it approaches the audience with the “we’ve-all-been-there” wink of a For Better or For Worse comic strip, all of the concepts of “normal human behavior” in The Back-up Plan are poorly calibrated. On their first date, Stan refers to his ex-girlfriend as “whore-ish,” which Zoe seems to find endearing. Zoe goes to visit a support group for single mothers the day after getting inseminated for the first time, and no one bats an eye. When Stan later feels “stressed out” by Zoe’s pregnancy, he stays up all night cooking hundreds of pancakes, which is something that a paranoid schizophrenic might do. Even the laws of science are debatable in the world of The Back-up Plan – during one of the film’s many excruciating slapstick moments, a knocked-over candle causes a pizza to spontaneously burst into a flaming inferno.

Then there is the pet store that Zoe owns and never operates. I am completely fascinated by this pet store, and I could go on for another two to three thousand words about the insanity of her business plan. It is a cozy little mom-and-pop pet store in New York City with several full-time employees and no customers. Her business acumen is so bad that when Cesar “The Dog Whisperer” Milian makes an in-store appearance to promote his book, he draws maybe ten to twelve people, and has to ask Zoe to leave when she refuses to stop talking over him. Despite all of this, Zoe lives quite lavishly, which would seem to indicate that the pet store is just the front for an international drug laundering operation. If only the studio had made that movie instead of this one, I probably would have been spared the moment where Anthony Anderson admits to having sex with a pregnancy pillow.

And there is more, so much more – Anderson plays a Bagger Vance-esque “Magical Negro” of fatherhood, and he mentors O’Loughlin in the ways of child-rearing and annoying improv. Stan calls another pregnant woman “Orca” at one point, which Zoe, now well into her third trimester, regards with the blank submission of an abuse victim. More than anything, this movie hates women: the day after learning she is pregnant, Zoe is already devouring hot stew straight from the pot with her fists. She attends a support group called “Single Mothers and Proud,” and the women in it are predictably portrayed as man-hating loons. The single mothers are outraged when they discover Zoe has found love (because it’s a group for single mothers, duh!), but they forgive her in time for Zoe and Stan to attend one of the group member’s New Age-y births, a sequence whose only point is that not having a man makes women crazy.

Stan initially decides to pursue his relationship with Zoe and help raise her child, but after a series of idiotic misunderstandings, she calls it off. However, when she learns that her grandmother (played by “and Linda Lavin”) has finally decided to marry her own long-time fiancée, that changes everything for some stupid reason. Suddenly, Zoe is frantic to reunite with Stan, and although the timeline of Zoe’s pregnancy is completely confusing due to post-test screening re-edits, they reconcile just in time for her to go into labor. After a brief flash-forward, we see that Zoe has given birth to twin babies, while Stan has opened up a little goat cheese shop right next door to Zoe’s pet store. The heartwarming message: as the family gets bigger, the international drug laundering operation has to expand in kind.

There are a lot of unappealing aspects to The Back-Up Plan , but the least appealing of all are the stars. Lopez has squandered her natural charisma, as well as the promise she displayed in early roles in movies like Out of Sight and Blood and Wine , by churning out one unchallenging pile of crap after another. O’Laughlin is best known for his role in the recent Hawaii Five-O reboot, and while I was unfamiliar with him before The Back-Up Plan , he is not likable at all here. When you consider that the only qualifications for his role were making stupid faces and looking good shirtless, you wonder why the producers didn’t just cast Dan Cortese instead. At the very least, he would have made for a better “and credit” than Robert Klein and Linda Lavin.

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The back-up plan.

Now on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD

Get it now.

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After dating a string of Mr. Wrongs, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) commits to her back-up plan: to take on motherhood alone. But just when she discovers she's pregnant, she meets Mr. Right.

Back-Up Plan, The (United States, 2010)

Film critics love titles that imply something about the movie in question (either in a straightforward or ironic fashion). Thus, it might seem that The Back-Up Plan offers a perfect opportunity to play with the name; after all, as it applies to a multiplex trip, a "back-up plan" refers to what movie-goers see when their first choice is sold-out. Unfortunately, such as assessment would be overly optimistic in this case, since this movie is less a back-up plan than it is a last resort. Or, to put it another way, this is the film to watch when pretty much everything else has been sold out and the only remaining choices are The Back-Up Plan and the latest Rob Schneider opus.

The Back-Up Plan is soft and squishy - the kind of thing that would be comfortably at home on post-Prime Time cable or as a seat-back choice on a transcontinental flight. It's dramatically vanilla, suffers from sit-com humor tendencies, lacks a compelling romance, and struggles to find a convincing performance. It's tough to actively hate the movie because something this carefully pre-packaged is designed to deflect anger. Hollywood seems largely incapable of making an interesting, funny movie about pregnancy. The only recent one that comes to mind is Knocked Up , and The Back-Up Plan could easily (and effectively) be described as "anti- Knocked Up ." It goes without saying that the PG-13 rating disallows any edgy material from entering the picture, not that the filmmakers would go in that direction even if provided an R-rated opportunity.

The predictable story focuses on Zoe (Jennifer Lopez), a woman in her mid-30s who, despairing of ever meeting Mr. Right and settling down in familial bliss, decides to go the single parent route. So, armed with a test tube purchase from a local sperm bank, she spends a few minutes in a fertility clinic with her feet pointed at the ceiling. A few weeks later, she learns that the treatments were arguably too effective since the early ultrasound shows two beating hearts. But there's a complication. No sooner has Zoe been inseminated than she meets the elusive Mr. Right. He's Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), a hunky cheese maker who looks really good with his shirt off. Zoe worries that telling him the truth will send him looking for someone less ripe. However, since this is a fairy tale, Stan proves to be a stand-up kind of guy. After a little soul searching, he decides to stick with Zoe through thick and thin (more of the former than the latter) and become a daddy to his girlfriend's offspring.

The Back-Up Plan is a hybrid romantic comedy and pregnancy comedy. There are interesting ideas in the premise, but most are softened by the need to provide non-controversial mainstream fluff. Zoe's pregnancy falls into the sanitized cinematic type with which we have become familiar. The combination of prosthetics and make-up used to make Lopez appear to go through the various phases of her condition is unconvincing. Moments are rare in which a shot of the actress could be considered unflattering. She looks the way most women wish they would when struggling through their third trimester.

I'm still trying to reconcile the downward spiral of Lopez's acting talent. In productions like Out of Sight and The Cell , she lit up the screen, fashioning a dynamic that was part sex appeal, part force of personality, and part acting capability. Since then, she has slipped through the plane of mediocrity to reside in a zone where "performance" is synonymous with plastic smiles, curvy costumes, and flat dialogue. Some might argue this transformation occurred around the time she stopped being Jenny from the Block and started being J-Lo. Others might cite the Gigli factor. For me, it was all about The Wedding Planner and how she airbrushed her image into something outwardly flawless but otherwise unremarkable. Her co-star in The Back-Up Plan is Alex O'Loughlin, a TV actor whose chief attribute is that he's photogenic enough to share scenes with Lopez and not look like a troll.

For a romantic comedy to work for those who are not members of its core demographic (and will accept almost anything as long as there's an element of fantasy and wish-fulfillment), it must craft an endearing love story or consistently provoke hearty laughter. The Back-Up Plan doesn't do an especially good job at either. Its attempts at comedy, which rely on a pregnancy support group comprised of stock bizarre characters and typical slapstick elements, do no better than generate half-hearted chuckles. And the romance is simply uninteresting.

The Back-Up Plan 's TV pedigree is evident - it feels like something developed for broadcast. Director Alan Poul has a substantial resume of small screen productions; this is his feature debut. Screenwriter Kate Angelo has 17 previous credits - all television. With the exception of Lopez, nearly all the actors are TV fixtures, including '70s icons Tom Bosley and Linda Lavin. (The appearance of the former made me a little wistful - when did Mr. Cunningham get so old?) Plus, the distributor is the newly formed CBS Films, the network's motion picture arm. While The Back-Up Plan might work as passable, disposable fodder in the less demanding realm of non-pay television, the thought of parting with $10 to see it in a multiplex auditorium is almost offensive.

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Say Anything (1969)
It Happened One Night (1934)
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
Bounty Hunter, The (2010)
Home Again (2017)
He's All That (2021)
Out of Sight (1998)
Antz (1998)
Selena (1997)
Boy Next Door, The (2015)
Monster-In-Law (2005)
Wedding Planner, The (2001)
(There are no more better movies of Alex O'Loughlin)
(There are no more worst movies of Alex O'Loughlin)
Brigsby Bear (2017)
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Paint (2023)
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Best Romance Movies You Can Watch for Free on YouTube

Free romance movies on YouTube offer classic screwball plots and feel-good rom-coms for cozy nights in.
From The Accidental Husband to Ball of Fire, there's a range of romances available with a simple click on YouTube.
Keep up with YouTube's latest free offerings for rom-com fans like What Women Want and The Back-Up Plan for a heartfelt movie night.

Nothing screams a cozy night in quite like a good Romance movie. With so many streaming platforms at our disposal, each with their own select user fee, it's hard not to spend an arm and a leg to tame that love story fix. Viewers who know where to look, however, can find some of their favorites go tos free of charge if they know where to look. Fortunately, the number of no-charge streaming options has soared in recent years. Those willing to sit through an ad or five will find their options ripe for watching.

Oldie but goodie YouTube just so happens to be one of these options.YouTube has a plethora of movies to choose from that are free (with ads). While obvious favorites like The Twilight Saga and forgotten cult classics like Cry, Baby abound, there are far more options for those looking for a classic screwball or drama. From Ball of Fire to A Walk to Remember , to What Women Want , here are some of the best romance movies you can watch for free on YouTube.

Updated March 9th, 2024 by Amanda Minchin : Rom-com fanatics and the like will be glad to know this article was just updated to include YouTube's most up-to-date listings!

The Accidental Husband (2008)

The accidental husband.

Release Date February 29, 2008

Director Griffin Dunne

Cast Uma Thurman, Colin Firth, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lindsay Sloane, Sam Shepard, Justina Machado

Rating PG-13

Genres Romance, Comedy

The Accidental Husband is a romantic comedy from 2008 that starred Uma Turman as Emma and The Walking Dead 's own Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Patrick. In this film, radio host and relationship advice guru Emma's world is turned upside down when her upcoming marriage to Richard (Colin Firth) is delayed because she is still technically married to a man named Patrick. Patrick is a firefighter and the cunning mastermind behind Emma's troubles. He fabricates an elaborate plan for revenge that eventually leads to an unintentional and unexpected love story.

A Classic 2000s Delight

The title alone practically guarantees a formulaic, feel-good time. Uma Thurman provides a knock-out performance worthy of screwball originals, and her co-stars aren't too shabby either. Colin Firth is notorious for his leading male roles in romcoms like Bridget Jones' Diary , so his casting is perfect. Jeffrey Dean Morgan shows a familiarly scheming, but far more wholesome side to his acting repertoire. The film is chock-full of the typical screwball plot devices, from overly complicated problem-solving to impractically dramatic stakes, and has all the makings of a comfortable rom-com binge.

Stream on YouTube

The Back-Up Plan (2010)

The back-up plan.

Release Date April 23, 2010

Director Alan Poul

Cast Noureen DeWulf, Michaela Watkins, Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Eric Christian Olsen, Anthony Anderson

Runtime 106

Continuing on the romantic comedy train, 2010's The Back-Up Plan , starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin, is a solid choice for a free movie on YouTube. This rollercoaster of a plot starts with a desperate Zoe (Lopez), whose internal clock is ticking into overtime. Tired of waiting for the perfect relationship, she decides to get artificially inseminated in order to start a family. She then meets Stan (O'Loughlin) and the two completely hit it off. Zoe might have found her one and only, but is that one and only ready for fatherhood?

A Surprisingly Poignant Rom-Com

Kudos are in order for an early 2010s film about artificial insemination and its surrounding cultural questions. Jennifer Lopez is an icon in more ways than one, including her romcom lead prowess . While Alex O'Loughlin may perhaps be better known for his stint as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett on Hawaii Five-0 , he manages to bring his comedic genre-mashing chops to the role. While the premise is fresh, the momentum of this film can be a bit still at times, its ending is far worth the wait.

What Women Want (2000)

What Women Want is a classic pairing of rivals to relations. In it, Mel Gibson plays chauvinist advertising exec Nick Marshall who, after a freak accident with a blow dryer, is suddenly able to eavesdrop on women's thoughts. Having recently lost a promotion and with his company looking to conquer the more feminine market, he uses this newfound skill to his advantage to listen in on his new boss, Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt). Of course, this causes him to fall hard for her in the process. Between repairing his relationships with his female co-workers (and his young daughter) and coming up with the perfect ad campaign to impress his bosses, he takes full advantage of this newfound gift for as long as it lasts.

A Formula that Works

Acclaimed filmmaker Nancy Meyers is at her best in this film, as are Hunt and Gibson. Both actors were at the top of their game at the time, and their onscreen chemistry is absolutely electric. The message of empathy for one's fellow man (or woman, in this case), is hard to deny. Marshall's behavior is shown to stem from his upbringing in a casino, an insight that might otherwise have been lost in less adept hands. There's a formulaic nature to this film, yes, but it only serves to punctuate the story and its message all the more.

The 10 Most Underrated Performances In Romance Movies Of All Time

Penelope (2006).

Release Date March 1, 2006

Director Mark Palansky

Cast Ronni Ancona, Nick Prideaux, Michael Feast, Richard E. Grant, Christina Ricci, Catherine O'Hara

Runtime 101

Genres Romance, Comedy, Fantasy

Penelope tells the story of a family cursed by the decisions of their ancestors to not accept a pair of young lovers. In the present day, Penelope (Christina Ricci), an aristocratic heiress, is born with a pig snout as a result. The only way to break the curse is to find her true love, someone who will wholeheartedly accept her, snout and all. Her well-meaning, but utterly misguided parents hide her from the world for years... that is until, sometime after her 18th birthday, when they decide to take her love life into their own hands. Their attempts to set her up with a fellow blueblood, however, go horribly awry, leading Penelope to strike off on her own in search of acceptance.

Elevated by a Brilliant Ensemble Cast

Released during the height of fable fantasy fervor, this modern take on classic fairy tale tropes is nothing short of delightful. There is a message of acceptance hidden deep beneath the overtures of classism. Plus, this cast reads like an understated who's who, from Catherine O'Hara as Penelope's mother, to James McAvoy as a kind, but subterfuging suitor, to Peter Dinklage and Reese Witherspoon as newfound friends Penelope finds along the way. And, with a PG rating, the film is wholesome enough to binge with some younger loved ones in tow.

Ball of Fire (1941)

Ball of Fire is a classic screwball comedy featuring Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper. The story centers around a group of bachelors (and one widower) who live and work together in a prim and proper pad. Desperate to understand and learn some more modern colloquialisms to add to the work, the youngest of them, Professor Potts, a grammarian in American slang, turns to Katherine "Sugarpuss" O'Shea for advice. A nightclub performer by trade, she only agrees to stay after finding herself on the run from police as a result of her mob boyfriend's shenanigans. The pair, of course, take a liking to each other, but are forced to put their feelings aside momentarily for the sake of the book and their lives after Sugarpuss' angry boyfriend comes a'calling.

A Screwball Comedy that Stands the Test of Time

This title perfectly encapsulates Stanwyck's character, a firecracker with a silver tongue for 'modern' American colloquialisms. Obvious references to the fable of Snow White aside, this juxtaposition of stuffiness and flamboyance makes for some incredible screwball shenanigans. The chemistry between the two leads is rife, though they are at times outmatched by those of their academic companions. A common matter in romantic comedies, the couple's attempts to save each other are of course what ultimately keep them apart for so long. Viewers will have to refrain from yelling at the screen for some more open and honest communication, which really would have solved just about all the woes of these two lovebirds to begin with.

Best Classic Screwball Comedies, Ranked

The wedding singer (1988), the wedding singer.

Release Date February 13, 1998

Director Frank Coraci

Cast Ellen Albertini Dow, Allen Covert, Drew Barrymore, Matthew Glave, Christine Taylor, Adam Sandler

The Wedding Singer features Adam Sandler as Robbie and Drew Barrymore as Julia, two features of the wedding circuit who are just perfect for each other. The only problem? Both of them are already engaged... to other people. That is until Robbie is dumped at the altar by his fiancé, who fell in love with his rock star persona and just can't stomach his new career as a wedding singer. This puts an obvious damper on both his personal and professional life as his gigs turn more and more sour. What follows is the ultimate will-they-won't-they as the newfound work pair finds their feelings for each other growing in spite of or because of their current and ex-spouses to be.

Irresistible Chemistry Between Sandler and Barrymore

This one is a classic on must-watch weekend re-runs for a reason. An early pairing between Sandler and Barrymore, it's no wonder after watching this film why they would go on to star alongside each other in so many more films. This film is easily one of Sandler's all-time best comedies, with just the right mix of oddball to offset the otherwise romantic tropes. Set in the '80s with the costumes and soundtrack to match, this film has an understated realness of work relationships amid the ridiculousness of wedding day jams. Plus, it's a chance to check out the comedic stylings of the always hilarious Ellen Albertini Dow as Rosie.

Every Day (2018)

Based on the novel by David Levithan, Every Day follows the love story between 16-year-old Rhiannon (Angourie Rice), who falls in love with the mysterious 'A' (who is played by far too many actors to list here). 'A', you see, is a traveling spirit, an entity that wakes up in a different living teenage body, regardless of gender, every day. Rhiannon first meets 'A' when they wake up in the body of Justin, her otherwise neglectful boyfriend. A day spent alongside her, of course, causes 'A' to fall madly in love with her, which leads them to seek her out long after he leaves her boyfriend behind. Upon learning his secret, Rhiannon is challenged to fall and stay in love with someone whose gender-fluid, outward-facing form is forever in flux.

A Romance with Philosophical Undertones

This film does a stellar job of creating purpose for the characters in a cohesive narrative, it also manages to sneak in a handful of ethical conundrums, mostly centering around the agency of 'A' as they take over the lives of others. The bodies 'A' possess do not usually remember their previous day(s) spent taken over by 'A'. This begs the question of whether it is fair for 'A' to exist in others, especially when they take over bodies for an extended period of time, living their lives for them. The answer is, in a word no, a sad fact that both Rhiannon and 'A' both come to accept after time. Thankfully, 'A' manages to use their powers for good, for the most part, and still manages to leave an indelible impact on the lives they briefly possess.

The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

The time traveler's wife.

Release Date August 14, 2009

Director Robert Schwentke

Cast Bart Bedford, Katherine Trowell, Alex Ferris, Eric Bana, Arliss Howard, Michelle Nolden

Runtime 107

Genres Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Documentary, Fantasy

There's nothing like a bit of time travel to up the stakes for romance. The Time Traveler's Wife stars Eric Bana as the traveler in question, Henry DeTamble, and Rachel McAdams as Clare Abshire, his wife. Based on Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel, the film follows DeTamble's entrances and exits into Clare's life, which is the result of an uncontrollable para-genetic disorder. As a result, he travels back and forth between different important moments of his life without notice. Unable to change much about them, he struggles to develop a relationship with the love of his life, for whom his sudden appearances and reappearances throughout the course of her life eventually take their toll.

Another Sci-Fi-Tinged Romance

There is a graceful fluidity to this romance in what might otherwise have been marred with overwrought science-fiction explanations. While it is at first unsettling to watch DeTamble meet up with his wife in her pre-pubescent years and beyond, their involvement over time serves to both bond them together and tear them apart. There is an uneasy feeling of knowing what will pass, reliving old memories in real-time, and not being able to spend moments in said real-time with the ones you love. The mystery of not knowing when and where the main character will appear and reappear makes for some brilliant dramatic moments, which are only punctuated further by the unknown of just when they might happen.

20 Timeless Romance Movies That Never Get Old

Overboard (1987).

Overboard is an '80s comedy classic. Starring real-life partners Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, this film follows a bratty socialite (Hawn) who loses her memory after falling overboard her yacht. The repair person she recently fired, Russell, comes to her aid but decides to use her loss to his advantage. Claiming to be her husband, he brings her home from the hospital to take care of his brood of rambunctious boys in their stuffed to the seams house. What will happen when she falls wise to his ploy? Will she stay 'married' and give up her former lifestyle? Or abandon this strange man and his family altogether. This film, which was remade in 2018 , is available on YouTube alongside the remake.

A Strange Premise that Has Aged Surprisingly Well

While the concept in this film is undoubtedly alarming, there is a deftness to the handling of this gaslighting plot. This is due, in part, to the skill of screenwriter Leslie Dixon, who would go on to create even more cult favorites like Mrs. Doubtfire just a few years later. The chemistry between Russell and Hawn, as well as their ability to play so well off of each other comedically, is why this film stands out as so crazily re-watchable years later, Stockholm syndrome and all. By some magic of filmmaking, both Russell's character and that of his rambunctious brood, seem to somehow, inexplicably, grow on the viewer with each watch.

A Walk to Remember (2002)

The iconic teen drama A Walk to Remember is based on an early Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name. The film stars Shane West as Landon and Mandy Moore as Jamie. What starts out as a classic '50s Romeo and Juliet story meets 10 Things I Hate About You takes a hard turn into reality as forces beyond their control serve to push them apart. Will Jamie's illness push them apart? Love, understanding, and passion are constants as they navigate their youth with what time they have left.

A Timeless Tearjerker

There's nothing like young love and a coming-of-age romance, particularly when that film is as highly rewatchable as this one is. Melodramatic to its core, A Walk to Remember features iconic performances by both Shane West and Mandy Moore in one of her earliest roles. Moore's musical performance is expected, but stellar. Perhaps more poignant for fans of tearjerkers are their matrimonial scenes. Be prepared to break out the tissues for this one.

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Movie Review: The Back-Up Plan
Movie Review: The Back-Up Plan (2010)
Review: 'The Back-Up Plan'
The Back-Up Plan Review
Jennifer Lopez's 'The Back-Up Plan' Gets New Snippets and Stills

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The Back-Up Plan (2010) End Credits (Ovation 2023)
The Back Up Plan B Alex O´Loughlin&Jennifer Lopez
Happy 14th Anniversary to The Back-up Plan!😄😄(2010-2024)
The Back-Up Plan (2010) End Credits (USA 2013)
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'The Backup Plan' starring Jennifer Lopez

COMMENTS

The Back-up Plan movie review (2001)
This movie is desperately boring. No one says much of anything interesting. They have extremely limited ranges of interest. There are older characters: Zoe's nana ( Linda Lavin) and grandpa ( Tom Bosley) and gynecologist ( Robert Klein ). They seem human, so the camera cuts away, lest they get started on something.
The Back-up Plan
Aug 4, 2022. Rated: 0.5/5 • May 19, 2021. Tired of waiting for Mr. Right while her biological clock ticks away, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) decides it's time to make an appointment at the sperm bank ...
The Back-up Plan (2010)
The Back-up Plan: Directed by Alan Poul. With Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Eric Christian Olsen. A woman conceives twins through artificial insemination, then meets the man of her dreams on the very same day.
The Back-up Plan
The Back-up Plan garnered negative reviews from critics, who praised Lopez's performance but criticized the generic script. It was a box-office success, grossing $77.5 million against a production budget of $35 million. ... He finds a friend there that he can talk to about the pregnancy throughout the movie, while Zoe gets little support from ...
The Back-up Plan Movie Review
Our review: Parents say ( 13 ): Kids say ( 19 ): Directed by Alan Poul, a TV veteran making his feature debut, THE BACK-UP PLAN drags out every lazy romantic comedy cliché in the book. The lovers withhold information from each other, and then get mad and run away when the truth comes out.
The Back-up Plan
Movie Review. When the alarm on a woman's biological clock starts ringing, no snooze button on earth can truly turn the thing off. ... The Back-up Plan was supposed to be, I think, an update of a classic romance—one that starts out with having kids, rather than ending there. It culminates in engagement and, apparently, true love.
Movie Review: The Back-up Plan (2010)
In 2003, she starred in the oft-made fun of Gigli — a film so awful many regarded it as one of the worst ever. The Back-up Plan, gives that movie a run for the money. 2010, meet the worst movie of the year. Critical Movie Critic Rating: 1. Movie Review: The Heavy (2010)
The Back-Up Plan
October 14, 2010 9:12pm. "The Back-Up Plan" hopes to generate romantic comedy by reversing the normal order of things so that pregnancy comes before a couple meets. Otherwise, it's still boy ...
The Back-up Plan
Just as in sitcoms, every conflict and resolution often takes place here within the very same scene. Full Review | Dec 23, 2014. Kevin Carr 7M Pictures. The Back-Up Plan has all of the cliches of ...
The Back-up Plan Movie Review
J-Lo's The Back-up Plan isn't just a case of predictable, cheesy Hollywood romantic drivel, it actually takes things a step further and wanders into dangerous territory, sending unwelcome signals which - in an already slightly out-of-control modern society - we really don't need. I know that people may find themselves in this kind of ...
The Back-up Plan
The Back-up Plan. Metascore ... Generally Unfavorable Based on 32 Critic Reviews. 34. 13% Positive 4 Reviews. 56% Mixed 18 Reviews. 31% Negative 10 Reviews. All Reviews; Positive Reviews; ... Jennifer Lopez returns to making movies, and she does great in this return. It's a nice romantic movie with its funny jokes, but it's not so much comedy ...
Review: The Back-Up Plan
Thanks for checking out our Back-Up Plan review. Genre: Romantic Comedy Directed by: Alan Poul Staring: Jennifer Lopez, Alex OLoughlin Released: April 23, 2010 THE GENERAL IDEA. After years of dating, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long.
The Back-up Plan
Read movie and film review for The Back-up Plan (2010) - Christophe Le Chanu, Alan Mark Poul, ... And The Back-up Plan, coming five years after her last success (Monster-in-Law), smells like a desperate attempt to regain an audience that wasn't all that large to begin with. Sure, she still has a great smile, and she's savvy enough to do jokes ...
"The Back-Up Plan" Review
A few laughs and a few brief appearances almost manage to make The Back-Up Plan worth a view, but ultimately the film crumbles under the weight of its formulaic storylines and cookie cutter conflicts and resolutions. Eventually, J.Lo, you will be too old to get away with films like this one.
Movie Review: The Back-up Plan (2010)
Movie Review: The Back-up Plan (2010) Although they seem to be cranked out faster than any other genre -- regardless of the fact that romantic comedy movies are statistically at an all time high due to the sheer amount -- the quality of the formerly feel-wonderful genre is at an all time low. And perhaps because the film would've already ...
Review: The Back-Up Plan
The latest taste-deprived pastry from Hollywood's Easy Bake Oven, The Back-Up Plan is the kind of mass-produced, phoned-in laziness that reinforces mainstream entertainment's bad name. Pitched somewhere between a half-rate sitcom and a feature-length clothing ad, this movie is something close to loathsome in its childish sense of human emotions for the supposed sake of laughter, as if only ...
THE BACK-UP PLAN
THE BACK-UP PLAN is a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez. Once upon a time, people met, fell in love, got married, got pregnant, and had children. THE BACK-UP PLAN reflects a different way. Lopez plays Zoe, a woman worried that her biological clock is ticking down. She gets artificially inseminated, but then she meets Stan, the man of her ...
"The Back-Up Plan" Movie Review by Daniel Barnes
The Back-up Plan (2010; Alan Poul) GRADE: F By Daniel Barnes. The "and" credit is hallowed ground in the opening credits of any film, an honorable position of respect not to be bestowed lightly.
THE BACK-UP PLAN
After dating a string of Mr. Wrongs, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) commits to her back-up plan: to take on motherhood alone. But just when she discovers she's pregnant, she meets Mr.
Back-Up Plan, The
The Back-Up Plan is a hybrid romantic comedy and pregnancy comedy. There are interesting ideas in the premise, but most are softened by the need to provide non-controversial mainstream fluff. Zoe's pregnancy falls into the sanitized cinematic type with which we have become familiar. The combination of prosthetics and make-up used to make Lopez ...
The Back-up Plan: Christian Movie Review
The Back-up Plan is no different. Jennifer Lopez carries the lead and shows she can work the comedy effectively. She displays a decent knack for physical comedy, whether she's discretely stuffing her face with her beau's stew, or in the midst of a water fight during a date-gone-wrong. Her delivery is good, but her facial reactions are better.
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Best Romance Movies You Can Watch for Free on YouTube
Continuing on the romantic comedy train, 2010's The Back-Up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin, is a solid choice for a free movie on YouTube.This rollercoaster of a plot starts ...
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