Review: The Back-up Plan Almost as Bad as J.Lo's Original Plan

Jennifer Lopez is back, with a weak leading man and overly manipulative script

By Leslie Gornstein Apr 23, 2010 3:35 AMTags
The Back-Up Plan, Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'LoughlinPeter Lovino / CBS FILMS INC

Review in a Hurry: Jennifer Lopez is back in a vehicle aimed at shedding her duplicitous Jenny from the Block persona. But a weak leading man, an overly manipulative script and a tired retread of the motherhood genre reduce the movie to a late-night Lifetime TV rerun waiting to happen.

The Bigger Picture: Somebody really, really wants us to like Jennifer Lopez again. (A decade of relentless overexposure and Gigli-esque role choices may have something to do with that.) Even during the opening credits of her new comeback vehicle, the image rehab campaign is upon us: A cartoon version of J. Lo, smiling guilelessly in a fashionable outfit as she moves about New York, bringing happiness to all who gaze upon her.

The relentless adorableness continues into the first and second acts. We learn that J. Lo—a.k.a. a single New York gal named Zoe (1) owns a disabled dog, (2) runs a cruelty-free pet shop, (3) has parents who died when she was young, (4) visits her grandmother in the nursing home, (5) loves bacon and hot dogs and (6) has been hurt so badly by her past that she never settled in with Mr. Right and now lives all by herself.

It's as if the producers knew what actress they were dealing with and piled on every possible sympathy card as a pre-emptive measure.

So. Zoe's biological clock is ticking and she wants a baby. She gets artificially inseminated, and it works—just as Mr. Right comes along. The lucky guy, Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), runs a sustainable cheese business, which is nice, but he's also said he doesn't want kids. Oh no! What to do? Go on crazy baby adventures, that's what!

For every sympathetic personality trait the script writers have imparted on Zoe, they seem to withhold from Stan. He takes Zoe on cool dates, but dissolves into self-pitying histrionics whenever the whole girlfriend-is-preggo thing rears its head. It also doesn't help that O'Loughlin's acting repertoire includes only two personas: smug and hangdog, and both come off as manipulative rather than charming.

Lopez displays decent comic timing and only rarely overacts; she has committed to the role completely. But as for the story itself, most of the humor is farmed from the tired genre of wow-having-a-baby-is-scary.

In their smaller parts, supporting cast members, including Anthony Anderson, Robert Klein and Linda Lavin, easily outclass the leads. And even as Lopez puts every ounce of energy into her comeback, its hard to imagine her in the role of a humble shop owner; her hair and makeup are still as club-ready as ever, even while visiting a farmers market or sweating it out at the gym.

The 180—a Second Opinion: The mommy crowd will probably love all the in-jokes about what it's like to give birth, and there are more than plenty of those.