Movie Title: LEAP YEAR
Directed by: Anand Tucker
Written by: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont
Released: January 8, 2010
Runtime: 100 minutes
Rated: PG
Synopsis
Anna Brady plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland to propose marriage to her boyfriend Jeremy on Leap Day, because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it.
Cast
AMY ADAMS (Arrival) plays a career woman living in Boston. She’s a real estate stager, someone who makes spaces look their best for prospective buyers. She’s also a stickler for schedules and other such obsessive qualities. Anna has dated her cardiologist boyfriend for nearly four years. She is ready to get married. Jeremy, though, doesn’t seem to have any interest in making such a long-term commitment.
MATTHEW GOODE (Freud’s Last Session) plays Declan, an Irish tavern owner who owes money to some local lenders. As a result, he takes Anna up on her offer for him to drive her to Dublin to surprise her boyfriend. He is a charming rogue, and essentially a good guy, though snarky and hurting after his fiancée ran away with his best friend.
ADAM SCOTT (Parks and Recreation) plays Anna’s self-obsessed and superficial commitment-phobic boyfriend. A cardiologist by trade and somewhat of a workaholic, he is taking an extended business trip to Ireland. He enjoys sharing pictures of surgeries in progress with colleagues via camera phone.
JOHN LITHGOW (3rd Rock from the Sun) plays Anna’s down-on-his-luck father, who has been victimized multiple times by money-making schemes.
Plot
Anna Brady is an ultra-organized Boston woman who has her life planned out down to the tiniest detail. She patiently waits for Jeremy, her boyfriend of four years, to propose to her. Finally her patience runs out. When Jeremy takes off for Dublin to attend a cardiology convention, Anna decides to follow and surprise him. She intends to take advantage of the old Irish tradition of women proposing to men on February 29th, which Anna’s grandmother did.
Of course, the best-laid plans go awry, and a storm causes her flight to be diverted to Wales. All flights are grounded, so Anna gets on a boat instead. But the storms force the boat to stop in a small village called Dingle. Stuck in this rural no-man’s land, she needs transportation to the city. Enter Declan, the town’s innkeeper, bartender, and most importantly, taxi driver.
The two instantly get off on the wrong foot, with Declan mocking Anna and her Louis Vitton luggage. But Declan needs money to save the inn from creditors, so he agrees to drive Anna to Dublin. So Anna, the prim, proper girl with her whole life planned out and Declan, the earthy, sarcastic guy who flies by the seat of his pants, set out on a road trip together.
What follows is a delightful comedy in which this mismatched pair get into some ridiculous situations while getting to know each other. Gee, you don’t suppose this odd couple might end up falling for one another, do you? At the end of the road, though, is Anna’s longtime boyfriend Jeremy.
Rating
LEAP YEAR is a fairly mild PG movie, which for the most part is family-friendly. There isn’t much in the way of age-inappropriate content for older tweens and teens. Declan is a pub owner and Anna is a casual drinker who gets very drunk in one scene. There is one brief kissing scene and a brief silhouette behind a shower curtain. The words “Hell,” “damn,” “idiot” and “jackass“ are about as rough as it gets, along with a couple of uses of “for God’s sake.” If it wasn’t for that, this movie could have just as easily ended up on Pure Flix.
Conclusion
LEAP YEAR is a light, fun, enjoyable romantic comedy and a reasonably entertaining film for general viewing. There are some beautiful shots of Ireland, too! The rolling Irish countryside is a sight to behold and a wonderful setting for the story. If you’re looking for a happy, feel-good movie, this is your film! LEAP YEAR is a great movie that I plan to re-watch every year there is a Leap Day.