The 2024 production of Plan B feels like a Hallmark “want to be” but it falls a tad short of this lofty goal. There is romance to be sure and a underlying current of comedy.
But.
This issue with this film is that none of the characters are likeable. No matter how hard I tried, connection with this disparate group of people was nigh on impossible.
Did it entertain?
Yes. But not in a wholly satisfactory way.
Read on.
The Story
Piper Brennan, a good time girl and neighbor to Evan Ebert, comes home plastered. She has “protected” sex with Evan. This results in a pregnancy. Piper then realises, after well and truly sobering up, that she needs to find a better “baby daddy.”
The Main Cast
Jamie Lee is Piper. A creator with a possible book deal and a woman who has no real plans to be in a long term relationship. She definitely has no desire to be a “mom.”
Jon Heder is Evan. A bland young man who seems to lack anything remotely resembling a personality. This is not the fella a girl wants to bring home to mum.
Subhah Agarwal is Maya. She is Piper’s long suffering best mate. She can be seen as a cross between Jiminy Cricket and a guardian angel.
Michael Lombardi is Graham. The guy that Piper “settles” on to be her unsuspecting baby daddy.
Great Cameos
These are labelled as “great cameos” as the stars who appear here, give this quirky romcom their best performances. At no time do these look cheesy or subpar. They really are the characters they play for this film. Plan B may have the best cameo roster ever.
Tom Berenger is Graham’s dad Joe. All white teeth, perfectly groomed hair and permanent sunburned visage. He is a “trophy” father.
Shannon Elizabeth is Anne, Graham’s stunning boss. A lady who, it seems, has designs on this young father to be. Cheesecake anyone?
Kate Flannery is Jane. The publisher who adores Piper on sight. She sees big things in this new creator.
Daniel K. Isaac is Travis. The lamaze partner who could make Evan and his band the next big thing.
Behind the scenes
Co-writer and director Brandon Tamburri *He shares scripting credit with Jean S. Monpère* gives us a story with characters that are hard to connect with. They appear to all be shallow and self centered. Although Evan and Maya are the exception here. The rest are just, annoying.
*This could just be me showing my age. I really found it difficult to connect with any of the characters on offer.*
The storyline is funny. Although the ending is pretty much signposted.
However.
Tamburri takes us on a journey where the main protagonist; Piper, must grow. She has to shed her overwhelming self interest and vapid personality. Along the way, while we may never really like her character, we come to understand her.
It helps.
And she does change.
Musings
Despite not having been exposed to Jamie Lee, the film did offer up some old favourites. Tom Berenger is an all time “fave.” Berenger proved he could do comedy, as straight as a string, in 1985’s Rustlers’ Rhapsody. Jon Heder, who will always be Napoleon Dynamite to me, is always good value for money. Shannon Elizabeth is another actor who always gives a good performance.
The film is shot digitally. It shows. However, having said that, it fits the subject matter. Modern and technically advanced, just not satisfactory when stood next to celluloid.
The Verdict
Despite my problem with the main characters, I have no problem ranking Plan B full 3 out of 5 stars. The film does what it says on the label. It is a romance and a comedy. The film comes out on 27 September 2024.
As always, I urge you to watch it. See what you think and let me know.
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