Movies

Director: Marc Lawrence

Stars: Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott

Studio: Columbia Pictures

The Plot: In New York City, an estranged couple (Grant and Parker) who witness a murder are relocated to small-town Wyoming as part of a witness-protection program.

THE BUZZ: I once had the misfortune of going on a very bad date to see Extreme Measures, a medical thriller in which an at-his-height Grant was paired with a pre-Sex and the City Parker; their chemistry was nil, but then again they were dodging needles and who knows what else. (Side note: the script was by Michael Clayton's Tony Gilroy!) Not sure if they'll be doing any better here. Despite the potential mismatch, the warning bell is writer-director Marc Lawrence, the man behind such Sandra Bullock vehicles as Miss Congeniality and Two Weeks Notice (in which Grant co-starred), so you can expect broad regional humor, occasional funny bits, supporting caricature roles, tinkly music near the end, and lots of wacky slapstick.