Grade: B

Romantic comedies are my favorite – and we don’t get enough of them anymore. Remember the Preston Sturges movies, or anything with Claudette Colbert? “Must Love Dogs” is not quite in that league, but it attempts to be. John Cusack has done enough romantic comedies to have the rhythm down. He’s charming, but flawed – endearing, and imperfect. Diane Lane is the romantic lead. This girl can do no wrong. She has this quality that really comes through on film – she was so good in “Under the Tuscan Sun” and “A Walk on the Moon.” She’s beautiful, but real, and that’s rare for a movie star. Then we’ve got Dermot Mulroney as the requisite cad so that there’s a triangle going on – but we don’t buy that one for a minute. His character is predictably slimy, and I think Diane would be too smart to fall for him even for a minute. Christopher Plummer has a nice turn as Diane’s charming Irish dad. And the always awesome Stockard Channing has a fun role, too. But there’s nothing really magical about this movie. It’s one cliche after another. It’s a by-the-book romantic comedy that doesn’t surprise us in any way. Still, it’s cute. Especially in a summer like this one where the pickin’s are slim!