Yes, there’s a rom-com predictability and veneer to James L. Brooks’s latest, How Do You Know. But in this case, the old saw holds true that the journey is more important than the destination. And it’s the detours along the way that make this particular entry in a well-worn genre rather refreshing.
What makes How Do You Know such a pleasure to watch — as with other Brooks films — resides in its main characters’ ability to convey their self-awareness, especially in the midst of various struggles. It’s that admirable trait which gives each of the characters dimension and makes them all the more sympathetic as they deal with their individual needs for control.
As the main vertex of the film’s love triangle, Reese Witherspoon’s no-nonsense Lisa has a bathroom mirror that is peppered with sticky notes, each announcing some sort of self-help phrase — variations on the theme of “there is no success without struggle.” In the midst of dealing with life-changing news, she starts dating Matty (Owen Wilson), a professional baseball player with more than a few notches on his headboard.
This article appears in Dec 16-22, 2010.
