Is anyone surprised that the best rom-com of the year stars the son of the original rom-com queen herself, Meg Ryan? We’re talking indie gem “Plus One,” starring Jack Quaid – son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid.
The film focuses on the ever-Millennial subject of #WeddingSeason. Alice (Maya Erskine) was recently dumped by her long-term boyfriend. Ben, played by Quaid, has become more jaded the longer he remains single. Between these two college friends, they have 10 weddings to attend over the summer. To make things worse, one is the wedding of Alice’s little sister, and another is Ben’s dad’s third marriage. So, they come up with a simple solution to avoid a perpetual seat at the singles table. That is to be each other’s plus ones to all these weddings.
The story itself is a little kitschy, but how can a film revolving around a marathon of weddings not be? We get some of the genre’s greatest hits through this storytelling device — flirtations with members of the bridal party, zany wedding guests and speech after speech after speech. Some of which are of the best man/maid of honor variety, others of the grand romantic gesture variety. Writers/directors Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer deliver a fairly predictable story in this aspect. Charming, but predictable.
But what Chan and Rhymer do right is pairing Quaid and Erskine together. These two go beyond creating a spark with their chemistry. What we have here is a whole blazing fire. Erskine and Quaid gel so well, because they each bring the energy of a different era to the film. With Quaid/Ryan blood coursing through his veins, the younger Quaid has the affable charm of a traditional romantic lead – tall, handsome, slightly dorky, yet somehow perpetually single, despite these endearing traits. Think a 2019 Ted Mosby.
And then there’s Erskine, who brings a spontaneous and off-the-cuff energy to this film. Think the laugh-out-loud antics of the ladies of “Bridesmaids.” And as with “Bridesmaids,” she can deliver heartfelt moments just as easily. Erskine and Quaid seamlessly play off each other, often with Quaid as the straight man. They have an ease about them that makes their friendship believable and their blossoming on-screen romance a joy to watch. For the record, I would absolutely watch these two take on Quaid’s mom’s icon film, “When Harry Met Sally.”
This blend of rom-coms old and new is a refreshing take on a genre, and absolutely worth the watch.
