What happened to Rob Reiner? For 10 years (1984-1994) the guy was an absolute stud, directing great movies such as “The is Spinal Tap,” “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride” and “A Few Good Men.” He virtually disappeared in the mid-90s, however, and in the five years leading up to this one he made just two pictures, both lousy — “The Story of Us” and “Alex & Emma.” Alas, “Rumor Has It” does not represent a return to form for Reiner. On the contrary, it appears that the erstwhile Meathead’s baffling transformation into Nora Ephron with male pattern baldness is now complete.
Jennifer Aniston fails to excite (again) as a listless obit writer who discovers that her clan may have been the inspiration for “The Graduate.” This is the impetus for a meandering self-discovery junket that leads Aniston into Kevin Costner’s bed. Yep. And it’s all about as appealing as watching yet another septuagenarian male star seduce an actress half his age. OK, maybe not HALF, but Jen still LOOKS young. Shirley MacLaine is a delight in a film that doesn’t boast very many. (Rated PG-13. Running time: 96 minutes)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 23, 2005. Read the original PDF.