Have You Heard About The Morgans?

Have You Heard About The Morgans? has the potential of being a very silly film, but what makes it work is that the high caliber of actors have committed fully to the story and they’re emotionally grounded. When Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex And The City) shouts in frustration, “I’m a New Yorker!” you totally believe her. As she pines over her beloved city, you can feel her pain. Having to leave her home is killing her.

Hugh Grant (About A Boy) plays Mr. Morgan. He is desperately trying to win his wife back after a brief act of infidelity. He is plying her with gifts, notes of apology and finally he persuades her to have dinner with him. When they witness a murder, their marital problems are of little concern to the Marshall’s office. Their objective is to keep the Morgans safe.

When the Morgans are placed in protective custody in the small town of Ray, Wyoming, together, they are now under the protection of U.S. Marshall Clay Wheeler (Sam Elliott) and his wife, (Mary Steenbergen). Mary Steenbergen is a gun-loving country girl who swings a mean axe. Next to her, Hugh Grant looks quite effeminate as he struggles to adapt to cowboy life. But he has a lot to prove; he must man up or lose the respect of the woman he loves. He has one week to win her back before they are separated forever.

This fish out of water comedy could have been funnier; it plays more like a relationship comedy. There are several Mars verses Venus jokes and a lot of attempts at making the city folk look foolish. The script needs to be sharper, and the action a little more harrowing. But when you have such a stellar cast, they do rise above the material. Elisabeth Moss is practically funny as a ball-breaking personal assistant. This film could be better, but it is not terrible. However, I would bristle at paying full price. This film is better suited to a bargain matinee. Followed perhaps by some Barbeque?

Rating: Bargain Matinee The performances rise above the material