Movie: My One and Only

It’s no surprise that one of the most ironic and clever lines in “My One and Only” has to do with California sunshine. After all, the nimbly nostalgic tale is based on the teenage years of ever-tanned actor George Hamilton (played with restrained youthful relish by Logan Lerman of “3:10 to Yuma” fame) about how he and his half-brother (Mark Rendall) wound up in Hollywood.

Their zig-zag journey begins in New York City, where unconventional Southern mother Anne Devereaux (played by the properly effective Renee Zellweger) returns early from an Atlantic City “vacation” to find the 1950’s definition of a “real broad” in her bed. Shaving in his bathroom is husband Dan Devereaux (Kevin Bacon), a bandleader who wrote the one-hit wonder, naturally named “My One and Only,” which keeps his group on the road, and ladies constantly looking his way.

So what’s a betrayed once-too-often woman to do? Well, the overly proud and bit-of-a-screwball Anne packs up her two boys – emerging dandy Robbie (from her unseen first spouse) and Dan’s dashing George (who doubles as narrator) – to search for a new husband/father figure.

The trio’s cash-paid Cadillac Coupe de Ville first takes them to Boston, where one of Anne’s former boyfriends (Steven Weber) robs her, before an overbearing military man (Chris Noth) comes close to tying the knot.

Renee Zellweger stars in the charming 1950's comedy "My One and Only."

A relieved George gladly drives them away from that suitor to Pittsburgh, where he has his own introduction to sort-of sex with a cute redhead at a drive-in movie (showing a tough-guy Lee Marvin film). Meanwhile, the rich gentleman (Eric McCormack) Mom’s chasing in the Steel City obviously only has eyes for younger gals. That leads the again-jilted Anne into a mix-up with a hotel detective, her subsequent arrest for solicitation, and the decision to move on to St. Louis.

It’s not only the home of her unhappy sister (perfectly cast Zellweger- lookalike Robin Weigert) and another very crazy suitor (David Koechner), but also where the growing-up-fast George decides to take a stand against further travel on any road (but mostly legendary Route 66).

The talented cast from "My One and Only."

How any or all of them get to the West Coast and into “the industry” adds to the film’s sweet charms. Certainly trying to spot all the 1950’s references becomes a blast for the aging among us, too. Just believe that, in a far cry from his last film “Firewall,” British director Richard Loncraine and screenwriter Charlie Peters (“3 Men and a Little Lady”) fashion the kind of American movie that nobody makes anymore.

Here’s hoping it finds a deserving audience, if only to honor the memory of band-singer-turned-mogul Merv Griffin. The late entertainer’s production company helped create the witty story from their boss’s decade-ago conversation with (and executive producer) George Hamilton. Can’t you just picture Merv laughing over drinks right now?

Rated: PG-13
Stars: Renee Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Mark Rendell, Kevin Bacon, Chris Noth, Eric McCormack, Robin Weigert
Director: Richard Loncraine

Studio/Official Site: http://www.myoneandonly.com/

[John M. Urbancich has been reviewing movies and writing film features and celebrity profiles at Cleveland's Sun Newspapers for 25 years. As a longtime member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, his work has been appearing on the Sun News website for more than a decade. John also regularly updates his own site at www.JMuvies.com ]