Mr Wonderful Movie Views

General Goods

Lee has been dating her married English professor, Tom (William Hurt), a pompous fellow who praises her papers with patronizing affectlessness. It doesn't take long for Lee to realize that he isn't serious about her. Meanwhile, Rita shakes free of Gus and hooks up with Dominic (Vincent D'Onofrio), a pharmacist so warm and fuzzy he's like a human smiley-face button. This leaves Gus and Lee to rediscover each other. Except that it's never really clear why they split up in the first place. So Lee could go to college? Everyone in Mr. Wonderful is so earnest and well-intentioned that the romantic dilemmas seem less a function of their personalities than of the fact that the movie needs romantic dilemmas. Minghella may be that rare director who likes his characters too much. He dotes on them, showing us their pain but purging them of any selfishness or cruelty, the darker flavors that lend love its bittersweet bite.