Director: Marc Lawrence
Starring: Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore

Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore star in Music and Lyrics. (Courtesy photo)

If you’re aiming low, do it with lots of geniality. Music and Lyrics is an utterly disposable romantic comedy, but its stars are so easy to like—and its director so uninterested in conflict—it’s also quite easy to watch. Writer-director Marc Lawrence is a master of inconsequence. After writing a few episodes of Family Ties, Lawrence broke out in 1993 with the hard-hitting examination of child actors, Life With Mikey. He continued through the tough-as-nails undercover thriller Miss Congeniality, then the no-holds-barred look at love in the workplace, Two Weeks Notice. Finally comes this take-no-prisoners examination of the ugly side of the music business. It hardly seems possible, yet Lawrence’s work is becoming progressively more bland. Still, no one can make blandness sparkle better than Hugh Grant. And while Drew Barrymore is far from his equal in terms of comic timing, she’s even more likable.

Alex Fletcher (Grant) was once one part of the brief pop-star group “Pop.” His co–front man went on to massively successful solo and acting careers. Alex released a dud solo album and quickly became a has-been. Now he is content playing high school reunions and the occasional big date at Knott’s Berry Farm. Out of the blue, his agent (Brad Garrett) informs him that super-duper pop star Cora (Haley Bennett) wants him to write her a song. If she likes it, he’ll perform it with her at Madison Square Garden. The catch: it must be completed in four days. Alex reluctantly gets to work, but knows full well he can’t write lyrics. Luckily his substitute plant waterer Sophie (Drew) has a knack for rhymes. Alex coaxes Sophie into helping him write the lyrics, even though she’ll need to come face to face with the emotional damage wreaked on her by a callous author-professor (Campbell Scott). Alex, meanwhile, may have to face up to the fact that he is worth something.

Everything is in place here for a very enjoyable film. Making Grant’s character actually accept his lowly place in the world was a promising idea. But Lawrence floats over this and everything else as if he was given the same four-day deadline to finish the script. The writing is awkward throughout, falling into stride only during the brief scene involving Scott. When Alex helps Sophie confront her former flame at a posh restaurant, the movie is both effectively funny and genuine. Then it falls back into neutral and coasts to its sweet, inevitable finish. Lawrence seems to disdain conflict so much he literally skips the key scene, when Alex has to finally stand up for something. It makes you feel as if you slipped out to go to the bathroom without leaving the theater.

He has said it before, but not with as much conviction: Hugh Grant insists this will be his last romantic comedy, and possibly his last film performance. Of course, Anthony Hopkins has been saying that for about eight years and 19 performances. If this is indeed Grant’s last performance, the romantic comedy will sorely miss him. He has become its modern-day master, with his crinkly mix of petulance and roguishness. Of course, he has played the role enough times that he deserves some variation.

Drew Barrymore has more charm than talent. She is truly the only A-list actor who constantly seems on the verge of breaking character and giggling. But Drew is always reliably earnest, and can usually pull off a few good physical gags to boot. She’s outdone by Kristen Johnston (Third Rock From the Sun) as her older sister. Johnson gets the best lines as a longtime Alex Fletcher fanatic, and she deserves them. Everybody Loves Raymond veteran Brad Garrett plays that wonderful Hollywood invention, the lovable agent with only one client. But he’s mostly just required to smile sleepily while others act cute.

Lawrence makes one very savvy choice in constructing Music and Lyrics. He puts its best scenes at the very beginning and the very end – those being a fake early ’80s music video starring the Wham!-like “Pop,” and a pop-up reprise of the same video over the closing credits. It’s beautifully, thoughtfully executed, right down to the goofy video effects and perfectly cast extras. If the rest of the film were half so carefully fashioned, Music and Lyrics would be more than the harmless, sugary trifle it is.

Alex Manugian lives in California and works for the Cartoon Network. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.