Three stars
Rated: PG-13 for adult situations
1 hour, 48 minutes
Renee Zellweger gleefully overplays her hand in this nostalgic ode to the nomadic childhood of George Hamilton.
Yes, that George Hamilton — calm, cool and perpetually tanned ex-leading man.
According to family lore, mom Anne Devereaux (Zellweger) is fed up with the philandering shenanigans of Big Band hubby Dan (Kevin Bacon) and packs up teenage sons George (Logan Lerman) and Robbie (Mark Rendall) to make her point.
Next stop Boston. And Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Albuquerque and glamorama Hollywood. Along the way Anne falls into one romantic conundrum after another, re-kindling with old flames and seeking the “support” of new ones in a relentless search for a wealthy catch.
Much to the chagrin of her post-pubescent sons, who crave the relative stability of hearth and home, lothario dad or no.
Call it the misadventures of a perpetual optimist. Zellweger trots out oodles of Southern charm as a sexy she-cat who continues to land on her feet. Her sparkling preen perfectly suits the 1950s sensibility: an unabashed valentine to big-finned cars, white gloves, TV dinners and the mellow, un-PC vibe of simpler times.
George’s coming-of-age in a topsy-turvy world is a fine counterpoint to Anne’s ditsy tomfoolery; his adolescent wisdom and self-exploration are nicely nuanced and solidly crafted.
Far from scintillating, “One” is nonetheless a lightweight and lovely trip down memory lane.
