'My One and Only' Movie Review

Renee Zellweger looks gorgeous and delivers her best performance since the original Bridget Jones movie in My One and Only, an engaging '50s period piece directed by Richard Loncraine (Firewall, Wimbledon). The audience for My One and Only is going to be limited, just due to the subject matter, but for adults with discerning taste and a fondness for old Hollywood, it's quite a juicy morsel.

My One and Only is based on the life of actor George Hamilton - he of the perpetual tan. The story follows Hamilton as a young teen trying to deal with his flighty platinum blonde, perfectly made up mother's desire to snatch a wealthy husband after packing up and leaving George's band leader dad behind. Along with Robbie (Mark Rendall), his homosexual big brother who wants to be an actor, George (Logan Lerman) travels from city to city in a Cadillac Eldorado, his mom constantly on the alert for potential beaus with big money. Their journey ultimately leads to California where Robbie gets his shot at a career in front of the camera only to find out he's really not a very good thespian. No matter, George is - and the rest is Hollywood history.

In addition to terrific performances by Zellweger, Lerman and Rendall, My One and Only also features Kevin Bacon as George's estranged dad. Bacon's not in the film much, but when he shows up, he's incredibly entertaining to watch. The same goes for David Koechner, Chris Noth, Nick Stahl, and Robin Weigert. It's George's story, but these fine actors make you wish there were time to dwell on some of the peripheral characters who touched his life.

My Own and Only brings the 1950s back to life in stunning detail. The sets and costumes are absolutely faithful to the era. And director Loncraine doesn't just get the props right, he captures the spirit of the decade. My biggest complaint about Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock was that he made it look like the 1960s, but I never believed I was watching people who were actually living through those moments. Loncraine delivers that to us in My One and Only. It's not just set in the 1950s; it could actually be taking place in the 1950s. The characters and dialogue are true to the time, making My One and Only an entertaining little gem.

GRADE: B

My One and Only was directed by Richard Loncraine and is rated PG-13 for sexual content and language.