She's the One (1996) User Reviews (113)

This is one!

[philip-ct · 7/10 · 4 April 2006]

Edward Burns is to be admired for directing this (in places) wonderful "slice of life", examining the intricacies of relationships, the ideas of romantic love and sibling rivalry. The family unit (Mike McGlone, Edward Burns, John Mahoney) is excellently conveyed. The father and younger brother (an impressive performance from both the actors) display (initially) a rampant misogynist, a far cry from the character Edward Burns plays.

The cast is rounded off with a very good Jennifer Aniston as the cheated-against wife, who has her "needs", not fulfilled sexually, a beautiful and contained Maxine Bahns and a vulnerable and (at the same time) brittle and almost defiant Cameron Diaz.

It's a good movie, with good acting, and good lines.As in all Romantic Comedies, the story is quite predictable. However, it's an engaging film, and involves the viewer.

Recommended

A Nice, but Flawed, Plot-Driven Film

[chron · 6/10 · 12 January 2005]

This is the kind of movie that I like. The plot is well-written and well-directed. I like Edward Burns as an actor and writer. Even so, there are some pretty significant flaws in this execution of this wonderful idea.

The most substantial problem problem with the movie is the casting of Maxine Bahns. She is a very poor actress. Since she was cast in the earlier "The Brothers McMullen", also written and directed by Edward Burns, I assume there is a friendship that misdirected that decision.

Some of the characters don't play out quite right. The role of the brother, played my Mike McGlone, is well acted, but the writing made that character a little too two dimensional. I think there was a opportunity to create a character with a little more complexity than the wealthy, uncaring, superficial husband.

There were some good performances by actors on their way to being A-list players. Cameron Diaz turns in an exceptional performance. Jennifer Aniston also shows her acting chops. Amanda Peet also turns in a short, but well-executed performance.

In spite of some of the casting flaws and missed opportunities for some depth in characterizations, this is a very enjoyable movie. If you like character and plot-driven movies, this is a worthwhile way to spend some time.

It's okay, could have been better

[ell_wu · 5/10 · 26 February 2007]

The movie is kind of a one-two punch about relationships and the responsibilities of men within the relationships.

It does a fantastic job outlining and fleshing out the female characters. As such, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston's characters are probably some of the better written and most believable characters in the movie. (In fact, Cameron Diaz stole the show) You really do feel for some of the female casts.

This, however, does not mean it gets a free pass with it's less than stellar characters... Maxine Bahns was... mediocre at best. But the rest of the male characters come across more like caricatures then real people. Mike McGlone is basically what happens if you take every alpha male stereotype, roll it through some dirt, and mix it together. I'd like to say that it's a good concept, but he comes across as just too unbelievable to me. The same can be said about John Mahoney's character, who while not as much of a caricature, can basically be summed with "chauvinistic conservative patriarch who ends up screwing up their son's lives". The only person that is even remotely likable, being Edward Burns character is a little unbelievable at times too. I think the only good moments that Ed Burns has are from the scenes where he's with Cameron Diaz. And in the end, these characters are not written to be people, they were written to be ideas and archetypes to be used for commentary.

However, having said that, some of the dialogue is pretty entertaining and some of the repartee between the characters are fun to listen to.

The thing is though, funny dialogue doesn't give character depth.

Not bad as far as a romantic comedy goes, but definitely not home run movie.

More than your average Romantic Comedy

[lotus49 · 15 May 1999]

I'm not sure why I've rented this film 3 times in the last couple of years. The characters are well developed, Tom Petty's sound track is very good and there are the gorgeous gals of course (Diaz, Anniston, Bahns), but there's more to it. This is an excellent, but perhaps not classic, drama posing as a romantic comedy. It's about morality and responsibility in a time when there is no morality and responsibility.. about love and family in a time when the definition of these words has become blurred. It cuts pretty close to home at times.. and there are those beautiful women.

Edward Burns is one of the most interesting new directors.

[Dave-430 · 7/10 · 8 May 2000]

As in The Brothers McMullen, Edward Burns displays his talent for dynamic and funny dialogue. The story isn't quite as good but the acting of Mike McGlone, John Mahoney and Burns himself raises the movie to a higher level. Maxine Bahns, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston are extremely easy on the eyes.

A Fun Comedy

[genius-15 · 7/10 · 26 July 1999]

This happened to have been a lighthearted and entertaining movie. So what if it was The Brothers McMullen with the Irish themes toned down (though still significant) and a few more famous stars with a higher budget. Its heartwarming relationship perspectives and humorous (though not sidesplitting) dialog make this film a much better choice than most other relationship comedies. My only complaint is why did Edward Burns have to include Jennifer Aniston in the cast??? Was he trying to use the banal relationship tones of "Friends" to liven up the story??? He only succeeded in dampening it a bit. But I must say, it wasn't hard for viewers to understand why Aniston couldn't sexually entice her husband. Many critics haven't been fair to Maxine Bahns (who was Edward Burns's girlfriend at the time) and Mike McGlone (who is one of Burns's closest, if not best, friend). It's true that they were in The Brothers McMullen and were placed in high roles in this film for capitalistic and nepotistic reasons, but since they're so well suited for the parts, it isn't surprising nor disturbing. McGlone is excellent as the brash, successful younger brother whose career is sky high but is stuck in a bad marriage. And Maxine Bahns is very likable and talented, portraying a free spirited graduate student who works in a bar and lives in a small apartment. As far as the more famous players are concerned, Burns should be commended for choosing Cameron Diaz, a rising star, to play the "voloptuous vixen." For those who are used to seeing her in her lighter roles (The Mask, There's Something about Mary, A Life Less Ordinary) you'll be surprised to see how dazzling she is here. And watch for John Mahoney (Frasier's dad) as the boys' eccentric, though understanding father, and Frank Vincent (who played tough enforcers in 3 of Scorcese's mob movies!!!) as McGlone's candid father in law. Edward Burns is a good actor and filmmaker, and hopefully we'll be seeing more from him in the future.

Another good work by Ed Burns

[corrupt08 · 7/10 · 15 April 2000]

Edward Burns writes in the dialogue driven style that made Quentin Tarrentino all the rage. He's a tremedous writer, solid director, and rising star as an actor. He maybe the heir to Tim Robbin's "Mr. Everything" throne...only he's cuter. A good job all around, and, if you haven't heard, a great soundtrack by Tom Petty.

I just don't get what people would ever like in this film, someone help me!

[squirrel_burst · 4/10 · 25 March 2015]

What "She's the One" lacks in terms of charm or funny moments it makes up in irritating, annoying characters and ample moments of boredom. I just don't get what anyone sees in this film. The story is basically about a bunch of unhappy people that can't get a handle on their relationships, are all either cheating on each other, screwing up their marriages or plain unpleasant. Mickey (Edward Burns) has recently gotten married to Hope (Maxine Bahns) because he's insecure about his previous girlfriend/fiancé cheating on him. His brother Francis (Mike McGlone) is cheating on his wife (Jennifer Aniston) with the woman who broke Mickey's heart, Heather (Cameron Diaz). Giving them both lousy advice is their sexist father Frank (John Mahoney), whose wife is alive but never appears on-screen.

Admittedly, there are a few laughs here and there. There's a good bit where Ed Burns' character has to convince multiple people that he isn't gay and I thought that was funny. The film is well acted with some good dialog, which I also appreciate. What I didn't like was that the story focuses mostly on depressing, unlikeable people that try and solve their petty problems in the worst ways possible. You might be thinking that bad people trying to solve their problems and failing sounds funny, and it would be…but it's never done in the far-out way you would expect in a comedy. What we have here is more of a bunch of childish immature attempts that you would find Infuriating in real life, and not the least bit amusing on-screen. When I saw the two brothers settle an argument in an incredibly immature way that it isn't even clever because it ends in a tired joke you can see coming a mile away, I grew irritated. I know I was SUPPOSED to find it funny, but I simply did not. All of the men in the film are insecure and all of the women are frustrated and unhappy in their relationships. This would be fine if you saw them change and evolve. If you find a character annoying from the start though, he or she will be just as annoying at the end of the film. I just found it incredibly hard to cheer or be interested in these characters when they don't feel like real people; they don't really seem to have dreams or ambitions and can barely deal with the situation they've been given. It gets dull following them drift aimlessly.

I'm certain that there's some kind of audience for this picture and no matter how many times I've seen it, I can never see the appeal. If someone out there knows what the deal with "She's the One" is, please let me know because I still find it insufferable. (On DVD, January 1, 2013)

A Good Movie, Even if Odd Subject Matter

[caseynicholson · 7/10 · 9 August 2016]

I recently discovered the song "Walls" after first hearing the Glen Campbell cover and then finding out that it was a Tom Petty song that is the main theme for this movie. I then learned that Petty put out an entire soundtrack worth of material for this film, and after listening to the soundtrack I decided to watch the movie so that I could have a better feel for what inspired the soundtrack--if it did at all.

That said, I didn't exactly feel like the soundtrack and the movie went together, but I can kind of see how they do. The "Walls" song is about a man who has lost his wife or girlfriend, but has faith that things will still work out, I guess because "She's the One". That's not exactly what this film is about, though.

So what is the movie about? A couple who fall in love and quickly marry only to find their new relationship mixed up in a complicated affair triangle that includes family members and exes. This is a movie that is about infidelity more than anything, really. And, perhaps it could be argued that it's about staying faithful to "the one" in the midst of such infidelity.

All that said, I found this to be a good movie overall, thus the 7/10 stars. It's a film that is a little hard to put into a specific genre, though. It has a romantic comedy feel throughout, but there is an element of the film that just makes it a more heavy movie than the standard chick flick. The acting and the script is all very well done. There's probably nothing life changing about this movie, but it's worth the time to see just as pure and simple escapism for a couple of hours, and an engaging story that is entertaining even if not overly powerful. Thus my 7 star rating.

Not for Everyone

[RNHunter · 2/10 · 24 October 2004]

Clearly, a number of people like this movie. However several of us that just watched it disliked it a lot. It is likely a question of taste. Our concern with the movie was not the acting. I thought that the actors and actresses did a great job. Basically, we found the plot disturbing.

The problem is that the movie is billed as a romantic comedy, yet several of us saw very little romance in it plus we did not find a single line in it funny enough to be a comedy. Many people complain about violence in movies.

But I find that there is something worse than the standard gangster or war violence for movies – and that is individual cruelty of one person to another. That personal level of cruelty to me seems more disturbing than normal violence, perhaps because it seems more immediately real. And this movie had some of that in it. Had the movie been billed as a drama and tragedy, we could have dealt with it better. If you are looking for a sweet romantic comedy to watch for a nice evening with your family, this movie likely is not it. Of course, then again, as we see in movie reviews, there are a lot of different tastes and it is clear that some people did like this picture.

There are other movies that seem to follow this same genre – saying that they are romantic comedies but not everyone will see them that way. The 'Story of Us' was another movie billed as a romantic comedy that I could do without. 'Not for Everyone' would be my advice for 'She's the One'.

Don't Underestimate It

[CreatureDok · 9/10 · 23 September 2002]

I can't believe this movie has only a 6 rating. I thought it was entertaining as all hell and John Mahoney would be worth the whole movie, but doesn't need to be as all the other characters come through vibrantly. The relationship between the brothers is great, so textural, and Jennifer Aniston is priceless. But still in all, I go back to John Mahoney and the subplot between him and his wife (who we never actually see). That entire scenario was priceless and hysterical.

A great film that shows Ed Burns really is a talent as a writer and director. I give it a much higher rating then what it ranks at as a whole right now.

Ups and Downs

[georgevideo · 6/10 · 27 December 2006]

I am a fan of Edward Burns' movies. For the most part I thought "She's the One" was an enjoyable film. However, there was some definite ups and downs: Ups: Characters and Acting. I really liked the characters in this film Hands down, my favorite was John Mahoney as the father. He was superb has an uber-Catholic Irish hard ass father with a soft spot for his boys. Maxine Bahns was absolutely beautiful and lovable in this film as well. I also really liked the brother relationship between Edward Burns and Mike McGlone. I also have a brother that is close an age and Burns did a really great job capturing the competitive nature between siblings.

Downs: Triteness. I could not watch this movie at some parts because of how cheesy some of them were. Burns did nothing to set "She the One" apart from every other 90's coming-of-age relationship film. While I thought there was some good dialogue, it could not save the film from becoming just another typical 90's dramatic comedy about relationships.

Although I did enjoy this movie and always put it on whenever it I see it on HBO, this is not Edward Burns' best film. Go see Brothers McMullen, Sidewalks of New York, and the Groomsmen for better Edward Burns films. And if you have some free time..."She's the One" will do OK.

American wasteland

[Bmore1984 · 3/10 · 26 August 2012]

Good job burying Aniston in the script, because she won't amount to much, and OD'ing us on whatever else is left. Not one genuinely funny moment. Too malicious for romance. Too lost for drama. I'll leave it as 90's puffery.

The chemistry between Mickey and Hope, the couple we're suppose to cheer for, was non-existent. The brotherly relationship between Mickey and Francis was undercut, well... by the acting. Besides Aniston, the very little of her, this film provides nothing that works. What was this film trying to portray, what was the message, what was the point? Answer: its Sex In The City meets Friends minus the talent, the writing and the humor.

A sleeper!

[eguirald-2 · 7 August 1999]

A fast-moving and nimble comedy with witty dialogue, an intelligent script, well-developed characters and a credible ethnic ethos. It's unpretentious and amiable, yet truly acerbic when it needs to be. The acting is mostly first-rate.

Well done, Burns!

(I guess all of this will make the delayed-maturity stratum of movie fans truly averse to this movie...)

Fun

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 23 June 2009]

I didn't really know anything about this going in. That includes the fact that Burns had directed or done a script. He's pretty good, I'd give another one of his a chance. The plot is interesting and develops nicely throughout. This has quite fast pace, and at no point does it really seem to slow down, without being overwhelming in speed. The acting is marvelous, everyone hands in a solid performance. Dialog is clever and well-delivered. All of the writing is rather well-done, the story, the characters, etc. The parts are well-cast, they are all credible. This is very funny, and it doesn't particularly try too hard at getting laughs. Almost all of the humor lies in the snappy lines and exchanges. No one in this feels flat or overly perfect, they are all flawed in some way, and thus much easier to relate to. This is a nice, not too cutesy or predictable romantic comedy, with a little more of an attitude, without completely ceasing to fall into that genre. The language is relatively frequent, and definitely moderate to strong. Sexuality is mainly hinted at or mentioned, not seen. I recommend this to fans of those involved in making it. 7/10

Has the same witty, inciteful script as other Burns films but ultimately disappoints

[inkblot11 · 7/10 · 7 February 2022]

Mickey - Ed Burns - is one year older than brother Francis, played by Michael McGlone. Now adults, they have had an unspoken rivalry since they were kids. At the film's beginning, it appears Fran has won. He's making big bucks on Wall Street and is married to beautiful Renee - Jennifer Aniston. Meanwhile, Mickey drives a taxi and a broken relationship still stings. But, appearances are deceiving. Fran is having an affair on the sly while Renee tries to rekindle their love until shes exhausted. The object of Fran's new passion is Heather - Cameron Diaz - his brothers ex flame. Suddenly, Mickey meets a lovely waitress Hope - Maxine Bahns - and elopes with her to Texas. Which brother will find true happiness ? This early film written and directed by the talented Ed Burns has the same sharp, witty and inciteful script as his others. The cast and costumes are also great. But, the story has a will he - wont he - pattern that repeats and repeats. Ultimately, the denouement falls a bit flat. Nevertheless, Burns work is always worthy of a look.

Cute 90s comedy

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 12 June 2017]

Anyone out there remember Ed Burns films? Well, to protect his feelings, I'm sure lots of you out there raised your hands.

Ed Burns was the Irish Catholic Woody Allen of the 90s, and while he still makes movies, he's not in his heyday anymore. She's The One was his best film, in my opinion, and if you rent it, you'll get to see the young, promising actresses Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston, as well as Frasier's dad without his cane! (I told you this was a 90s flick) An Irish Catholic family with a gruff father, a particularly religious mother, and two competitive sons is thrown for a loop when both sons fall in love with the same woman. She's the one! The plot moves fast and has lots of twists along the way, and the 90s banter is priceless.

I have a soft spot in my heart for this film, but I will admit it's a tad dated, so it would be best to put on your 90s goggles when watching it.

Takes Some Believing

[slightlymad22 · 6/10 · 6 December 2014]

Any movie where a man is not wanting to have sex with the gorgeous Jennifer Aniston, when she is laid on a bed wearing Victoria's Secret's finest certainly takes some believing.

Plot In A Paragaph: A look at the love life of Mickey (Edward Burns) and Francis (Mike McGlone), two Irish/American brothers. Mickey is a New York City blue-collared taxi driver, unhappy over losing Heather (Cameron Diaz), his ex-fiancée when she cheated on him. Francis is a fancy Dan Wall Street stock investor, who unknown to his wife, Renee (Jennifer Aniston), is having an affair with Heather.

The lasting impression of this movie was the scene were Aniston is trying to seduce her uninterested husband. She looks fantastic.

Whilst watchable, this movie certainly takes some believing. It's entertaining, but it's not as clever as it seems to think it is.

John Mahoney steals the movie for me (Yes even away from Aniston in THAT scene) he is superb, Amanda Peet and Frank Vincent are both good, as was Maxine Bahns as Hope.

Poor comedy movie

[SafReviews · 5/10 · 27 October 2018]

I watched this movie a couple of weeks ago and the only reason i watched this movie was because Jennifer Aniston was in it and i being watching some of her earliest movies recently. The problem with this movie is that the story is not intriguing enough and there's barely any funny moments in the movie. Jennifer Aniston was not used well in this movie, she should've had a bigger role and got more screen time. Adultery is such a vile and disgusting act, but this movie portrays it like its normal but that's probably how is perceived in western culture were adultery is very common.

Enjoyable movie but it has a couple of flimsy situations

[bikerc · 6/10 · 8 August 2002]

*** Possible SPOILERS ***

Overall, I thought the movie was pretty good, I liked the acting, they all seem very natural with one exception, Ed Burns. I've seem him in "Sidewalks of New York" as well, and I can say the guy is the same in both movies (slightly better in this one though), the same bored expression ("I am the director, so what the heck, I can put this face all the time"), the same monotone voice (as if he's speaking all the time into a tape recorder), not a bit of "joie de vivre", very little or no passion, primitive development of emotions (his character's main problem was he couldn't get over seeing the hairy ass of his fiancee's lover, and from here all the afferent pain). I've always asked myself what would have happened if he dropped the TV he was carrying, or, if a brick hit him in the head. I am glad he didn't get sick though. Other than the fact that he's the director, I didn't see any reasons why, in both movies, the female characters fell for his character. He seemed to be good only at one thing... There is one scene when Cameron's characters says: "You're are the only English-speaking white guy driving a cab in New York". She's got a point here.

I liked Maxine's character. She seemed to be more real than the Ed's emotionally log like character. I liked when she says: "I would rather live in the back of this cab than let something like rent get in the way of our romance".

Also Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz were great. So were the other actors.

One thing that seemed to me (very) implausible was Fran's condition. His abstinence towards his wife (Jennifer Aniston!!), plus the lame excuse served every night for months didn't convince me much. If the characters were normal the whole thing should have exploded after one week...

6/10

Maxine Bahns is the lead despite 4 other better actresses in the movie

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 21 July 2014]

Mickey Fitzpatrick (Edward Burns) drives a cab in NYC. His brother Francis (Michael McGlone) is working Wall Street making loads of money. His father (John Mahoney) and brother is worried about him since the 'hairy ass' incident where he finds his fiancée Heather (Cameron Diaz) with a guy on his apartment floor. Mickey picks up a fare named Hope (Maxine Bahns) who he ends up marrying impulsively after only a few days. Francis is in an unhappy marriage with Renee (Jennifer Aniston) and cheats with Mickey's ex Heather.

Writer/director Edward Burns tries to make a big move up after the success of his indie debut. There are lots of great up and coming actresses. The problem is that he picks his girlfriend as the lead. Other than Aniston, nobody has truly made it big back then but the difference is already foreseeable. There are four future stars and he picks the one that would never make it big. As for the story, it's trying to be talkative, profound and insightful. The most compelling character happens to be the douche brother Francis. He may as well be the actual central character. Maybe if there is a better Hope, Mickey's relationship could be more interesting.

Who's the one?????

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 6 May 2006]

I found this movie to be hilarious, I actually laughed out loud by myself! "Come on Dorothy, it's all over"! Hahahahaha, the repartee is fast and funny between the Fitzpatricks. Not to mention there are so many 'hot' babes in this movie. I vaguely recall somewhere in the back of my memory that I may have seen this movie before, but even if I had it doesn't matter because the laughs were fresh, new and satisfying. The almost 'infantile' banter between the brothers is genuinely hilarious. John Mahoney plays a very convincing role as the dubious patriarch who sees his boys as if they were perpetually 12 years old. The funniest part of it is, the boys unconsciously and unwittingly play right into his hands, at every twist and turn of the dialogue. Tune into this flick for some hearty laughter, silly shenanigans and some surprising plot twists.

A story paralleling the relationships of two brothers

[justine-12 · 6/10 · 5 May 2000]

This movie contains the typical wittiness of Edward Burns, which is both intelligent and amusing. As usual, Mike McGlone neurotic behavior lended to the comedy and Maxine Bahns' horrific acting destroyed each one of her scenes. "She's the One" is a good film, not that it was monumental to film history but there was some solid performances and well-written scenes: John as the crotchedy father and Cameron Diaz as the promiscuous mistress were standouts.

Even if you like Ed Burns, this is truly....

[MarieGabrielle · 1/10 · 15 October 2006]

a disappointment. I loved "The Brothers McMullen", it was well written, had an interesting storyline, and was a realistic portrayal of modern "romance". I am not really a fan of romantic comedy since it permeates American television with its pablum, and is disingenuous.

Nevertheless, I gave this film a shot. What a mistake. For some reason, whether it is the actors or storyline, it just doesn't work. There are a few funny lines like John Mahoney, when he is commenting on Burns' latest girlfriend: ..."she looks like she is from one of the islands"... Also Michael McGlone was very good in "The Brothers McMullen" but here is portrayed as a complete imbecile. The Cameron Diaz character is unsympathetic and trashy.

Amanda Peet is a good actor but could have been given a more significant role. The Aniston character is the same as always. Actually the female characters in this film were superficial and wooden, whereas in "The Brothers McMullen" (mostly a guys point of view) the characters were well-developed. Maybe he should write male characters, mostly; I could say the same about Nicole Holofcener, who does some interesting female characterizations, but cannot write parts for men that are realistic (thereby turning it into a "chick flick" so you alienate the male audience).

Well, this film alienates the female audience in the same manner. I liked "Sidewalks of NY" but that was mostly because Stanley Tucci was in it; the Heather Graham character was also portrayed as a somewhat clueless female.

That being said, skip this one. Watch "Brothers McMullen" instead. 1/10.