My Sassy Girl (2008)

Charlie Bellow (Jesse Bradford) is an average fellow from the Midwest who dreams of becoming a Tillerking manager. He heads to the big city, New York with big plans of graduating college with a business degree and heading back to his hometown of French Lick--not as romantic as you would imagine--to live the dream of managing the line of farm implements that his mechanic father has serviced for 27 years. All is going according to plan until she shows up. She is Jordan Roark (Elisha Cuthbert). Wild, obnoxious, self-centered and carefree, Jordan is a whirlwind beauty in Charlie's slow breeze world. A chance encounter turns into a crush. Jordan drags Charlie through the emotional ringer as a change encounter turns into a courtship. But a tragic secret looms and threatens to separate the two.

My Sassy Girl is an effective fable that is as romantic as it is random. Elisha Cuthbert is a beautiful surprise as Jordan. Cuthbert makes Jordan a fascinating train wreck. Jesse Bradford (Swimfan, Flag of our Fathers) creates a character that the viewer wants to win despite the heartache.

As romantic comedies go, My Sassy Girl is solid. It's the ultimate randomness of events that I enjoyed most. Head-shaking, eye-rolling nonsense and disbelief that Charlie is so hung-up on this self-absorbed, damaged girl. Nothing gets in the way of main storyline. Brewing underneath is a predictable subplot, but upon delivery, will have viewers going to pieces.

As I see it, My Sassy Girl is a fresh genuine addition to the muddled genre. Thanks to Cuthbert's {can't believe I'm saying this} fine performance, it's recommendable.