Rumor Has It (film)

Rumor Has It
Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2005; 21 years ago
Founder	Rob Reiner (director), Ted Griffin (screenwriter)
Products	Romantic comedy film

Rumor Has It (marketed as Rumor Has It... in the United States) is a 2005 American romantic comedy film helmed by director Rob Reiner. The cast features Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, and Mark Ruffalo. The screenplay, penned by Ted Griffin, follows a woman who uncovers that her family might have been the inspiration behind Charles Webb’s 1963 novel The Graduate.

Financially, the movie did not meet expectations, earning $88.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $70 million, and it was met with predominantly unfavorable reviews from critics.

Plot

Set in 1997, Sarah Huttinger works as a writer for The New York Times, specializing in obituaries and wedding announcements. She returns to her hometown of Pasadena for her sister Annie’s wedding, accompanied by her fiancé Jeff Daly, who practices law. During the visit, Sarah’s grandmother Katharine reveals that Sarah’s mother Jocelyn had abruptly left for Cabo San Lucas just before her own wedding day.

Sarah learns from Aunt Mitsy, a close friend of Jocelyn, that before marrying Sarah’s father Earl, Jocelyn had a relationship with Beau Burroughs—a wealthy Silicon Valley Internet mogul and former classmate linked to Charles Webb. Due to discrepancies in the timeline of her parents’ marriage and her birth, Sarah suspects Beau might be her biological father. She confronts her grandmother about the possibility that their family inspired the character Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate.

Upon meeting Beau in San Francisco, he admits to having had affairs with both Sarah’s mother and grandmother but denies being her father, citing sterility caused by an old injury. Despite feeling conflicted, Sarah becomes romantically involved with Beau, continuing a recurring family connection to him.

At a charity event, Sarah encounters Beau's son Blake and discovers that Beau’s wife conceived through artificial insemination. When Jeff finds out about Sarah’s relationship with Beau, it causes tension and leads to their separation.

As family secrets unravel—including Earl’s role in causing Beau's injury and his knowledge of Jocelyn’s infidelity—Sarah supports Annie through an anxiety episode. Recognizing she is ready to marry Jeff, Sarah returns to New York, reconciles with him, and they wed with an understanding that any future daughter will not have ties to Beau.

The story concludes by emphasizing themes of hidden family histories intertwined with Silicon Valley business success and complicated personal relationships.

Cast

Additionally, Kathy Bates makes an uncredited appearance as Aunt Mitsy, while George Hamilton briefly appears uncredited as himself.

Production

Initially directed by screenwriter Ted Griffin, production commenced on July 21, 2004. However, after encountering delays and disagreements, Griffin dismissed cinematographer Edward Lachman on August 5. The following day, executive producer Steven Soderbergh removed Griffin from the project. Filming was temporarily halted to allow new director Rob Reiner to take over and implement changes to the script, cast, and crew before shooting resumed on August 18. Under Reiner’s direction, original cast members such as Charlie Hunnam, Lesley Ann Warren, Tony Bill, and Greta Scacchi were replaced.

Critical response

According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 21% approval rating derived from 116 reviews, with an average score of 4.50 out of 10. The consensus among critics on the site reads: "Although featuring a capable cast, this take on The Graduate lacks the depth to make a lasting impact." On Metacritic, the film received a weighted average of 35 out of 100 based on 29 critic reviews, signifying "generally unfavorable reviews." Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in an average grade of "B" on a scale ranging from A+ to F.

In his review for The New York Times, A. O. Scott remarked that Jennifer Aniston remains captivating, but her performance is underutilized in a film that struggles to maintain viewer engagement. Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times characterized the storyline as a gimmick that succeeds thanks to solid construction and Kevin Costner’s charm, emphasizing Aniston’s vital contribution as the lead female character.

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle expressed disappointment with the film’s sentimental and trivial approach, concluding that it fails both artistically and philosophically as a follow-up to The Graduate. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers awarded it one star out of four, labeling it a "comic turd" marked by lethargic direction and repetitive acting.

Brian Lowry from Variety described the movie as confused, eventually descending into an uninspired romance lacking sufficient humor. He observed that the fast pacing left little opportunity for character development, with Aniston unable to escape a shrill tone and strained expression.

Box office

The film debuted at number 10 in the U.S. box office on Christmas Day 2005, showing across 2,815 theaters and earning $3.47 million on its opening day. It amassed $43 million domestically and $45.9 million internationally, culminating in a global total of $88.9 million.

Home media

The DVD release occurred on May 9, 2006, generating $21 million in sales within the United States.

External links

Rumor Has It at The Numbers