Unplugged from her power source, Molly is now just another loser to them. A wealthy, gorgeous loser, of course, with a killer wardrobe, great core strength, and an enviably visible sternum. But still, Molly no longer has access to TomKat, or Tom and Rita. She is no one.
And so "The Starter Wife" asks, Will Molly ever get a lunch reservation in this town again? Shouldn't the question be, " How fast can Molly catch the next train out? " But the movie, directed by Jon Avnet, is too bland and fangless to hit any real nerves. It's only going through the motions of trashing Hollywood. Based on the 2005 novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer, wife of producer Brian Grazer, "The Starter Wife" is like a humdrum, trite, overlong Jackie Collins novel -- redundancies intended. We've seen these movie-business cut-out characters and foolish plot turn many, many times before.
Molly, her 5-year-old daughter, Jaden, and her nanny camp out at a friend's oceanfront home in Malibu until the divorce settlement. Molly pines for Cricket (Miranda Otto), the fair-weather friend who deserted her, and she does manage to get seated at an exclusive sushi restaurant thanks to the cachet of her husband's menschy boss, Lou (Joe Mantegna).
With shades of "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," Molly falls for a handsome beach bum named Sam (British actor Stephen Moyer, doing his best Aaron Eckhart). He rescues her after she falls out of her canoe, and canoodling ensues. She also dabbles in female self-empowerment with drunk friend Joan, played with acid punch by Judy Davis, and a financially hurting security guard at Joan's gated community.
Oh yes, and Molly has a Requisite Gay Best Friend Who Is A Decorator With Fabulous Taste. Named Rodney (Chris Diamantopoulos), he is the, um, Will to her Grace.
