Review: My Future Boyfriend (2011)

Before getting into this review, let me just say this: Contrived or not, this movie is adorable. Do I think it lived up to its standards as a supposed “family” film? Ummm... No. With that being said and out of the way, compared to the majority of romantic comedies, this one is not just adorable but refreshingly clean.

Having a man in her office who claims to be from 100 centuries into the future is not something Elizabeth Barrtett (Sara Rue) needs today - or any day really. She already has enough “strange” in her life. The author of what she hopes is her first novel, “Liz” is employed by the magazine Strange Times. When her boss puts her on a story that their readers are going to love, Liz is less than thrilled about spending another day in the company of some dude who has a screw loose. Coming from a future in which people are referred to by a string of letters and numbers and love is a taboo subject, archaeologist Pax (Barry Watson) finds a wad of cash in a sunk ship and  Elizabeth’s book where words like “passion” are foreign to him – now he wants to know more. Given 24 hours to find the answers he is so curious about, Pax sets out to learn all he can from Elizabeth before time dictates he return to the future.

Given the wide range of genres in movies today, this one is a little bit of romance with a smidgen of quirkiness and sci-fi combined. Mostly the special effects (what few there are) aren’t anything spectacular but I did like the premise of the film. It was cute and the acting was decent for a televised film – had it been written by different writers (to be fair: The writing is decently well-written, sharp and witty) or optioned by an entirely different studio, I think it could have been even better. If there is one thing to be said about the movie, I am continuously amazed at writer’s thinking it is prudent to cram a romance into a few days or a matter of hours. In this case, it is the latter. With a time limit, it is improbable that anyone would be whispering the words, “I love you” five minutes before the film is done, and yet, that is what we are given to work with. Luckily, the ending is adorable and starts at a point where those three little words will be legitimately spoken after a relationship has grown out of the pleasantries of a first meeting.

Around Christmastime, I saw another movie in which a man returned to his first love after being her imaginary friend when they were children. Extremely rare for him to meet with her again as an adult, he is at a loss how to deal with the feelings he has for her – this movie is similar in some regards. My Future Boyfriend reminded me of that film. In my opinion, this one is lots better. Both are television productions, but above all, I was glad that Pax seemed a guy that Liz would maybe find charming… and possibly fall for – he was “naive,” yes, but he wasn’t so child-like that we are left scratching our heads as to why the heroine would form any attachment to him other than friendship. This story makes it easy for us to like both characters. Naturally, there are obstacles for Liz and Pax to prevail before true love can reign – not the least of which is Liz’s impending engagement (that is a real shock) and a fun subplot involving Pax. My Future Boyfriend is not going to revolutionize anything in the film industry but it’s perfect for a girl’s night in.

(Rated TV14 for some “mild” innuendo; Pax questions what “sex” is [nothing graphic] as well as “kissing.” There are a couple of kisses.)

Categories: ABC Family, Comedy, Movie, Review, Romance, Teen

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