Management

As genuineily funny as he is, Steve Zahn cannot save a movie all by himself. I offer the following evidence, in reverse chronological order (God bless IMDb): Strange Wilderness, Sahara, Employee of the Month, Daddy Day Care, National Security, Chelsea Walls, Dr. Dolittle 2, and Saving Silverman. And that is only the new millennium.

Management isn't a truly bad movie (a Daddy Day Care, perhaps), but that's largely thanks to Zahn's goofy charm. He plays a variation on his usual theme; his Mike is amiable, but directionless. He works at his parents' motel in Arizona, and he doesn't seem to have had much human contact that hasn't been familial. When he sees the sophisticated Sue (Jennifer Aniston) check in, he's smitten, and one of film's most awkward attempts at seduction actually works, much to the surprise of both of them. But Sue leaves for her home in Maryland, leaving Mike to do the least logical thing imaginable (unless you're a stalker): he buys a last-minute plane ticket and goes to her office to find her.

That this only comes off as mildly creepy is all thanks to the harmless air that Zahn exudes. Their encounter won't end up on the evening news because all he wants to do is talk and, umm, touch her butt. Distance and an ex-boyfriend (Woody Harrelson) threaten the would-be couple's happiness, but Mike won't let a little thing like thousands of miles or threats from an ex-punk deter him from the woman he loves.

Even the most romantic member of the audience (you know, the one who thought she was seeing a "normal" Jennifer Aniston movie) would have doubts about this coupling. There's almost no basis for Mike's attachment, other than the fact that Sue appears to be the only attractive woman he's ever seen. Plus, Sue's acquiescence seems unlikely at best, and even Mike's proffered wine and champagne could only go so far.

For all the film's problems, there's Zahn, who appears to be in every scene. Though Aniston gets top billing (which I hope is only due to the alphabet), she's really a secondary character to his lead. Other co-stars, including character actress Margo Martindale as Mike's mother and a hilarious James Liao as his friend and partner in crime, make the film watchable and might even give Zahn a break from being the night's sole entertainment.