Origin of the Species

Color, NR (mature themes, language, brief nudity, sexual situations), 90 min., DVD $24.95, VHS $39.95

DVD: no extras

Street: March 29, Prebook: March 7

First Run: Video premiere

Cast: Amanda Peet (Something's Gotta Give), Elon Gold (Cheaper By the Dozen), Jean Louisa Kelly (Uncle Buck), Michael Kelly (Dawn of the Dead)

MONARCH

Six twenty-something friends meet up for an annual summer weekend at a suburban New York lake house. This year, however, surprising events have changed a few lives, making the weekend more challenging than those in the past. Although this 1998 film's concept is far from original, the performances give it some emotional weight, including Peet's heartfelt turn as a young woman in an uncertain marriage. There's much talk about Darwin and evolution, a theme that coincides with the evolution of thought these characters are experiencing with age. Plenty of sexual tension arises, but surprisingly, the only sex scene comes in the form of a quick, racy dream sequence that would have made the film a great deal more fascinating if it were real. The narrative is a bit slow to develop, but the characters are interesting enough to get the movie through its rough spots. Origin of the Species will appeal to Peet fans as well as generation-X-ers who appreciate seeing those their age struggling with life's difficult scenarios.

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