It Had to Be You

Color, PG (mature themes), 95 min., VHS rental, DVD $24.95

Street: Oct. 8, Prebook: Sept. 16 (DVD Sept. 9)

First Run: Lifetime, 2002

Cast: Natasha Henstridge (Bounce), Michael Vartan (Never Been Kissed), Olivia d'Abo (The Enemy), Michael Rispoli (Summer of Sam)

Director: Steven Feder

Story Line: Charlie (Vartan) and Anna (Henstridge) attend a weekend conference in New York to plan their weddings to other people, but they end up falling in love with each other.

Bottom Line: This romantic comedy holds zero surprises and is so inoffensive that it was clearly made with a TV audience in mind; in fact it has already played on the Lifetime Movie Network. The movie, however, follows the formula of the genre exactly, and fans will not be disappointed watching the two comely leads find true love amidst New York's most attractive settings (Central Park, the Plaza Hotel, Bergdorf Goodman). Also on hand are Rispoli and d'Abo as the requisite wacky best friends who can see the truth long before their pals realize it. Like the rest of the film, they're adequate but not outstanding. Obviously targeted toward women, It Had to be You might be picked up by some men solely for Henstridge, but they will be disappointed to find she is heavily clothed in every scene. Overall, it's a harmless but bland film, and it won't make much of an impact, but talk it up as a great choice for those who enjoy the Serendipity/You've Got Mail vein of filmmaking. --Mayna Bergmann

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