If the story gets dangerously thin, Grant is pretty well flawless. And Collette, always good, is heartbreakingly believable.

The directors Paul and Chris Weitz -- the American Pie brothers -- have tried hard not to make a tearjerker, and at its best the movie is knowing and tart.

Despite its impressive visual displays in hour one, the film quickly falters in the second half thanks in part to a bland cast stuck in some very silly subplots.