Love on the Side

2004 "A small-town waitress vies with a sassy city slicker for the attention of the town's most eligible bachelor."
5.5| 1h42m| R| en
Details

Small town waitress Eve Stuckley is stuck. She has spent years pining for testosterone saturate local hunk Jeff Sweeney and yearns to escape from the Hog-Chow Diner she runs. Just when Eve finally decides to pursue her man, drop dead gorgeous Linda Avery blows into town on the hottest day of the year. The heat wave is nothing in comparison with the heat that's on as Jeff and Eve's dimwitted brother Chuck decide to face off for Linda's affections. It's a priceless contest: Linda wants Eve. Eve's confidante Alma Kerns is a sex expert trained by mortician beau Red Bishop. She encourages Eve to use Linda's interest in her to win Jeff's affection but the situation becomes even more complicated when Linda advises Jeff she prefers Eve. Now determined to "save" Eve, the narcissistically injured Jeff elicits Chuck's aid but Chuck, thinking it's part of the game, refuses to believe him. Ultimately, Jeff and Linda square off over Eve's future...

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Reviews

Perry Kate Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
HottWwjdIam There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.
Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
donwc1996 No matter what film Jennifer Tilly is in I absolutely love her. She is not only original she is gorgeous and almost always she has me on the floor laughing my head off - and here she is at her best. She steals the film hands down and the rest of the cast as good as they are simply do not add up to the talent Jennifer Tilly has in her little finger. She is a treasure - a perfect example of why film remains relevant in a world where so much seems increasingly irrelevant. As far as the film is concerned I just thought of it as a showcase for Jennifer Tilly. The storyline was so fragmented and convoluted that my head was spinning - but it just made me all the more anxious for Jennifer Tilly's next scene and fortunately they always came when I needed them.
devil_730 Love on the Side (a.k.a Deluxe Combo Platter - according to my DVD) is actually a pleasant surprise. Sure it doesn't match up with romantic comedies like Harold & Maude, and There's Something About Mary, but seriously, what romantic comedy does now-a-days? It's unfortunate that this movie isn't well known because it could've became really popular, or it could've been one of those indies which lies on the movie store shelf for ages. I say if you find it, watch it. It's not for all tastes because some scenes drag on too long but you could say its part of its charm. I recommend this film to romantic comedy lovers or if you've seen it and looking for another film similar to this, I recommend Mambo Italiano. Take a slice, relax and enjoy.
peter-1324 I chose this film from Blockbuster because it said on the label "a must-see for all fans of 'Bridget Jones Diary'". My 16 year old daughter had just seen Bridget Jones' diary and said she wanted a film just like that, so I chose this. I expected the worst and, for once, I was real pleasantly surprised. This film has a very intelligent script, that does a lovely job of playing with the stereotypes. It has the usual characters found in small-town America (actually Canada, this one): lovable waitress, football star jock, sweet young teenager with lifelong crush on said jock. But then it stirs these around in unexpected ways: the outsider who comes into break the small town harmony has, shall we say, rather surprising characteristics; lovable waitress is actually deeply in love with a mortuary worker; the football jock runs a motel, and so on. There is some lovely thoughtful direction here too: one shot, of the umbrellas at a funeral, is worthy of Chabrol, and the film is cunningly punctuated by black and white shots of the changing titles at the local movie house, just slightly edging the film to the surreal (and, there is a nice joke on pork belly investments too). It is superbly acted, in a relaxed and understated way. Overall, a modest, unassuming, but veritable delight, that kept us all giggling and intrigued throughout. It is worth far more than the 5.4 it currently rates. It puts to shame many a movie made with far more money and with big name stars (eg, the tiresome Bridget Jones films). Go find it and watch it.
bt67 I just saw this at the Vancouver International Film Festival. It was refreshing to see a movie filmed in Canada that was actually set in Canada -- in Squamish no less. However, the movie was nothing to write home about. I've seen five movies so far in the festival and this was the least original. It was entertaining and had a few twists on the usual small-town romantic comedy, but in the end was somewhat formulaic.The movie centres around Eve, a waitress in a small-town diner who has pined for the local football star for years while he barely notices her. She worries about her weight and wonders if anyone will ever really love her. Enter Linda, a leggy blonde from the big city who puts things in motion.