For the third time this year, I headed out to theaters to see a new romantic comedy starring actors I enjoy. So far I had experienced one really good film I will surely see again (“Catch and Release”), and another film I wouldn’t recommend to anyone (“Because I Said So”). So, going into “Music and Lyrics” I was crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. After-all, I like Hugh Grant as an actor, and I really didn’t want this latest film to mar the record of an actor who gave us “About a Boy,” “Notting Hill” and “Love Actually.” I’m also, for the most part, a fan of Drew Barrymore. (Although her work in films like “Riding in Cars With Boys” can’t help but tarnish an acting resume that boasts chick-flick classics such as “Never Been Kissed,” “50 First Dates” and “Fever Pitch.”)

Thankfully I can tell you I will be placing “Music and Lyrics” into the “like” column for both Barrymore and Grant.

The film opens with a music video that nails the cheesy nature of the ‘80s. Grant plays Alex Fletcher, an ‘80s superstar, from a band named Pop!, who is now a has-been in every sense of the word. Piggybacking off of his former success, Alex now makes a living performing shows at theme parks and state fairs to an aging audience of women.

After being approached by a young pop star who is “bigger than Britney and Christina combined” to pen a new hit song for her by the end of the week, Alex is forced to face the reality that this may very well be his last chance for a comeback. The only problem is: Alex has never written a lyric in his life. That’s where Sophie (Barrymore) comes into the picture. Alex discovers that Sophie has a way with words when she comes to water his house plants. With a little coercion, begging and a heavy push from her big sister, a former Pop! groupie, Sophie agrees to help Alex with the song.

The film, while nothing overly original in its boy-girl romance, is a good contribution to the genre.

Grant deftly plays a man who is aware of his moderately embarrassing has-been status and yet has come to terms with it and has decided to milk what he can from his situation. Grant doesn’t branch too far from his past roles, that of a clever, self-deprecating bachelor, but rather continues to embrace a role which fits him like a custom-made suit. One area in which Grant does broaden his acting repertoire, however, is that he does all of his own singing in the film; something many actors would shy away from if their voices were as average as Grant’s. His vocals, however, are a perfect fit for a character who made it big as a tight-pants, big hair, glammed-out ‘80s pop singer.

Likewise, Barrymore plays a familiar character as a sweet, somewhat scatterbrained girl-next-door with hidden potential. It’s not a big stretch for her, but a it’s role she’s completely within her comfort zone playing.

“Music and Lyrics” is writer-director Marc Lawrence’s second foray into directing; his first directorial effort was “Two Weeks Notice,” a film he also wrote. Lawrence has penned several successful films including the 1993 film “Life With Mikey,” starring Michael J. Fox, and “Miss Congeniality.” Hopefully Lawrence will continue to produce work along these same lines and avoid the pitfalls of films like “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous,” a film we’ll chalk up to a lapse in judgement by all involved.

Perfect for a date night, a girls’ night out or a solo trip to the theater, “Music and Lyrics” pulls at any romantic’s heartstrings and leaves you with a smile on your face.

***1/2

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