We admit it – we didn’t think too much of Jerry and Dorothy’s chances in the beginning. We were with Dorothy’s disapproving sister Laurel on this one: Jerry Maguire is a slick good-looking salesman that would be just as happy with a gardening tool. But as time wore on these two started to grow on us.

Although Jerry is a cutthroat professional sports agent who spends his day squeezing every dime he can out of team managers and commercial endorsements, underneath it all he does genuinely care about people. If he didn’t he would not have been as moved as he was by the appeal from his injured client’s young son to stop his father from playing, and he certainly would not have been compelled to write a manifesto urging more personal management of his company’s clients. Or been fired for doing it. He realizes he wants a closer relationship with the athletes he represents, and to connect with them as people, not just products.

It is this Jerry, the vulnerable idealist, that Dorothy Boyd both falls in love with and quits her job for. And while he does feel a fondness and an attraction for her, unfortunately the other Jerry, the one that thinks he should be with an Avery, not a Dorothy, is still rearing its ugly head from time to time, and it takes a while before Jerry realizes what a gem she really is. Dorothy believes in him; Avery, his trophy fiancee, doesn’t.

On a whim he marries her, but it’s really her son Ray that he’s fallen for, not her. That or the idea of shared expenses for his fledgling and nearly bankrupt company. Dorothy initially believes it can work, but after a few short weeks realizes she needs more out of a husband than just a father to her kid. Fortunately for Jerry, there comes a moment when he finally opens his eyes to what he’s about to lose before it’s too late.

The only other person that believes in him is his sole remaining client Rod Tidwell, a football player, and it is the love and support of these two people that sustain Jerry and help him become the person he was meant to be. As his professional relationship with Rod becomes more personal he begins to take an interest in all of his needs, not just the financial ones. Seeing the deep bond that Rod shares with his wife Marcee makes him realize what he wants in his own life. And when Rod takes a serious hit during a game, it shocks him into comprehension: there is love in his life that he can’t afford to lose.

So while Jerry and Dorothy didn’t have us at hello they did get us at goodbye. Seeing them walking hand-in-hand in the park with Ray gave us a sense of their lives together going forward, and we see it working. There is mutual love and respect, and the sense of teamwork that will come from building a company together that they believe in. Jerry adores Ray and will be a great father to him. They will remain close friends with Rod and Marcee. And who knows, maybe even Laurel will eventually come around.

It’s crazy we know, but there’s something about these two.  Yes they’re both still in high school, but both just seem wise beyond their years, and they’ve done the right thing by falling for their best friend.  Yes they’re both extremely young but they’ve already gone through a lot together and genuinely seem to care about each other.  But more than that, they seem to appreciate each other and know what it means to be in a relationship.

They will definitely have their challenges; giving up their first child is sure to affect both of them at different times down the line. But they have similar values, temperaments, musical tastes and interests, and we can see them going long term. Both are honest, loyal and have a compatible sense of humor and sarcasm. Even if they break up now, we think they will be one of those couples that reconnects later after realizing they’re meant to be. And although getting a divorce would take them out of 5 Reel range, we think that even if that were to happen, they would still remain friends to the end, both knowing deep down that the other was the one true partner for them.

Honest to blog, we think these two could make it.

Come on, admit it – you know you want to see Maverick and Charlie get together in the end.

Whether you were a Tom Cruise fan or not, we doubt there are too many people out there that haven’t seen Top Gun, one of the top films of the 1980′s. It had everything you want in a blockbuster: romance, humor, danger, a handsome, cocky yet troubled hero, a sexy, sassy heroine, plus lots of buff flyboys and an awesome soundtrack. It was a chick flick for guys – one of the few movies that both men and women could enjoy.

Of course just because a movie’s an epic hit doesn’t mean the couple necessarily belongs together. In fact often the opposite is true. However in this case we actually do think that Maverick and Charlie have a shot at The Reel Thing.

Beyond just wanting to see that happy ending (despite the fact that we were cheated out of a final kiss) we can actually see these two making it. They have a lot in common – they’re in the same field and they will both understand the pressures and demands that come with it. She won’t freak out every time he’s going, as she puts it, “Mach 2 with your hair on fire,” and he’ll (most likely) be OK with the fact that she spends her days surrounded by pilots.

They’re crazy about each other and clearly the sex is great. And while he may be an arrogant pilot, in real life Maverick actually seems pretty down to earth. He had one very close male friend in his life, and he’ll have just one woman in his life as well. Family and flying are more important to him than philandering. He doesn’t seem the type to cheat, and having fallen for Charlie we think he’ll be ready to settle down and be a faithful husband and eventually, a good father.

OK so he’s definitely got some emotional baggage, but then who doesn’t? We think Maverick’s ready to start growing up and moving on, and Charlie is strong enough to help him become the man he wants to be without losing her own sense of self.

Eventually we see them living a life similar to his mentor Viper and his wife – happily married with a few kids, both respectfully embracing the military lifestyle, both still working in some capacity for the Navy, and both eventually retiring with full honors and continuing to live in southern California. And neither ever losin’ that lovin’ feelin’.

Their friends don’t think it will work, their families don’t think it will work; hell – most of the time even THEY don’t think it will work. So why do we?

Is “we don’t know, we just do” an acceptable response? We can’t explain it – this is just one of those couples where despite the odds we feel they have that certain something that we think will keep them together. It’s chemistry, but more. Call it Chemistry Plus.

We do acknowledge that Alex and Isabel come together under circumstances pretty much guaranteed to break any couple up – a drunken, passionate one night stand that turns into instant commitment when Isabel discovers she’s pregnant. That situation usually has most guys yelling “Entrapment!” and running for the nearest vasectomy. On top of that they come from vastly different backgrounds: he’s an uptight upper east side wasp and she’s a fiery chica from south of the border. He’s an only child and she’s got about 37 siblings and a huge extended family. She’s a strict Catholic; he probably only goes to church for weddings and funerals. Yet despite all this Alex steps up, and having accepted his responsibility we think he is actually a good match for Isabel. He’s young – yes, he’s immature – undisputedly; yet he’s not a player and he’s clearly crazy about his new bride. He works hard. His biggest issue seems to be honesty – he lies to his wife, he lies to his parents, and he lies to himself. Yet once he realizes that Isabel is the one for him we think his commitment will be long-lasting, as will hers to him.

They will have bumps along the road for sure. Alex is not going to grow up overnight, and the differences between their backgrounds, families and religions will continue to present hurdles, especially once kids are in the picture. But they will be a source of excitement and surprises as well. Where they settle will also continue to be an issue – he’s willing to go wherever his career takes him, and she will always want to remain rooted to the desert and her family. Her volatile nature will mean they will have plenty of fights, but plenty of opportunities to make up as well.

We may be the fools here, but we think Alex and Isabel have rushed into The Reel Thing.

This was another couple that we started off unsure of. Let’s face it – Phil is pretty much of a jerk. Yes he becomes a nice guy in the end. But as you know we’re generally not real optimistic about people’s abilities to truly change their basic natures. Phil is so awful at the beginning that it seems impossible for him to NOT be a jerk. And he’s not a young man either; he’s already into his 40′s, and therefore pretty much set in his jerky ways.

However, after doing a little online research we discovered that, according to the director Harold Ramis, Phil spent at least 10 years trapped in that one-day loop, and by Obsessed Film Writer Simon Gallagher’s calculations, it was actually closer to 34. He estimated that, based on the time needed to learn how to, among other things, play the piano, throw playing cards and ice sculpt, Phil would have relived Groundhog Day a total of 12,403 times. Which means he may have also had the time to transform himself into a decent human being. So perhaps he is a completely changed man.

Based on that, the more we looked at these two the more we decided we could see them sticking it out. However – that doesn’t mean that we necessarily believe they are The Reel Thing. We reserve that designation for those couples that we truly feel have it all – love, passion, friendship, that certain something that says they belong together. We don’t know if we see that with these two, for the simple reason that we just don’t know if either of them has that kind of passion in them. But it doesn’t mean we can’t see them having a long, successful and contented marriage.

Rita is classy, bright and beautiful, but when all is said and done she lives a fairly conventional life, and we think she’s fine with that. She yearns for nothing more exotic than a better job, marriage, and kids. We don’t see forbidden passion or foreign intrigue in Rita’s future. Not that Phil is looking to become Indiana Jones. But his best day was on a beach in Bali. Rita’s was probably in a center hall colonial. But she is so stunning that you don’t realize she may actually be a little on the dull side.

Of course not every couple has to share every single interest or character trait. In fact most don’t. Phil is clearly besotted by Rita and she seems to be warming to him. (We do wonder what will happen if he is forced to see beyond the perfect porcelain princess image he has of her – the first time she gets the flu, or her period, or is in screaming labor, but we won’t worry about that now).

The more we thought about it, the more we envisioned the following scenario:

We see them getting married and living out their lives contentedly. We don’t think theirs will be a union of great passion. But neither do we foresee tremendous turmoil or drama. Instead we think they will simply share a quiet, happy, enjoyable life. Like all couples they will have their ups and downs, but they will stay together. Divorce is not in their natures, nor do we see either of them cheating on each other. They’ll have kids and be conscientious, caring parents.

As they get older they will find things they like about each other, and things they don’t. Cynicism and dry humor will always be part of Phil’s make-up, and Rita will never truly like it. He will most certainly get on her nerves, and she on his, especially once their kids are grown and gone. He’ll definitely drive her crazy. But he will also make her laugh, and she will charm him.  And they’ll be a good for each other – he’ll continue to strive to be a better person, and under Phil’s influence she’ll loosen up a bit. They’ll always be respectful and just a little polite with each other; this is not a couple that will be leaving the bathroom door open. She’ll always look good for her age, and he’ll always be proud of her; while he’ll be professionally successful and she’ll be supportive of him.  She’ll stop working once they have kids; maybe she’ll go back when they’re older but we think it more likely that she’ll take up gardening and charity work while he learns to golf.  They’ll join a country club, have a wide circle of friends, and a lovely home, the one that everyone goes to for the holidays, because Rita will be the perfect hostess.

The most adventurous thing they’ll do will be to take a trip to Paris for their 25th anniversary. Definitely no cliff diving or running with the bulls for these two. But they’ll build a life that both will look back on with pleasure and satisfaction. And every February they’ll revisit the Punxsutawney bed and breakfast where it all happened, say a prayer, and drink to world peace.

Steve Rogers may be a little guy, but he’s got a lot of heart. Despite having asthma, flat feet, and a whole bunch of other problems that have nixed his plans to join the war effort, he’s still determined to find some way to fight for justice and help defeat the Nazis. A chance encounter with a government scientist gives him the opportunity he’s been waiting for. At a secret military training base, he and other recent recruits are evaluated for inclusion in an experimental program that will turn them into super soldiers. (For some reason, they are actually competing for this honor instead of running screaming like sane people.)

Needless to say, there are more impressive physical specimens to choose from than Steve, but when Commander Tommy Lee Jones puts them to the test by lobbing a dummy grenade into their midst, everyone runs except Steve, who throws himself to the ground and tries to smother the grenade (which we can’t imagine would have been very successful, since his CGI-ed body is about three inches wide.) Everyone is impressed, and Steve is selected to become the first super solider. One very painful medical procedure involving a mysterious blue liquid later, he is beefy, strong, fast and just as charmingly naive as ever.

In the middle of all this action is Agent Peggy Carter, smart and beautiful and not afraid to show off her martial arts training when the recruits get mouthy. She takes an interest in Steve even before he turns hunky and breaks a good handful of regulations to help him go from costumed, morale-boosting PR poster boy for the war effort to actual super hero. There are some misunderstandings and jealousy along the way, but they work it out. The two share a stolen kiss and make a date to go dancing after they finish fighting evil. We were happily imagining Peggy introducing Steve to all the other things couples like to do together, and how there would be a wedding and kids and more crime-fighting and…

Then Steve’s ship crashes in the Arctic, and he’s in suspended animation for 70 years.

This puts Peggy in her 90s when Steve wakes up, if she’s even alive. So there goes the dream of happily ever after. Fighting evil can be so hard on relationships! Still, for what might have been, for the connection these two share pretty much from the moment they meet, we give them four reels.

They can fight; we’ll give them that. And for some couples that might be a bad thing but for these two we think it bodes well.

This was a super-retro for us. We know there are plenty of older movies out there but we hadn’t seen this one in a really long time and had forgotten how good it is.

Paula McFadden has been living in NY with her actor boyfriend Tony and her young daughter Lucy. The three are planning to head to LA where Tony has a movie role lined up. But after finishing up some last minute shopping Paula returns home to discover that Tony has cleared out without her and headed to Italy instead. To make matters worse she also learns that he has sub-let their apartment to Elliot Garfield, another actor who arrives that night soaked to the skin and with all of his belongings.

Despite her best attempts to keep him out, she has no choice but to let him in and the two agree to a cautious sharing of the apartment. Unsurprisingly this creates friction between them. Paula is already over-wrought, over-protective, and over-emotional, and she is clearly afraid to trust anyone. Elliot is funny and quirky, but comes with a bag full of annoying habits including late night meditating complete with full volume “OMs.” We found his desire to irritate Paula quite understandable but his lack of consideration towards her sleeping daughter much less forgivable.

While the close proximity gives these two ample opportunity to rub each other the wrong way it allows them to see the good qualities in each other as well. Paula can be sweet and sensitive, and she has an open honest relationship with her daughter. She is perhaps too willing to let her feeling show (nobody loves an open wound), but we appreciate her honesty. Elliot is funny, charming and generous – we love the rooftop dinner and the horse-and-buggy after school pickup. And he clearly loves Lucy.

The two have great intercourse and not just between the sheets. They fight, they quarrel; they laugh, spar, debate and vent. They exchange and converse. In a word – they communicate, and well. Paula’s neuroses may get in the way from time to time, but Elliot doesn’t seem to mind soothing them out. We think it will be a long time before these two say goodbye.

The Movie: Saturday Night Fever

Reel Thing Rating: 4 out of 5 Reels
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What can we say? We’re on a John Travolta kick!

So…the couple. OK, she’s too annoying for words.  And yet – we think we see some potential here. 

She’s a bitch; but he clearly likes the challenge. He’s a good guy; definitely the best of the bunch he hangs with. And he’s growing on her.  He’s finally allowed her to see a glimpse his vulnerable side. Sure he’s no genius, but she’s probably not going to be bringing home a Nobel Prize for physics anytime soon either.

More importantly they share a passion for dancing, and they’re both from the same neighborhood. 

We can definitely see her yelling at him for a good 50 years or so.

The Movie: What Women Want

Reel Thing Rating: 4 out of 5 Reels
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Another one we were on the fence about, but in the end we’ve decided that Nick and Darcy do share more than just a career interest and a tax bracket. 

They’re both attractive, successful, sophisticated and intelligent, and that kiss in the bar seemed pretty awesome.  Although we were tempted to dismiss Nick as just another asshole that uses his newly found power to continue treating women like crap, we gave him some leeway because he has a daughter that he genuinely seems to care about.  And because occasionally miracles do happen.

The Movie: Going the Distance

Reel Thing Rating: 4 out of 5 Reels
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There was an equal mix of crack-ups and cringes in this story of bi-coastal love.

Erin has been working at a gig as an intern at The New York Sentinel when she meets Garrett, who lives in the city and is employed by a local record label. The two hit it off immediately and fall, as so many before them, into what they believe will be a short-term, no-strings-attached romance. But once it is time for Erin to head back home to the west coast it becomes obvious to both of them that this is no summer fling.

So what to do? They decide to give the relationship a shot. After all how bad can it be? These are modern times; they can call, text, email and hopefully actually get on the occasional plane and see each other. Needless to say they run into all of the typical challenges of the long-distance romance: the expense, the time difference, and of course learning to trust someone to be faithful that you never actually see. Eventually Erin is forced to choose between her career and her man, and although she chooses the man, the man steps aside in favor of her career.

Of course, this being a romantic comedy, they do get together in the end. Sort of. Although they don’t wind up together in New York as planned, Garrett does get a job in L.A., which is a much easier commute to San Francisco than New York.

So what are their chances now that they live in the same state? Believe it or not we think they’re pretty good. Although their affair commenced with what should have been a one-night hook-up, these two seem to have the type of solid foundation that comes from a friends-first union. Both are a little goofy and they have compatible senses of humor. They are clearly attracted to each other but neither seems to regard sex as the most important aspect of their relationship. Garrett is generous (at least we think so, despite Erin’s feelings to the contrary) and romantic – willing to fly 3,000 miles to San Francisco to surprise Erin, filling his apartment with candles and flowers when she comes east to see him. And Erin is a good sport; she doesn’t mind his friends or their goofy ways (anyone that doesn’t care if your best friend is listening to you doing it from the next room qualifies as a good sport in our books.)

But can these two really Go the Distance? We think they can.