THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION
Aniston's character, Nina Borowski, is a New York social worker who teaches
teenage girls how to deal with the pressures of living in our society. Little
does she know how much pressure she's going to be under when she meets George
Hanson (Rudd), a gay first-grade teacher. George and Nina hit it off, and
though Nina isn't really interested in replacing her brash and somewhat
offensive boyfriend, Vince McBride (John Pankow of Mad About You),
she isn't really interested in marrying him, either. After George is dumped
by his egotistical partner, Dr. Robert Joley (Timothy Daly), Nina offers
to let him move into the spare room in her apartment. For fun, she signs
the two of them up for ballroom dancing lessons. From this point, their
platonic friendship grows into something special.
All is well until Nina gets pregnant and has to decide who (if anyone)
she wants to help raise her child. Vince is the father, but she is becoming
increasingly aware that he is not the life partner for her. George is the
one she loves to spend time with, and he obviously returns the feeling,
but there's no hope there for a romantic relationship. And if either one
of them wants to ever have a love life, it will seriously infringe on the
bond they have formed and the unborn child they both love.
This movie, as can be expected, is full of uncomfortable moments. Nina
and George can deal with the incredulity of their families and friends,
but when George meets Paul James (Amo Gulinello), he begins to long for
something more than what he can get from Nina and her baby. But rather than
try to smooth over these situations, director Hytner lets us experience
them fully, as if to force the audience to understand the tensions caused
by such a difficult relationship.
There is a lot of good acting here, especially between the two leads,
and by Pankow, whose unabashed opinion turns darker as George becomes more
important to Nina. The script is sensitive overall, showing some tender
moments between lovers and friends, and the blurred distinction between
those two types of relationships. Another beautiful performance is turned
in by Nigel Hawthorne (who played King George under Hytner's direction)
as the ascerbic but wistful theatre critic with whom Paul is involved.
This is a tale of difficult choices and wistful decisions, of trying to choose between two types of love when only one is possible. It is touching without being sappy, and beautifully photographed. An enjoyable, thoughtful story whose ending shows that when life is not perfect, you learn how to deal. ****