Although 'Jack and Sarah' is undoubtedly twee and contrived, there is something extremely watchable about a story where a young dad (Jack, played by Richard E Grant), is left to look after his baby when his wife (Sarah, played by Imogen Stubbs) dies in childbirth.
Helped and hindered in equal measure by his mother and mother-in-law (Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins), Jack begins to bond with his child and thrives with the support of ditzy nanny Amy (Samantha Mathis) and street dropout Matthew (Ian McKellen in a lovely performance as the wino who becomes the perfect butler and baby minder).
Pleasant and undemanding, this drama will make you smile and bring tears to your eyes (using 'Stars' by Simply Red to good effect), but it is far from being a 'good' film.
Helped and hindered in equal measure by his mother and mother-in-law (Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins), Jack begins to bond with his child and thrives with the support of ditzy nanny Amy (Samantha Mathis) and street dropout Matthew (Ian McKellen in a lovely performance as the wino who becomes the perfect butler and baby minder).
Pleasant and undemanding, this drama will make you smile and bring tears to your eyes (using 'Stars' by Simply Red to good effect), but it is far from being a 'good' film.