Nice Guy Johnny

This picture had some sweet moments. I'm actually o.k. with the lead looking so young and sounding even younger, because in real life he is the age that he was playing. That made things more interesting.

Even short, skinny, passive guys can find girlfriends. Especially if the guy is a gentleman. If the actor had been more "normal," this movie would have been more common.

The fiancée was also well cast. Not a beauty. Just a generic spoiled East Coast girl. Of course a controlling girl is going to choose a puppy dog guy.

While I am totally turned off by "free spirited" girls, I think the gal who played this did it quite efficiently. When she confessed that she had never been in love, I believed her. That was one of the poignant moments.

The reason this blonde went for this guy is because she had already been burned by the "player" type too many times. Even though he is a wimp, he's a good listener and trustworthy and that appealed to her. Plus, opposites attract. She could change him.

Having said all that, there wasn't sufficient character development. There had to be more background on how this guy became the way he is, what his parents are like, why he's wearing a cross, and why he likes sports.

Was he a frustrated athlete? We saw that he couldn't play tennis. Did he always wish he could be an alpha-dog like athletes? What did the blonde tennis girl mean about her dad wanting certain things for her? What happened with her ex in Los Angeles? Ed Burns turned in his usual almost-amoral player persona. That guy he always plays does however have a heart for those who are truly close to him. It would be easy to say that his character just wanted to have a partner in crime so he wouldn't feel guilty, but in truth, he saw that his nephew needed help.

There's also a terrific scene with an older actor who plays the lead's future father-in-law. The guy could not have made much money for this, but he gave it his all.

The photography is good, the plot predictable, and the length a bit too long, but the sweet moments redeemed this one and saved it from oblivion. T

I'll preface this by saying I have never seen an Edward Burns film, not for any particular reason, I've just never seen one.

After this movie, I doubt I'll bother seeing another.

It wasn't a BAD movie, just poorly cast and rather pointless.

If this was written by the main actor in order to show that he can act and that he's a viable choice for films, then I could see the point of this movie. Otherwise it's a story that's been told a million times before, completely predictable and cliché.

The main actor isn't bad, just poorly cast. He's completely unbelievable as a radio personality or as a romantic lead, he looks and sounds 14.

My other minor gripe is that I don't know who this movie is really for. If it's a romance designed to appeal to women, then the main female lead is either poorly written or poorly directed. She's completely uninterested in the guy until he says he has a fiancée, then she's in full on flirt mode, very unappealing.

So overall, don't waste your time, unless your a huge Ed Burns fan apparently.

NICE GUY JOHNNY is another offbeat, casual story written and directed by the inimitable Edward Burns. It boasts a good story, some very fine actors, and carries a message that we all too often forget. This is that polished little gem of a film that surprises the viewer with its quiet manner and message.

Johnny Rizzo (Matt Bush, a VERY promising your actor) spends his nights as a radio sports talk show host, a career he loves but one that his fiancée Claire (Anna Wood) feels is not a money maker and has made Johnny promise that if by age 25 he does not make at least $50,000. a year, he must go to work in a cardboard factory. That time has come and Johnny reluctantly prepares for his interview for the 'new job'. Johnny is nice, loves, Claire, but is frustrated at the promise he's made. Enter Johnny's philandering Uncle Terry (Ed Burns) who wants Johnny to stay with his dream of being a radio host and in order to try to dissuade the ardently faithful Johnny, Uncle Terry invites him for a weekend at the Hamptons. There Terry, unknown to Johnny, uses the home of one of his married 'regulars' and encourages Johnny to have a last fling before his upcoming marriage and before he goes for an interview for the cardboard job. Johnny is nice and respectful and will not jeopardize his relationship with Claire. But he meets a tennis pro Brooke (Kerry Bishé) and soon finds himself in an innocent but apparently compromising position with Brooke: Brooke respects Johnny's engagement status but finds him different and more real and honest than most men and tries her best to win him over. But Johnny rides the waves of discontent his night away form Claire cause, and at Terry's insistence and Brooke's influence makes a decision that changes his life.

The script is sharp, tightly written, and the acting by everyone in the small cast is first rate. Matt Bush is a very fine new actor who is able to stand his own with the pro Edward Burns very well. By the end of the film nice guy Johnny has completely won our hearts - and makes us wish we had the thoughtful courage of this lad to alter our own lives. Very fine film.

Grady Harp

This film is trying to be a fantasy of innocent romance. Personally, I think the rhythm, predictable storyline, and the scenery delivers. No, I don't expect to be a perfect romance story. I expect to be a 6 to 7 out of 10 love story.

The biggest mistake is the leading male actor, he spoils the whole film. He has a strange body shape, his acting is not convincing. He looks like a little brother of Kerry Bishe, instead of a couple. Casting as a 25 years old bachelor, I expect he has a bit more maturity. As a whole, he doesn't bring the best of Kerry Bishe. However, the innocent and unusual stunning look of Kerry is best captured in this film.

I personally think this is above average of Edward Burn's films.

Johnny (Max Bush) lives in the Frisco area and has a late night job as a sports radio host. This is a position he loves. But, it doesn't pay well and there are no prospects for advancement. Therefore, he must abide by a promise he made to his overbearing fiancé. As his 25th birthday approaches, he will apply for a job in her dad's moving box manufacturing business, back in New York City. As he truly is a nice guy, Johnny believes in fidelity and keeping his promises. But, when he hits Manhattan and stops for a drink at his Uncle Terry's (Edward Burns) bar, he immediately is face to face with the opposition. Uncle Terry doesn't want him to give up his dream job, doesn't trust his fiancé and thinks his nephew is too young to marry. As Terry throws out statements trying to break Johnny's resolve, John stays true to his word. UNTIL, Terry takes him to a stay in the Hamptons, where he meets a beautiful tennis instructor (Kerry Bishee). Soon a conversation turns into a beer on the beach and so on. Will Johnny come around to his uncle's way of thinking? This intelligent, vibrant film is another winner from Burns, who acts, writes, and directs his work. Known for countless other films, like The Brothers McMullen, She's the One, Sidewalks on New York, and the great Looking for Kitty, Burns is in a class by himself. This viewer's only wish is that he continues to keep making movies until he can't stand up any more. The cast here, not well known, is great while sets, costumes, script and direction are absolutely wonderful. The only minor problem for some viewers will be the use of profanity, quite often. Nevertheless, if you can ignore this element, the movie is a great exploration of life's choices. NGJ is a more than nice, more than entertaining, and just right view for the near future.