This updated version of Cyrano de Bergerac features Janeane Garofalo as Abby, a veterinarian and radio show host. When a caller (Ben Chaplin), asks her out, she has a bout of insecurity and gets her fashion-model neighbor (Uma Thurman) to take her place. Chaplin thinks that the woman he falls for over the phone and the woman he dates are the same person, as deception piles upon deception. The plot may seem contrived but it works and it’s quite funny. Garofalo, in particular, stands out as the witty and acerbic Abby.
The Truth About Cats and Dogs
***published September 4, 2000