I saw this in the theater over New Years with my aunt and grandmother in Tampa because "Charlie Wilson's War" and "Sweeney Todd" fell at later times than my aunt and grandmother could either be out at night or stay awake. So, we caught a 4:45 p.m. showing of what turned out to be the worst movie of 2007. Now, granted, I saw maybe 10 movies last year (favorites were "Enchanted" and "Grindhouse," btw), so my frame of reference may be off, but I've seen enough movies in my life to say this was a stinker.

Here's my biggest beef with this rom-dram about a widow trying to move on with her life: the audience never gets to move on. We first meet Hilary Swank (funnier and cuter than expected) and Gerard Butler (yes, there's no plot stupid enough to tarnish his sexiness) before the opening credits. It's a longish scene in which they argue over inane things like a clean apartment (if my details are off, please excuse me -- I've tried to block it out). But it's a very sweet scene that ends with them about to, you know.

But then, and I guess I missed the title card that said a number of months later, we're at a memorial service in an Irish bar. You see, Gerard Butler died. And this scene goes on way too long. And the same goes for Hilary's ensuing depression. And I'm OK with all of this until she starts having flashbacks. Oh, it's the flashbacks that proved to be the bane of my moviegoing existence for the next hour and a half.

Because they are dripping with so much sweetness and true love and all that crap that I find myself balling.

That's right. I cried. And then, when we go back to present time and she's reading these letters he sent her (because he knew he was gonna croke), I start to dry my tears and I'm OK. Boom. Another freaking flashback. There are, like, a dozen of these things. Each time, without fail, waterworks.

Not since the scene in "Deep Impact" when the blind astronaut says goodbye to his daughter(?), or in "My Girl" when the main character reads a poem or something about the "Home Alone" kid dying, has a movie dared be so manipulative. Horrible. Horrible.

Utterly horrible. B-minus, my butt, Rick.

My butt.