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Bill wears a hang-dog expression and his greasy hair hangs in his face. It seems the weight of the world has crushed his spirit. He's married into the type of family that donates chapels to prep schools. They're bankers first and foremost - hunters, schmoozers and entrepreneurs. This doesn't fit Bill's personality. Aaron Eckhart's Bill seems a polar opposite from his character in Thank You for Smoking  . Where Nick Naylor was confident and could sell a drowning man a glass of water, Bill is so devoid of confidence that he'd have trouble giving water to a man dying of thirst. He sneaks candy bars when stressed, which is almost always, and dreams of opening a donut franchise and being his own boss.Bill first meets The Kid (Logan Lerman) in a bathroom at his old prep school. Bill is fretting about his life when The Kid comes in, running from the principal. Bill covers for him and earns his trust. The Kid gets Bill to be his mentor through a school program, but he actually ends up being more of a mentor to Bill. The Kid has a cool confidence that will likely get him through any number of doors in life. Bill is at a crossroads. His wife, Jess (Elizabeth Banks), is cheating on him with news anchor Chip Johnson (Timothy Olyphant), he feels useless working in the job created for him at his in-laws' bank, he's got a belly that is growing ever larger (candy bars). He wants his wife back, but he lacks the confidence to achieve that or any other goal. The Kid helps Bill shrug off some of the weight bearing down on his shoulders. With the help of Lucy (Jessica Alba), a lingerie saleswoman, The Kid manages to make a difference in Bill's life. What Meet Bill  lacks is a few believable details. It's hard to believe that Bill would be so keen on making up with his wife after such a betrayal. It's hard to believe that Lucy would want to have anything to do with The Kid or Bill without a better introduction.Other small details add up to a bit of a poor story foundation. If you can overlook those things and just give in to Meet Bill , you may just enjoy yourself. I do like that the ending isn't wrapped up with a nice little bow. As in life, there isn't really an end to the story: just Bill, looking down the road to his future, finally with his own hands on the wheel. |
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