Three star

A PLEASANT plot, great soundtrack and star-studded cast are not necessarily all the constituents needed for a hit movie.

This is unfortunately the case with this, which fails to hit the 'highly entertaining' level the pre-release hype led people to believe.

There are comedic, touching and harrowing moments but they are sadly few and far between and the film tends to lean towards listlessness.

Both Drew Barrymore, playing main character Beverly, and James Woods, playing her overbearing cop father, give good performances but it's not enough to bring the film to life.

Probably the film's best attribute is Barrymore's relationship with her son Jason, portrayed from birth to his 20s.

The interaction between the two is amusing and moving, without being too saccharin.

But the plot is formulaic; teenage girl in small town gets pregnant and unwisely agrees to marry the father of the baby - a virtual stranger who proves to be a drunken, drug-addicted slob, while she realises the only things she wants out of life are a college education, to be creative and have the love of her child. Yawn.

The DVD also has trailers, featurettes and commentaries.

HC