This new film from Billy Crystal (Forget Paris) is an adaptation of a short story by scripting partner Alan Zeweibel.
It’s nice to say the star of such pictures like When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers front and center in Here Today which co-stars Tiffany Haddish.
Each exudes a certain charisma in a good-hearted attempt to meld breezy wit with affecting drama. The effect, however, is like being on the side of an uphill battle.
Crystal s Charlie, an aging comedy writer for a sketch-type show like ‘SNL’ who forms an unlikely bond with Haddish’s ebullient New York busker Emma. The chance meeting from a contest won by her ex leads to more strained than genuinely amusing banter.
The lead character is going through a lot as he tries to keep the show from crudity; he’s trying to keep a malady from his grown kids (Penn Badgley and Laura Benant).
The filmmakers set u a few amusing interludes that have an allergic reaction that may have some recalling Hitch with Will Smith. But, in getting to understand Charlie, others like Emma really aren’t exposed.
So, the movement to the serious has an admirable quality, but goes to show that the material isn’t in deft hands; the feeling is that as much as Crystal and Haddish carefully apply their actorly acumen Here Today may be gone maybe not tomorrow but soon thereafter.