Next Stop Wonderland

A romantic comedy set in Boston. Erin is a nurse on the night shift. Her boyfriend has left her, and to solve the problem her mother places an advertisement in the paper looking for a husband on her behalf. Erin does not know about it. Replies start arriving and her mother arranges meetings. Each one ends in a different kind of awkwardness. The second line is Alan's. He has left plumbing to study marine biology; he works at an aquarium and is trying to put his life together. The idea is this: the two are in the same city, on the same subway line, in the same places, and keep missing each other. The narrative shows those near-misses again and again. The register is calm and the soundtrack is entirely bossa nova, which sets the texture of the film. Hope Davis plays Erin and Alan Gelfant plays Alan. Victor Argo and Philip Seymour Hoffman are in the cast. Brad Anderson directed; he later became known for thrillers. It was shown at Sundance and well liked on the independent circuit. A pleasant choice for anyone who likes calm romantic comedy and narratives built on coincidence. For a viewer expecting pace, it moves slowly and there is almost no conflict.