Alan Gelfant, Callie Thorne, Cara Buono

Set in Boston, the film centers around Erin, a night-shift nurse who has been dumped by her activist boyfriend and has since become cranky, cynical and monastic. Erin's overbearing mother is determine...( read more  read more... )d to help her find a man, so she places a personal ad for her in the local newspaper. Erin is appalled and refuses to cooperate until, in a moment of weakness, she checks her messages - all 62 of them! A sequence of comically nightmarish dates ensues. Meanwhile, across town is Alan, an ambitious ex-plumber struggling to fulfill his dream of becoming a marine biologist. Alan is juggling numerous problems of his own: a seductive classmate, a narcissistic brother, a father with a gambling problem, and his own incurable debt that won't go away. As Alan searches for a way out, Erin searches for the right man. Fate pushes their parallel stories further and further apart, until...

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72% liked it

2,940 ratings

Critics

73% liked it

41 critics

R, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Brad Anderson

Release Date: August 21, 1998

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DVD Release Date: October 2, 2001

Stats: 166 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (166)


  • May 7, 2008
    I did not really care for this one.

    I'm a big fan of a lot of what Brad Anderson does... his films are always unique, well written, and intricate. This one, however, didn't have much more depth than a sitcom - just your typical by-the-numbers Hollywood love story.

    This follows...( read more) a similar format to a film like Sleepless in Seattle where the two protagonists don't meet until the end of the film. Sleepless in Seattle did that very succesfully, but this movie just came off as directionless. Like it was a prelude to the relationship that we might have some hope in caring for, but how they got to that point is completely uninteresting and irrelevant. Erin and Alan both had fairly uninteresting lives, with horribly unconvincing "relationships" near the last half of the movie that really anchored the film down even further. It's the most predictable story in the world, and we didn't once thing that these characters would stick around at all.

    Hope Davis did a good job here, but I didn't particularly like her character. I could relate to her in many ways - however, it was completely taken to the extreme in that she came off as incredibly pretentious and rude. In fact, I didn't necessarily find her likable in the least bit. Alan's character was a bit more likable... but, Alan Gelfant was horribly cast as he always seemed out of place and didn't have the look of that "likable, average guy". Tom Hanks was perfect for that kind of role, but Gelfant looks like he should be a cowboy shooting up some baddies in a western.

    Despite how stale this all was, there is some really entertaining stuff here and there. Although they were a bit cheesy, I did like the scenes where Erin was met with all of the "suitors" who had contacted her via the newspaper ad. Those scenes certainly showed the quirkiness that i'd expect from Brad Anderson (see: Happy Accidents).

    You can't necessarily say anything was wrong with this particular film - but the problem was everything is too right. It's all so formulaic and uninteresting. I'd find myself daydreaming every now and then, and i'd have no problem getting caught up as i'd seen the film a thousand times. Skip this.
  • July 17, 2007
    Did you ever hear that old adage, "Love always finds you when you aren't looking for it" or "You can't find love...it finds you."? Here you have it. A woman is caught between her feelings of contentment with being alone and some nagging need inside her that tells her she needs lo...( read more)ve and to be loved. There is even a dialogue between Erin (The main character played by Hope Davis...who is marvelous) and a colleague where her colleague turns to her and says, "Don't you just hate men?" and Erin turns back and says "No, I wish I did. It would make life a hell of a lot easier." While a series of missed meetings with someone who is apparently her soulmate play in the background she goes on various "dates" to find a suitable suitor. She is a hard match up. She is incredibly intelligent, strong-willed, beautiful, and most of all, fighting the need that she feels to be in love and loved in kind. Enter Alan, the aspiring Marine Biologist, but practicing plumber...who is always just out of reach in our seemingly small world. There are a few loose ends (probably better left untied) and a few performances that were lacking otherwise I might have given this movie 5 stars...I really did enjoy it that much. If you are looking for a love story/comedy wrapped in in anti-love story focused on a very strong female lead with some biting and witty dialogue, but is in no way a "chick flick"...this is your movie. Enjoy
  • October 18, 2009
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    Next Stop Wonderland was a enjoyable movie to watch. The romantic aspect was the backbone of the movie.The connection worked because...( read more) when you met the two future lovers, you know they were special in a way. These two characters had a special bond, even before they met. So the whole time the movie went on , you felt they were together because of their similarities.The supporting cast was wonderful. Phillip Seymour Hoffman had a small role, even so he was great. The movie reminds me a little of Sleepless in Seattle.
  • September 10, 2009
    A sweet story, nicely cast and acted. The Boston location filming is well used. Pleasant screenplay, good score. It can be a little dull at times. Overall though it's good.
  • April 23, 2009

    "It does not matter how you meet Mr or Ms. The Real mystery is: What keep two people together after they meet?"

    This is not the typical hollywood ridicolous comedy, this is a brilliant and original comedy film, Brad Anderson did an amazing job with thi
    ...( read more)s indie movie, the script is so surprising and the direction is great, too bad is a low budget film because it could be a huge succes. Hope Davis has a charming character. Next Stop Wonderland is about fate.
  • December 9, 2008
    no thanks not my thing
  • November 16, 2008
    love this movie really.
  • October 17, 2008
    No thankyou - Not interested
  • July 15, 2008
    Kinda like a reality TV thing

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