LAWS OF ATTRACTION
A witty romantic comedy with a surprisingly strong case for marriage.
Should You Watch It?
LAWS OF ATTRACTION is a four-star romantic comedy with a good heart. Its central moral point is worthwhile: people should defend their marriages and fight for them, rather than treating divorce as easier or more important than commitment.
The movie earns frequent laughs through extremely witty writing and strong comic timing from Pierce Brosnan. It is predictable, and the ending loses steam, but the marriage-centered message gives the comedy more substance than many romances.
The tradeoff is adult content. The film includes foul language, clearly implied sexual activity, discussions of sex in court proceedings, drunkenness, smoking, and upper male nudity. Teenagers and adults who can exercise discernment may enjoy it, but it is not a family film. For the intended audience, this is worth the trip.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAudrey Woods is a tough New York attorney who has never lost a case and does not trust marriage or men. Daniel Rafferty is a laidback, devil-may-care attorney who sees through problems and frustrates Audrey at every turn.
Their legal rivalry becomes personal after Audrey goes to apologize to Daniel. A trip to Ireland for a case changes the terms of their relationship, setting off a romantic battle between Daniel’s belief in marriage and Audrey’s fear of it.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means LAWS OF ATTRACTION is a very funny, highly entertaining comedy, even though it loses steam at the very end.
The story is somewhat predictable, but the writing is extremely witty and clever, bringing out hearty laughs throughout. Pierce Brosnan has a fine sense of comic timing, and Daniel is sincere beneath his devil-may-care manner. Julianne Moore does a good job as Audrey, although Brosnan unfortunately overshadows her. A stronger ending would have made the movie even better.
The Worldview
The film presents marriage as something worth defending and fighting for. That moral message stands out in a fallen world where people treat marriage and sexual relationships lightly. Daniel believes people should fight at least as hard for their marriage as they do for a divorce, while Audrey’s distrust reflects the damage caused by unstable relationships.
The movie includes a few low-key, positive Christian elements, but its larger world also contains sexual permissiveness, drunkenness, dirty tricks by trial lawyers, and references to leprechauns, fairies, and luck. Its view of marriage is more affirming than its surrounding behavior, yet the film does not present a consistently biblical moral environment.
At its heart, the movie argues that marriage should be protected rather than casually abandoned. Scripture likewise says, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Moral message affirming marriage set in the midst of a fallen world where people treat marriage and sexual relationships lightly, with a few low-key, positive Christian elements; 18 obscenities, 10 profanities, mostly exclamatory, and one obscene gesture; a few pratfalls; clearly implied sexual activity but nothing shown on screen, except some kissing; upper male nudity; alcohol use to drunkenness several times; smoking; and, dirty tricks by trial lawyers and references to leprechauns, fairies, and luck. GENRE: Romantic Comedy
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Daniel believes people should fight for marriage. What does it look like to protect a covenant when commitment becomes difficult?
Matthew 19:6 · Ephesians 5:25Audrey distrusts marriage because of what she has seen around her. How can other people’s failures shape our beliefs, and where should we seek a truer picture of faithfulness?
Psalm 119:105 · Hebrews 12:1–2The film places a positive message about marriage amid sexual relationships treated lightly. How can a good message be weakened by the way it is presented?
Romans 12:2 · Philippians 4:8What does it mean to pursue reconciliation rather than simply escape conflict?
Colossians 3:12–14 · 1 Corinthians 13:4–7The Final Word
LAWS OF ATTRACTION is witty, funny, and morally earnest about defending marriage. Its adult content keeps it from being a family film, but discerning teenagers and adults may find its good heart worth the trip. WORTH THE TRIP — TEENS AND ADULTS.
