Year: 1994
Rating: PG for some mild language
Starring: Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, Walter Matthau
Ed (Robbins) is a simple auto mechanic who, in his own right, is quite smart. When Catherine Boyd’s (Ryan) car starts to break down, she pulls into his shop for help. For him, it is love at first sight. For her, she just wants her car fixed and to be on her way. Catherine’s problem? She’s incredibly brilliant and the niece of Albert Einstein (Matthau). She’s been surrounded all of her life by geniuses and just wants to be taken seriously, but as a woman in the 1940s-50s, she’s having trouble with getting even her stuff-shirt fiancé to listen to her theories. Albert, though, recognizes Catherine’s brilliance, but also her need for true love, and enlists three of his friends to help Ed win her heart.
Albert gives Ed a theory that will help establish himself as a genius and teaches him all he needs to know to “prove” it. There is a hilarious scene where Ed must take a test in front of several other peers to prove that he is indeed as smart as he is proclaiming, and part of the test is on physics. The 4 old men devise a system through which they give him the answers in various forms (mostly through weird hand signals or coughs). He passes with flying colors and is accepted into the intellectual community.
Catherine begins to believe that Ed really is as smart as he seems and slowly begins to trust her heart over her head. She does, though, suspect deep down that something is amiss, but her feelings for Ed override her suspicions. Of course, the secret must come out eventually, but Ryan and Robbins are adorable in this movie and it is one of the best romantic comedies from the 90s. Matthau is wonderful as Einstein (not historically correct by any means, but he’s just so cute!) and his genius friends are just as great. It’s suitable for all ages, though kids ages 10 and up will probably enjoy it more.