Were Imagine Me & You a more by-the-books romantic comedy, there would be far more to forgive. The film is not entirely unwatchable, thanks to a few comic elements and the ultimately good intentions of writer-director Ol Parker, who based this love-at-first-sight story on "the bells, whistles, fireworks" he experienced upon meeting his future wife. Fine. But then he had to throw in the old lesbian shtick.
This is not to say that two women can't fall in love; rather, it's precisely that they can. Parker, however, treats this possibility as more of an adorable quirk (like pillow fights or hair-braiding parties) than an actual, tangible romance: the horny buddy convinced he can turn a gay girl straight; cutesy dialogue that would put Gilmore Girls to shame; a choreographed girl-on-girl dance number (no, that's not a euphemism); and a husband devastated by the knowledge that his new wife loves another—but who seems to bounce right back when it's made clear that the other man is, well, not one. What makes the average romantic comedy enjoyable is the hilarious hoops that characters must jump through in the hopes of finding true love (idealized and unattainable though it may be). Unfortunately, when love becomes the joke, there's nothing to be hopeful about. (Opens Fri; see Index for venues.)—Martha Tuber