Life or Something Like It (2002)

"I’ve never been so hungry for Oreos and simultaneously mad about how they were displayed in a movie."

 

Episode Description

In this episode of Movie Memory Machine, Landen and Truman revisit Life or Something Like It (2002), Angelina Jolie’s rom-com attempt to bring existential questions and flannel-clad charm into our lives. From over-styled Oreos to Tony Shalhoub outclassing everyone with Gore-Tex boots, they explore how this movie grapples with death, romance, and the early 2000s aesthetic.

 

Major Cast and Crew

• Director: Stephen Herek
• Writers: Dana Stevens, John Scott Shepherd
• Main Cast:
  • Angelina Jolie as Lainey Kerrigan
  • Edward Burns as Pete Scanlon
  • Tony Shalhoub as Prophet Jack
  • Stockard Channing as Deborah Connors
  • Christian Kane as Cal Cooper

 

Film Synopsis

Lainey Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie), a polished Seattle TV news reporter, has it all—fame, fortune, and a perfect fiancé—until a street prophet (Tony Shalhoub) declares she’ll die in seven days. As her life unravels faster than her perfectly coiffed hair, Lainey teams up with her rugged, aloof cameraman Pete (Edward Burns) to find purpose and maybe, just maybe, love before her time is up.

 

Episode Highlights

• Why Angelina Jolie’s character could only exist in 2002.
• Ed Burns as the cinematic embodiment of “that guy at the grill.”
• How Tony Shalhoub elevates every movie—even if he’s predicting doom.
• The art of over-styled Oreos: food, aesthetics, or both?
• How the film blends rom-com tropes with existential dread (successfully or not).

 

What’s your favorite existential rom-com? Let us know in the comments or on social media!

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