I often look forward to movies based solely on who is in the cast. Often, this anticipation is dashed by the actual movie, so I'm not sure why I do that. It's kind of a rut that I'm in that I need to break. The movie Yes Man is a great example of both anticipating a movie too much based on the actors, and being in (and getting out of) a rut.

I like some of Jim Carrey's work and I like Zoey Deschanel, mostly because of Elf. So I was looking forward to seeing them together in this movie. I just don't know, though; it is slightly creepy to see them together, mostly because she looks way to young for him. But also because they don't really have much chemistry. That and a creepy scene between Carrey's character, Carl Allen, and his neighbor were the only negatives about the film.

Otherwise I thought it was hilarious!Throughout most of the film, my wife and I were cracking up, or in Internet/texting speak we were lol-ing (laughing out loud)! One of the scenes has Allen outside the bank where he works, meeting up with an old friend who has found the Yes religion. He is really living it up, and the dichotomy between him and down-in-the-dumps Allen is palpable. All of a sudden, Allen's friend pulls a rock out of his pocket and throws it at a window in the bank shattering it. The scene of this friend running from the rent-a-cops had us rofl-ing (rolling on the floor laughing).

The movie has a great premise, too. When one is in a rut, one has to do the absolute opposite (to an extreme) to get out of it. In this case, Allen is in a rut of saying NO to life's opportunities. He says no to going out with friends, he says no to quitting his job even though they have passed him for promotion time and time again, and he even says no to a living as a loan officer.

His friend, of broken bank window fame, invites him to a motivational seminar, where the word Yes is basically worshiped. He makes acovenantor contract with the speaker to say Yes to every opportunity that comes his way. He is caught up in the whole thing and almost backs down the minute he leaves the seminar, but his trusty friend reminds him of his promise.

Next comes a series of events where he says Yes, no matter how creepy, to literally every opportunity that comes his way. Even saying yes to every loan that comes his way. Everything leads to positives when he gets promoted and finds Deschanel's character and they begin a romance. He almost says no a couple of times and things start to take a turn, so he becomes adamant that he will say Yes no matter what.

Fast forward to a scene with the Yes guru, played by Terence Stamp of General Zod (Superman) fame. Everything is going wrong all of a sudden and Allen doesn't know why. Here is the conversation (my paraphrase):

Allen: Why is everything going wrong for me? I've said yes to every opportunity so everything should be going right!

Guru: What? You are still saying yes to everything? That is just temporary and then you ease off.

Allen then has a moment of clarity. He took the recommendation to say yes to everything too far. It was only there to break him of his habit of saying no to everything. It had become a superstition, which is never a good thing.

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