The Best You Can Movie Review (2025)

A movie that purports to be a romantic comedy, The Best You Can, about a woman married to an older man who develops a relationship with a local security officer, is empty and disappointing.

I am old enough to clearly remember when Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon got married. She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen and he was the Footloose dancer who seemed really cool. They were a lovely match, and hopefully they still are. Staying out of the headlines is a feat for any marriage in Hollywood and they’ve done a great job of it. But then, they made this movie.

The Best You Can is about Cynthia, a woman who married her much-older husband years ago and is currently struggling with his failing memory. During this time, she meets Stan, a security guard who works in the area, and the two become friendly.

This is a terrible movie. I always finish the films that I start (sometimes to my detriment), but I suppose it made it easier for me that I watched this on an airplane. I was stuck, so I may as well have kept watching, as painful as it was.

I had been hoping that since Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon both starred in this, it would be cute. A lasting legacy of sorts. But I sincerely hope that they make something else, because this is the pits.

These are two good actors who put on irritating performances here. The plot is hugely uninteresting (You married an older man (played by Judd Hirsch), so you’re now chatting up a semi-slimy guy because your needs aren’t being met? Did you not think about the age difference until now?), the characters are annoying, and the filming style is odd.

Cynthia is a urologist and this is one of the ongoing storylines. It could have been funny, but it isn’t. It’s just awkward and odd, as she gives urinary advice to people randomly at a wedding and acts inappropriately with Stan, as her patient.

There is one scene at a funeral that bumped my rating just a bit. A specific speech and the handling of that moment was pretty good, but then it blew away with the wind.

There is also an enjoyable live music performance at the end, during the credits. If the entire movie could have centered around Stan and his relationship with his daughter, that might have been more interesting. But it wasn’t.

The Best You Can is an aimless film that feels like a mess. While you are watching it, it feels pointless, and you just want them to quit while they’re ahead. Which is a bummer because the three stars are actually talented individuals.

Runtime: 103 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? No

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

Available: Free on Netflix, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms