My One and Only

Based loosely on actor George Hamilton’s childhood, “My One and Only” shouldn’t be viewed solely because of its biographical content. At best, it only contains a limited amount of truthfulness, and should be viewed as a film that’s touching all on its own. With an excellent cast, the audience is taken on one woman’s road trip in search of a husband which eventually turns into a time of growth for her and her two sons.

Fed up with her womanizing husband, Anne Deveraux decides to leave him once and for all. Buying a brand-new blue Cadillac, Anne packs up her things, takes her two teen boys out of school, and hits the road. Leaving New York City, she goes on a cross country trip in search of a new, better husband. Along the way, however, she learns more about herself and her son George.

It’s rare that a film with such a simple plot can become an engaging piece of work. “My One and Only” is brilliantly carried by Renée Zellweger and Logan Lerman. With each stop, her hope of finding a husband and a better father for her children is crumbled when some unfortunate circumstance intervenes, requiring them to move yet again. Understandably, this builds some resentment from George toward his mother, since he simply wants to go back home to New York City and live with his dad.

Since the main focus of the film is between Anne and her son George, some of the other characters are less developed but still play a significant. Anne is a strong woman who loves her children. While there were instances where she could have lowered her morals to get ahead, she never did. She also rarely trash talked her sons’ fathers and told them the truth even when it would hurt.

Offensive Content

The cursing’s rather heavy for a PG-13 movie; there’s one use of the “f” word, 4 GDs and 13 other expletives. The younger brother, Robbie, is given almost every homosexual stereotype and, at times, tries on jewelry.

There’s some sexual content. A girl and George have a discussion about breasts, and she asks him if he could see hers and judge their appearance, since an older man offered her $2 to see them. Only her upper chest is shown, and on a positive note, George tells her that she shouldn’t show them to anyone, since she’s better than that. Kevin Bacon walks around in his boxers, and there is a woman in his bed when he’s caught cheating. Ann is arrested for soliciting an undercover detective, although, in my opinion, she was just flirting and nothing more.

Anne Deveraux did display a certain degree of selfishness when she uprooted her two sons from the life they knew. Through the different stops, George became angry with his mother’s and with the uncertainty of their future. Seeing their money dwindle and his mother’s failed relationships grow in number, George understandably grew frustrated with his ever-changing future and lack of stability.

There are several verses where God calls himself a guide to our lives. In order for Him to guide, we must first surrender all our plans to Him and completely trust His guidance. In Proverbs 3:5-6, King Solomon wrote:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

At times, George was disrespectful toward his mother, and he felt a heavy indecision on where he wanted to stay. Any normal child craves stability; George kept changing his mind on where he wanted to call home. Despite all his different decisions, Anne kept loving her son and welcoming him back.

An almost direct correlation can be made about the almighty God. Once accepting Christ, we might wander from time to time and grow sad when temporarily forgetting that the only true rest and comfort in this brief life is within Christ’s love. In Matthew 11:28,

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

I was surprised to find that this movie is playing in such a low number of theatres, since it’s such a strong film with believable characters. While his mother was never perfect, she never abandoned her children and wanted them to go for their dreams. Even in tough times, she never degraded herself or compromised her morals. At the end, everything worked out for the better when, through their trip, George was able to become an actor. God often allows us to go through difficult times to develop strength and perseverance. With the above reservations, I do recommend the film.

Violence: Mild / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Mild

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