Linda Holmes

But some of these people, it's like, why are we bringing in Helen J. Shen, who was in

maybe happy ending on Broadway and is really, really charming, but has a super small part as Andy's assistant who is supposed to be the uncool, doesn't fit in assistant just like Andy was.

There's supposed to be a parallel, I think, between them.

And I understand, you know, populating your movie with lots of fun actors who I'm always happy to see is normally a positive thing.

I was happy to see Tracy Toms, who plays Andy's best friend again and did in 2006.

Loved to see that.

Really like her.

But it felt at some point like they were trying to cram in so much stuff that they kind of lost track of making the movie about something between these characters.

Because what I admire about the original film is

Yes, it's funny.

Yes, it's got a lot of great clothes.

Yes, it's got these sort of extremely early 2000s montages and all that.

But like there is a real story there about making friends with people and finding your way through a bad situation.

And what should you put up with and what should you not put up with?

That has always had for me some emotional heft.

And this to me did not have that.

Or we made a four-hour movie and then we had to figure out how to make it into a two-hour movie.

Exactly.

Yeah.

I mean, I think you could have let him stand up.