4/5 Lightly entertained, BD was adequate
  by Steve Kuehl (Ben Lomond, CA)
Overall this was a decent little flick for a first time writer/director, and Jeff Daniels proved again his skill level in showing multiple personalities in the same film.

The story follows a world famous reclusive (single) author that no one can recognize, as he strives to get rid of his book collection and fix his ailing back while living in Philly. Coincidentally (this film has just a few too many of those) a single chiropractor and a broke book store owner happen to cross his path, both in turn looking to fill their respective voids. Romance, dysfunction and life learning happens in a bout of small doses.

The Blu clarity shines through for Philly in a variety of locations, but there was an incessant artifact throughout that catches the eye repeatedly. The DTS gets used maybe twice (the kitchen scene where the B&W movie he is not watching filters through the left channels and one other scene) but sounds clear otherwise. The supplements are standard and include:

* 10:14 minute Characters of Answer Man. A plug piece that is film clip heavy.
* 9:57 Concept to Creation. More talking heads that cover some minimal background.
* 4:33 HDNet clip. The standard ad promo as shown on the network.
* BD Live. Stated "check later for updates".
* Bookmarks option.
* Cast/Crew commentary. More of a conversation piece, best plug I got out of it was hearing the director stating this first film was like a "learning cliff".

Was not exactly pleased with the type of closure they give, but it is a light film that will keep the fans of any of the five leads a decent showing. 3.5 for the movie and Blu, .5 for the supplements.

5/5 Low-key, probing, phenomenal, a definite must see
  by Robert D. Steele (Oakton, VA United States)
This is one of four films I caught on this last trip to Europe, so I am surprised it is listed as "pre-release" but glad that Amazon allows reviews.

This is a mix of low-key romance and deeper torment played without pathos.

Jeff Daniels is an author whose book about conversations with God is a national best seller to the point that he is tired of being mobbed and has become a recluse with severe back pain.

Lauren Graham is an abandoned single mom chyropractor, with one other actor completing the trio and playing an alcoholic bookstore manager with a lot of issues from a broken family in the past.

Depending on your mood, this movie can be entertaining, absorbing, or both. I loved it and would gladly choose to watch it again over the normal trash that one finds on airline movie line-ups.

In related books, consider:
Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue: Book 1
Conversations with God, An Uncommon Dialogue: Living in the World with Honesty, Courage, and Love
Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 3)
I do not recommend The Complete Conversations with God because it is bulky, you lose the inspirational covers, and after reading the latter, I regretted not listening to others who said the same thing: buy the set.

3/5 hmmm
  by Brooke Stevenson (Detroit, MI)
i rented this flick specifically for Kat Dennings and she had maybe 10 minutes of screen time so that sucked. the movie was OK and predictable at it's best. i enjoyed the performances by Lou Taylor Pucci and Olivia Thirlby, like i said Kat Dennings had maybe 10 minutes of screen time and even that was bland if a little charming. Jeff Daniels was supposed to be a butthole but really his whole attitude was a little understandable. here's a guy who wrote 1 of the most popular books on the planet ("Me and God")and everyone wants to meet him and get his insight about the workings of the universe, i'd be a little agitated too. i can't really say i liked the movie and i doubt if i'd watch it again but if u like rom coms it's worth a looksie. hope this was helpful

3/5 You will like this movie if you...
  by Trip Like I Do (USA)
* enjoy the "book scene"
* think Bohemian settings in the city are cool
* like seeing Jeff Daniels in any sort of movie setting
* enjoy movies that deal with clashing personality types
* enjoy movies like "Crash" where separated plot-lines finally intersect

This movie would appeal more I think to older couples in their 40s and 50s who have been around the block at least once. Although the Lauren Graham character is not "old", the type of romantic comedy territory covered by this film veers towards the over-the-hill set due to the dominance of the neuroses of the main character, and as such the movie may be a turn off to younger viewers, because there are some strange anachronisms and tired plot elements. Although it has been labelled as a rom-com, this movie is not a good date movie, especially if you're under 40, in my opinion. Some of the scenes that are presented in comic tone are, when contemplated, not that funny at all (alcoholism, child abandonment, agoraphobia, misanthropism, parental death, OCD, anxiety disorders, self-isolation due to depression). And yet, as a psychological study, it's also pretty superficial. So, I wish the director had steered it one way or the other, because the middle course left everything unfinished. I agree that the Graham character is underdeveloped, as are most of the other characters in many ways. If the writers/directors had taken on a more gritty and realistic tack, this movie may have turned into a life-progression comedy or even a really good drama, but the script keeps pulling back from the heat of the flame, and we are left with some mundane one-liners that don't bring much clarity to the situations presented. Still, if you like this kind of film (bookish, pseudo-psychological), it's worth a look. The performances are decent given the material. Lou Taylor Pucci stands out, as usual.

3/5 Sometimes Enjoyable but Not Wonderful
  by Nina (Colorado Springs, CO)
This is the first time I've rented a movie pre-release. I chose it because I like both Jeff Daniels and Laura Graham. Unfortunately, they don't really click - there's no spark between them.

The character Jeff Daniels plays, author Arlen Faber, is interesting and not particularly likable in the beginning. Lauren Graham's character, Elizabeth, isn't developed at all. The movie starts out darkly funny but becomes bogged down during its gradual move towards romance. There are terrific moments but they're outweighed by contrived scenes that aren't interesting or believable.

I figure there are two possible reasons to pre-release a movie this way -- either it's a possible sleeper & they're hoping for word of mouth to help or they think it's gong to bomb in the theater. Unfortunately, in this case it must be the latter. "the answer man" isn't a bad movie, but it's not a particularly good one either.