It’s predictable. It’s hokey. And it’s not that bad, to be honest.
Robin Monroe (Anne Heche), a women’s magazine editor from New York City, and her boyfriend, Frank (David Schwimmer) take a vacation to a Pacific island resort to celebrate their anniversary. In the middle of the trip, Robin’s boss asks her to take a solo detour to Tahiti for a night to supervise a photo shoot. She reluctantly hires a grizzled pilot named Quinn (Harrison Ford) to take her there. When their small plane crashes onto a small, unpopulated island, the pair are forced to get along to survive. That’s the quick and dirty plot synopsis of Six Days Seven Nights, a romantic comedy/action adventure movie hybrid from 1998. It’s the kind of movie that Hollywood doesn’t seem to make anymore. It’s predictable. It’s hokey. And it’s not that bad, to be honest.
Harrison Ford plays the quintessential version of, well, Harrison Ford. He’s that odd blend of gruff charm and effortless grouchiness for which he’s always been known. He’s coasting in the role but little more is required of him. Anne Heche, appearing in one of her rare leading roles, displays a definite gift for light comedy. She’s not tasked with anything terribly challenging here either but she makes it work. Together, they have a believable chemistry that makes their eventual coupling easy-to-swallow.
David Schwimmer and Jacqueline Obradors make a less successful pairing as Robin and Quinn’s respective significant others forced to wait back at the resort. Schwimmer seems as if he’s stuck in his awkward “Ross from Friends” mindset. Obradors smolders in a dance number, though.
Although there’s the odd inclusion of modern day pirates to provide a threat to Quinn and Robin, there’s never a real sense that the pair is in any danger at any time. Most of the conflict they encounter is with each other. He’s a simple guy and she’s high-maintenance. Can they get along? Of course they can. The secret to the movie’s success is that neither character is annoying or inflexible.
Six Days Seven Nights is a movie that seems tailor-made for a Saturday afternoon’s viewing. It’s not challenging. It tries nothing new and possesses no surprises. But, somehow, it remains likable and entertaining if ultimately forgettable.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Buy on Amazon!
