Romantic dramedy Alex and Emma launches a tribute retrospective in the wake of the shocking murder of actor-filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife. I’ll be revisiting his filmography in the days and weeks to come.

Alex Sheldon (Luke Wilson), a blocked and deeply indebted writer, is under crushing pressure. His publisher, Wirschafter (Rob Reiner), refuses to release any money until Alex finishes his overdue novel, while a dangerous $100,000 loan comes due with fatal stakes. With a 30-day ultimatum, Alex finally lands on an idea for a romantic comedy about love’s consuming, destructive power—despite not having written a single word.

To get the book done, Alex hires Emma Dinsmore (Kate Hudson), a stubborn and sharp-tongued stenographer, to take dictation. The novel he creates follows Adam Shipley (Luke Wilson), a writer hired to tutor the children of Polina Delacroix (Sophie Marceau), a beautiful French woman struggling financially. Though tempted by an eager au pair (Kate Hudson), Adam ultimately falls for Polina.

As Alex dictates, the film cuts between the writing sessions and the story itself, showing Adam cycling through nannies before settling on Polina. Emma challenges Alex’s creative choices, and their constant friction begins to influence both the novel and their personal lives. Gradually, Alex and Emma develop feelings for each other.

Trouble arises when Emma learns Polina is based on Alex’s real-life ex Polina (Sophie Marceau), who soon reappears after a breakup. Once the book is delivered and Alex pays off his debt, he persuades Emma to help rewrite the ending. By changing the story, Alex proves he’s changed as well—choosing Emma, professing his love, and sealing it with a kiss.

Alex and Emma was not the first Rob Reiner film that I watched after hearing the tragic news, as I decided to make it a double feature with Rumor Has It…, which marks its 25th anniversary on December 25. After one of the strongest runs for any filmmaker in their career, Reiner had a tough go with critics and at the box office following The American President. Not everything could be a success, and that’s fine.

I’m trying to remember if I had watched Alex and Emma before, but one can’t deny the on-screen charm of Kate Hudson or Luke Wilson. But it takes more than just the cast to make a great film, of which this film most definitely is not. Reiner is working from a script by Jeremy Leven. The script itself is loosely inspired by a love story involving author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It turns out that he dictated his 1866 novel, The Gambler, in 30 days. Much like Alex in the film, he also had a gambling debt and fell in love with his stenographer. On paper, the idea seems fine, but the execution fell spectacularly short.

Alex and Emma goes back and forth a bit too much between real life and the book itself, something inspired by Paris When It Sizzles, too. The former is enjoyable to some extent, while the latter can get old after a while. Like many writers, Alex draws on real life when it comes to his book. I don’t think it’s unfair to describe the writing process itself as cathartic, but the minute Polina comes back into his life, life is going to imitate art. Only the book found Adam rejected by both Anna and Polina. But real life? It’s not fiction, and he’s going to have to work to gain Emma’s trust again.

As a student of U.S. history, I loved how Alex created a fake law firm named after a number of American presidents—Polk, Taylor, Pierce, Fillmore, & Van Buren—as a way of hiring Emma. Perhaps this an homage to the Alex and Emma director previously directing The American President a few years earlier? Fictional law firms always make the best easter eggs, especially with the multiple names that one can fit into the firm’s name.

Overall, Alex and Emma may not rank among Reiner’s strongest films, but it’s a reminder of his continued willingness to explore romance and comedy, even when the results aren’t perfect. The cast brings charm and warmth, the premise has historical and literary echoes, and certain details—like the presidential law firm—offer clever touches. It’s not a masterpiece, yet watching it in the context of his broader career provides perspective: not every film can hit the mark, and that’s part of what makes revisiting his work worthwhile. For fans of Reiner or the leads, it’s still a film with moments to appreciate.

DIRECTOR: Rob Reiner
SCREENWRITER: Jeremy Leven
CAST: Kate Hudson, Luke Wilson, Sophie Marceau, David Paymer, Rob Reiner, François Giroday, Lobo Sebastian, Chino XL

Warner Bros. Pictures released Alex and Emma in theaters on June 20, 2003. Grade: 3/5

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