30 Second Bottom Line: Love and romance come and go by planning, cunning and just plain chance. This is a humorous yet realistic comedy of the things people do in the pursuit of love, sex and romance.
Story Line: I've never lived in NYC but I know people like the ones in this film. Each of the six key characters is unique in their own right and they are all connected to each other. Not necessarily with a direct link as we are likely to find in a Robert Altman film such as Magnolia. Let's check out the cast of characters.
Tommy (Edward Burns) is a guy who wants to get married and have children. His girlfriend may be OK with marriage but babies are not in the plan-now or ever. She throws him out of her apartment and for awhile he stays with his boss, Carpo (Dennis Farina). Carpo is a Don Juan, or so he thinks. Tommy meets Maria (Rosario Dawson) in a video store and he meets Annie (Heather Graham) when he is looking for an apartment. An affair begins with Maria that looks as if it might be a "close but no cigar" situation. He's also interested in Annie, but she's married and devoted to making it work, so while the vibes may be there, she is most reluctant to act on her impulses.
Benjamin (David Krumholtz) is divorced from Maria, his high school sweetheart, and he just can't let go of the relationship. He caused the break up with his infidelities but now he is sorry and wants to get back together. Benjamin has a habit of showing up at Maria's apartment unannounced. She is a schoolteacher, who has reclaimed her virginity, as she chooses to remain celibate.
Ashley (Brittany Murphy) is a waitress from Iowa, who is getting banged by dentist Griffin (Stanly Tucci); that's the kindest way to put it. Griffin is on his second marriage-to Annie- and is quite content with getting his action during the lunch hour in a nice hotel. He will not take Ashley out for dinner or anywhere, even though the chances of being seen are remote. While Griffin thinks he's laying some good solid pipe, Ashley is checking her watch and just going through the motions while they are in bed.
Benjamin meets Ashley in the restaurant where she is a waitress and he starts to realize he can be interested in another woman, not just his ex wife, Maria. When Griffin finally takes Ashley out for dinner, in a distant NYC borough, Benjamin sees them and mistakes him for her father. Ashley adds to Griffin's confusion when she lies and says she and Benjamin broke up because his penis was too large, which made her feel uncomfortable while they were having sex. This really blows (pun intended) Griffin's mind to the point that when he gets home to his wife Annie, he begins to ask her about her level of satisfaction with their love life and the size of his penis. Annie starts to get the message that something is going on.
Tell Me More About It: Sidewalks of New York has the general feel of HBO's Sex and the City, without the extreme behavior. These are real people, with all their frailties hanging out. What surprises me is that I came to care about each of the characters- except for the two jerks Griffin and Carpo.
Heather Graham and Rosario Dawson are so much better here than in Say It Isn't So and Josie and the Pussycats, that you quickly forget their roles in those performances- if you were in the small group that saw those mainstream films. Stanley Tucci is your "right on the money" male chauvinist pig, played with perfection. Benjamin and Ashley make the movie lovable with their naiveté and passion. Maria breaks your heart with a combination of indecision followed by making a major life choice.
You can't lose what you never had. People who are searching often don't realize when they have found what they are looking for. Others think they have a perfect relationship and are in for the biggest surprise. When you get what you want, are you ready to be satisfied or is the grass always greener somewhere else?
DVD