Most critics like it, and they like it for the same reason: Sandra Bullock. Almost every review puts her at the centre, praising the warmth and comic timing of her performance, and several say she is what keeps a thin premise afloat. The family’s light banter draws praise too, and Turteltaub is credited with balancing the farce deftly. The general tone is of a sweet, old-fashioned fairytale that knows what it is.
The reservations are about the plot. Most reviews call it predictable, and more than one admits the deception at its heart is implausible and the whole thing tips into sentimentality. For most this is forgivable. The spread is fairly narrow, with one clear exception: the Los Angeles Times finds the film sugary and intent on coddling its audience, and thinks it makes Bullock too winsome, even while praising her scenes with Bill Pullman.