Did anyone not like Luke Wilson portrayal of the ex? 'Cause I couldn't. I mean, the guy was in the British version, did it well; you just wanted to punch the idiot and have leave Martha alone, but Luke Wilson's character- not the nicest guy, but can't hate him.
anyone felt that way or has an explanation? Please no flaming.
Yes I did like Wilson. The character in the British version was far too creepy; black fingernail polish and all; I could not imagine what the ex-girlfriend (can't find my DVD of this to check names) ever saw in him. By the way, the ex-girlfriend was far too edgy for my taste. I thought the Saldana/Marsden characters and relationship portrayed far more loving and caring.
I liked the portrayal of Wilson as the successful investment advisor, whom the father admired and wanted Saldana to drop the loser 7th grade teacher and team up with the up and coming man with financial promise (and maybe give the father some good investment advice...).
Ewen Bremner was the ex boyfriend in the British version- I think his portrayal was deliberate. He was the creepy loser who only got Martha (that was the girl's name) because she was drunk and convinced himself that he had a shot with her sober. But she loved the dependable if a bit neurotic solicitor Simon (Alan Tudyk's character).
Luke Wilson's character was different (vastly different). He was, as you said, a investment adviser with a promising career and a bit of a social climber. He wanted Saldana because she was a beautiful girl with a rich dad who liked him (battle half won). He wasn't a total jerk, with what his laid-back behavior toward Uncle Russel and even his friend Tracy Morgan (once his one minded goal to get girl was lost, he ended up giving advice about the rash). But Saldana did not want him, recognizing that he was a self-involved social climber and she loved the sweet junior high teacher.
plus- its Luke Wilson. With me, it doesn't matter if I don't like the movie, I can't hate him. I wonder if he ever played a serial killer or villain. I probably still would not hate the guy.
Then was Daisy Donovan (Martha)- she was a very aggressive character. Like someone who held in a lot of resentment and anger (this is not surprising considering her relationship with her dad). She had to fight and be hostile- looking out for her brother, fending off the one-night stand, and defending and protecting her fiancee. In the American version, Saldana is a second mom to her brother, but does not have a bad relationship with her dad (generally anyway, they have disagreements but they love each other); she is not as hostile as Donovan was to the ex, but maybe that because Wilson wasn't creepy. And yes, she was very caring to her fiancee- Martha was also caring but it was in a practical way. I really liked that scene when she told Simon that they were going to have a baby and that she couldn't do it without him.