Running time: 95 minutes (approximately)
Director: Nick Castle
Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman, Joan Cusack, Dean Stockwell, Joan Plowright, Robert Goulet, Ellen Cleghorne.

Review for the MTV generation: Mostly harmless. (For you familiar with the ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ books, this phrase should ring a bell.)

Lonely, desperate, 30-something Martha Alston (Ellen DeGeneres) meets an attractive, intelligent man, Whitman Crawford (Bill Pullman)—or at least she thinks so until she gets to know him. The wacky misadventures of the couple comprise the remainder of the film. When you can use the word "wacky" in the plot summary of a movie, it’s almost always a bad sign.

For the first two thirds of the movie, we see the standard sit-com material of Martha trying to ditch her increasingly annoying suitor. In fact, there was a Mary Tyler Moore episode which tells this story better, and you can see it for free on Nick at Nite. This part of the film works—somewhat—and I found myself laughing at most of the jokes, cliched though they be.

The part of the film that departs from the standard setup is the final reel. It degenerates into a ridiculous series of events that were not very funny. If it had been a better film during the first part, I would say that the last section ruined it. However, it was never more than mediocre at its best.

I like Ellen DeGeneres’ comedy a lot—both in her standup routine and on her television show, "Ellen". That said, she should probably stick to TV. She doesn’t really have much of a big-screen presence, and cannot carry a motion picture. A half hour of her seems about right—after that she can really start to grate on you.

Bill Pullman is adequate as the moronic suitor. His character is similar to the one he plays in "Ruthless People," though slightly more intelligent. I was impressed by the way he handles the transition from dream-date to hellish suitor in a very short amount of time. This was one of the few believable parts of the script.

Dean Stockwell, as the private detective (Jack Tramonte) hired to keep Whitman away from Martha, does his usual fine job. I had a real problem with Joan Cusack. While her character is meant to be a parody, her performance just didn’t work. I saw only Joan Cusack, hideously made-up and overacting, rather than the psychotic ex-girlfriend we were supposed to be watching. Ellen Cleghorne, of Saturday Night fame, thankfully had a small part. Her particular charm always eluded me on that show. A moratorium on ex-Saturday Night stars acting in films is long overdue.

"Mr. Wrong" is the movie I expected it to be from the previews, though slightly sillier, and not quite as funny as I had hoped. If you really love Ellen DeGeneres, and need a bigger helping of her than you can get on TV for free, then you may want to see "Mr. Wrong." Otherwise, I suggest you stay home.