Rumor Has It …

A young woman (Jennifer Aniston) learns that her family was the basis for the book and movie The Graduate and that her grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) was the real-life “Mrs. Robinson.” Not only that: She believes that the real-life “Ben Braddock” (Kevin Costner) may be her biological father. Ted Griffin’s script (“based on a true rumor”) hitchhikes on the classic film to jump-start our interest in the story, and then the appealing star performances take over, aided by Rob Reiner’s good-natured, leisurely direction. Aniston’s nice-girl aura remains her greatest asset as an actress, and she and Costner make an appealing combination—he’s never been more likeable. There’s good support, too, from Richard Jenkins as Aniston’s father, Mark Ruffalo as her loyal fiancé and Mena Suvari as her flighty sister.