Not much of a dilemma
At the heart of Ron Howard's The Dilemma is, well, a dilemma. What do you do if you discover your best friend's sweetheart hasn't been entirely faithful? Spying on her is one option; it makes for an interesting set-up and much-needed comic relief.
BFFs Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Kevin James) are partners in a car engine design company in Chicago. They've developed a prototype for a hybrid muscle car. Now Chrysler is giving them two weeks to build it or risk losing the contract.
One day, Ronny catches Nick's wife, Geneva (Winona Ryder), kissing another man. But he can't make up his mind whether he should tell his bud.
Ronny's dilemma is portrayed as far more complex than it would play out in real life. Nick is also suffering from ulcers and there's also the fate of 'the contract' at stake.
To complicate matters further, Ronny is planning to propose to his girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly). But without the coveted contract, he won't have the cash to go through with it. All these complications are anything but convincing or even plausible.
The movie has its moments - the odd-couple interactions of Nick and Ronny create some very comical situations.
Too bad, then, that their characters are simply recycled from other romantic-comedies. There just isn't enough here to make buying a ticket worth your while. That's one dilemma you don't have to face.
