The trailer for the new Mandy Moore/Billy Crudup film Dedication has just landed on my desk, and it is not what I expected in the least. That’s definitely not a bad thing; it’s just that I never thought I would place Mandy Moore and excellent dramatic portrayal in the same sentence. The film is called Dedication and it follows the life of a children’s author named Henry Roth. Roth is a damaged man to say the least. He’s hampered by O.C.D.-like rituals, has a morbid fear of sleeping next to anyone, and is generally just a miserable curmudgeon. Mandy Moore is sent to help illustrate his new book, and it makes him look at his life in new and interesting ways.

The whole thing sounds a little bit like a cliched romantic comedy, but let me assure you that it is not. The film seems to reside on a plane of emotional heartbreak known only to Sylvia Plath and kids who recently found out that Santa doesn’t exist. Don’t listen to me, though; watch this gem yourself.



Or to view a high resolution form of the trailer click here.