Adam (Mark Ruffalo) is a recovering sex addict sober for 5 year. Mike (Tim Robbins) is his sponsor. Neil (Josh Gad) is the court ordered newcomer to the help group. He struggles with the program. Adam meets Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow) who vowed not to date another addict and he hasn't been in a relationship for a long time. Mike's son Danny (Patrick Fugit) is a drug addict and his wife Katie (Joely Richardson) still believes in him. Neil is slacking his group work until things go wrong at work. Dede (Pink) is another new member of the group and Neil develops a friendship with her.
Recovering sex addict in a rom-com is something different. Ruffalo and Paltrow has a sweet chemistry. Josh Gad is playing the fool with limited comedic effects. Tim Robbins needs to build to the conflict better. The actors generally do a good job. The whole movie feels more manufactured rather than naturalistic. It's the subject matter. It demands to have it done realistically rather than as a device. The multi-thread structure adds to the written feel of the movie.
Recovering sex addict in a rom-com is something different. Ruffalo and Paltrow has a sweet chemistry. Josh Gad is playing the fool with limited comedic effects. Tim Robbins needs to build to the conflict better. The actors generally do a good job. The whole movie feels more manufactured rather than naturalistic. It's the subject matter. It demands to have it done realistically rather than as a device. The multi-thread structure adds to the written feel of the movie.