If only we learned how Jane wound up so alone, sad and dysfunctional, the story might have made more sense. SIGN UP for the free Indie Focus movies newsletter > Suffice to say, one doobie and first-timer Jane’s a goner. In the process, he cracks her seemingly impenetrable shell. Her surprise comes in the form of the younger Juan (Óscar Jaenada), a cute, kind, hyper-ebullient tour guide who takes Jane on a whirlwind week of sightseeing. Unlike viewers - specifically, anyone who’s seen “Shirley Valentine” - little could Jane predict what’s in store for her upon arriving in the tropical paradise. In addition, she’s planned a last-hurrah trip to Costa Rica, apparently to die somewhere beautiful and remote. Jane is unfazed, however, as the deeply depressed book lover intends to commit suicide anyway, so, y’know, good timing. Harden plays Jane, a frumpy, painfully awkward introvert with an unwieldy hairdo and clunky glasses - on a chain, no less - who gets laid off as a Los Angeles librarian. The bad news: Harden’s role in this groan-worthy dramedy is so dreary and ill-conceived that even her formidable talents can’t bring it to life. The good news about “After Words” is that it offers Marcia Gay Harden a rare film lead.
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