My Life MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -1 1/2

Public relations executive Bob Jones (Michael Keaton) is diagnosed with inoperable cancer and given three months to live. His wife Gail (Nicole Kidman) is pregnant with their first child, due in five months. Bob confronts this dilemma by video-taping himself, telling the story of his life and giving words of wisdom to the child he'll not live to see. He visits Mr. Ho (Haing S. Ngor), whose radical Oriental/New Age therapies have supposedly cured other terminal patients. Ho tells Bob that his anger is causing his malady, and that he must face that before he can hope to recover. Bob unsuccessfully attempts to reconcile with his father, who was too busy building the family business to be close to his children. Other than the video tape, Bob doesn't want to have anything to do with the impending birth. However, when he sees the ultrasound image of his son, he prays to God to let him live long enough to see the baby. MY LIFE has a good blend of humor and pathos, centering around Mr. Keaton's strong comedic and dramatic skills. The film's best moments are Bob experiencing the joys of fatherhood, knowing that his time is short.

MY LIFE could have been a great film, but it flirts with issues and themes that detract from its otherwise powerful story. At the very beginning, Bob as a child prays to God that a circus would be in his backyard the next day after school. A heartbroken Bob returns home from school to find clotheslines and laundry instead of circus tents. Admirably, later in the film Bob prays to God again to let him live to see his child. When that prayer is answered, Bob looks heavenward and says "Thank You." Also, one of Bob's childhood friends quotes the "seek and you shall find" scripture. The real highlight of the film is seeing the joy and wonderment on Bob's face as he devotes himself to his family. On the down side, Mr. Ho advises Bob to prepare his "seed of the next life" for his eventual reincarnation, and speaks of "the Self" as the source of all life and healing. A dream sequence of Bob running naked through a dark, stormy forest has two glimpses of full rear male nudity. Strong language also pervades the film, although there is no regular profanity. Sadly, these detractors nullify MY LIFE's promising premise.

Preview Reviewer: Pete Zimowski
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232