In this romantic comedy-drama, two people whose lives were touched by the same tragedy find love. Buddy Amaral (
Ben Affleck) is a successful L.A. advertising executive who has a way with the ladies, but inside he longs for a meaningful long-term relationship. One day Buddy sells his seat on a sold-out airline flight to a stranger; he's shocked when the jet crashes and the man is killed. A year later, still haunted by the incident, Buddy looks up Abby Janello (
Gwyneth Paltrow), the victim's widow, who is now selling real estate to support her children. Buddy soon finds himself attracted to Abby, and the feeling is mutual, but while he's interested in marriage, he isn't sure how (or if) he should tell her that he was indirectly responsible for her husband's death. Bounce was written and directed by
Don Roos, who made a splash with his independent debut
The Opposite of Sex; supporting Affleck and Paltrow are
Natasha Henstridge,
Jennifer Grey,
David Paymer, and
Joe Morton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide