Romantic comedies come with a built-in resolution. We KNOW the lead couple is going to end up together. They have to. It’s not a romantic comedy if they don’t. Given the fact that the central conflict is already decided, romantic comedies have to distinguish themselves by other means. Unfortunately, Maintenance Required doesn’t entirely succeed at this, though it is still fun to watch.
Prime Video’s new film stars Madelaine Petsch as Charlie O’Malley. She has owned her father’s car repair shop since he passed away, and her love for cars, along with her all-female staff, has kept it afloat. That’s about to change. A new location of Miller Brothers, a discount national chain, is opening right across the street. While she worries about her business, Charlie does have one thing to look forward to: her anonymous online pen pal. She also meets Beau (Jacob Scipio) around the same time. He is the executive in charge of opening the new Miller Brothers location, and he also has an anonymous online pen pal. Yeah, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you where this is going.
There is nothing wrong with the framework of the plot in Maintenance Required, but the details don’t create enough of a distinct personality. The cast, especially Petsch and Scipio, is appealing enough to mitigate the biggest flaws. However, this story has been done better before.
MORE: Read our interview with Jacob Scipio and Matteo Lane of Maintenance Required!
“Sometimes I wish quitting was an option.”
That premise I just mentioned probably sounds familiar. If you’re a romantic comedy fan, it definitely does. That’s because it’s been used multiple times before. People falling in love while writing to each other anonymously is a good starting point for a romance, but add on the idea that they know and dislike each other in real life, and you’ve got a classic narrative foundation. It really is a useful guideline for a love story.
In 1940, The Shop Around the Corner used the storyline first. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan starred in the film. There was a 1900s-set musical version called In the Good Old Summertime in 1949 starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson. Then Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan brought the story into contemporary times with 1998’s You’ve Got Mail. Clearly, Maintenance Required has a lot of rom-com history behind it. And the script knows it. One line of dialogue references “that sweet little shop around the corner.” Charlie’s friend Izzy (Madison Bailey) starts a nail salon inside the garage to help business, and we see at the end of the film that it’s called “You’ve Got Nails.” Besides that, there’s a Notting Hill reference. The writers acknowledge the genre they are working with. They obviously have respect for it.
There are some other positive things to be said about the screenplay here. The Oakland, California setting is unique. So is the focus on cars. But the general bones of the plot are the same as the other versions. And it’s watchable, as always. However, The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail achieved more of that elusive magic that the best romantic comedies have. There should be more of that hard-to-define sparkle that elevates any romance above the average.
MORE: Check out our interview with Madelaine Petsch of Maintenance Required!
“I finally have to see if I can create something on my own.”
One thing about this film that does work is the chemistry between Petsch and Scipio. It is quite strong. Not Hanks/Ryan level, but still strong. They make Charlie and Beau’s first kiss a scorcher. Their chemistry is the best thing going for this film, which is good because that is the biggest factor in making a romantic comedy successful. Given that we’ve seen this story before and we know what scenes are coming, Petsch and Scipio manage to keep the audience engaged. They both have an ease in front of the camera that is appealing.
I just wish that appeal had a fresher showcase to present itself than the rest of this film. A line or bit of staging here and there will make you laugh, but that should happen more often. It’s too random. The characterizations need to be a bit deeper and more vivid. Beau’s boss at Miller Brothers, played by Jim Gaffigan, is cartoonishly greedy and immoral. And Lola (Inanna Sarkis), the girl Beau is in a “situationship” with before meeting Charlie, is similarly drawn. She actually sounds like she’s advocating for AI at one point. I mean, we don’t have to like her in order for the story to be better, but yikes.
The direction is also hit or miss. Lacey Uhlemeyer makes an effort to generate some visual interest, but that’s just the problem. Sometimes you can feel the effort. Not in a good way. I like the long tracking shot that opens the film, but Uhlemeyer later relies too much on images of cars on the Pacific Coast Highway as “visuals.” Just because the premise of a film is reliably compelling doesn’t mean that the script and direction can’t do even more to create a special viewing experience. Maintenance Required could’ve evolved from good to great if it remembered that.
MORE: If you need the reminder, we break down all the details about Maintenance Required!
3 stars out of 5
Maintenance Required is now streaming on Prime Video.
