There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Blistering performances.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

I love roundabouts and this movie is filled with several rounds of them, Renata's father (Dany Aiello) has a special attraction with the excitement it brings to drive a car in a roundabout and takes the chance every time he's able to.I've seen this movie lots of times and I can't believe it's been 18 years since it was released. It's a fresh, funny, romantic Italian family movie and I do believe it's one of the best performances of Holly Hunter and also Richard Dreyfuss.I love when the father sings her "the glory of love" at the wedding, it's such a nice scene and also the way Renata sings "Fly me to the moon" all the time after she meets Sam.

I stumbled across this film late one night when there was nothing on HBO, Showtime or the countless other channels in our now 500-channel universe. "Once Around" has a great cast, an excellent story line and a song track that I just love. Any film that has Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter as leads and Gena Rowlands as a supporting actress should be a must see film and I don't know how this one got passed me when it was first released. It seems Richard Dryfuss's "Where Bob?" got all the attention in 1991 and this film seems to have come in under the radar. "Once Around" displays real emotions, conflicts and family dynamics in a way that makes you laugh and makes you cry. Danny Aiello gives a great performance without going over the top and a young, Laura San Giacoma, before her "Just Shoot Me" days gives a glimpse of the star she should have become. Congratulations to all who were involved in the endeavor.

Lasse Hallström's first American film has a structure that is both refreshing and frustrating. Is "Once Around" a light romantic comedy? A melodrama? A tragedy? Most likely, it is all of the above.Holly Hunter stars as Renata, an unlucky-in-love Bostonian who falls for Sam (Richard Dreyfuss), a smooth-talking salesman who is similar to her parents in age but worlds away from them in personality. Conflicts arise when Sam, a strong-willed Lithuanian, forces his beliefs on Renata's equally strong-willed Italian parents, Joe and Marilyn, played by Gena Rowlands and Danny Aiello.The performances are excellent, though Hunter's exaggerated New England accent is a distraction at times. Aiello keeps his cool in a role that could easily have lent itself to overacting, and as a special bonus, he sings — quite well, I might add. A scene with Marilyn castigating Sam at a funeral stands as an example of the pivotal performances Rowlands delivers even when she's a supporting character. Renata and Sam's relationship takes some rather stagy turns, and some of Sam's disputes with Renata's family seem a bit contrived, but "Once Around" is worthwhile for its outstanding ensemble cast.

I loved this movie. Yes, it is true that Sam (Richard Dreyfuss) is an obnoxious and over-the-top salesman. I kept expecting him to be a total jerk in the relationship and break Renata's heart. But he didn't, and I think it is a wonderfully comedic love story. Danny Aiello is great as the stereotypical Italian father. Once Around takes a humorous look at family relationships & dynamic, and how those dynamics are affected by a variety of traditions, cultures and heritage. It also shows the growing up of a daughter, where she finally starts to loosen some of the strings holding her to her family, and starts to live her own life, her own adventure.