based on the laura zigman novel , animal husbandry , someone like you is a romantic comedy about a late night tv talent coordinator named jane ( ashley judd ) , whose luck in love is predictably bad . so predictable is her misfortune , in fact , that she has devised a pervasive theory on the subject , revolving around the notion that men are like cattle . when she meets her show's new executive , ray ( kinnear , you've got mail ) , however , her luck -- she thinks -- begins to change . but ray , she discovers , is just a typical bull , looking to spread his seed in wider pastures . and it's not until he dumps her for his ex-girlfriend that she realizes the true depth of her plight . jane , it seems , is an old cow . and ray is looking for a new cow . this joke more or less carries the film , and -- though interesting at first -- it gets old after its twentieth or fiftieth appearance in the script . fortunately , though , the film's fresh , funny dialogue packs enough power to keep things interesting . and the wry , cynical performance of hugh jackman ( x-men ) as the incorrigibly good-timing eddie drops in just in time to prevent the entire film from degenerating into a ridiculously softball piece of fluff . these combine with quick , quirky editing to provide enough stimuli to keep most audiences alert for this sub two-hour picture . those needing a little more stimulation than that ( men , mostly ) should take heart in the fact that ashley's underpants scene from the movie's trailer is served justly on the big screen . ( though anyone looking for world-class cheerleading sequences will be saddened to learn that judd's jumping splits performance was ruined by her inability to keep both legs straight in midair . for the record , this didn't bother me a bit . ) judd carries her role with a meg ryan-esque charm that should prove valuable in future productions , while jackman proves he has all the qualities of a rugged , enviable leading man . the supporting cast is funny , and well placed , as well -- particularly ellen barkin as the host of the late night show . much to my surprise , someone like you made for a funny , enjoyable picture right up until its final moments , when it completely brained itself by falling into the usual rut of romantic comedy conclusions . with its richness of dialogue and editing , i was certain it might have overcome its genre to set some new precedent in romantic comedy cheese . but no . in the end , this is still a warm , fuzzy picture with enough wit to satisfy most audiences in need of a laugh . ladies : go for the humor . gents : stay for the underpants . 
