Rumor Has It (released in theaters on Dec. 25, 2005) is a breezy, low-stakes romantic comedy that succeeds on the strength of its cast and its playful riff on one of Hollywood’s most beloved myths. Rob Reiner leans into warmth and gentle absurdity, crafting a film that feels like an airy companion piece to The Graduate rather than an attempt to compete with it.
The plot follows Sarah Huttinger (Jennifer Aniston), a slightly adrift journalist who returns home to Pasadena for her sister’s wedding.
Already unsure about marrying her well-meaning fiancé Jeff (Mark Ruffalo), Sarah stumbles onto a family secret: the long‑standing rumor that her late mother was the real‑life inspiration for the young woman in The Graduate, and that her grandmother Catherine (Shirley MacLaine) may have been the original “Mrs. Robinson.”
Determined to find the truth, Sarah tracks down Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), a charismatic tech millionaire who supposedly had affairs with both women.
As she confronts Beau, she’s drawn into a messy, morally questionable entanglement that forces her to reexamine her own fears about commitment, identity, and where she comes from.
Reiner plays the material as a mix of farce and emotional coming‑of‑age.
The film’s greatest asset is its ensemble chemistry. Aniston brings her familiar blend of neurotic humor and vulnerability, making Sarah likable even as she makes dubious choices.
Costner, playing a sly twist on the Benjamin Braddock archetype, leans into laid‑back charm and self‑awareness, while MacLaine steals every scene as the acerbic, seen‑it‑all matriarch who refuses to apologize for her past.
Ruffalo quietly grounds the story, turning Jeff into more than a stock “nice guy” by giving him dignity, hurt, and a believable sense of heartbreak.
Supporting turns from Richard Jenkins as Sarah’s loving but secretive father, Christopher McDonald as a pompous future in‑law, Mena Suvari as Sarah’s wide‑eyed sister, and Mike Vogel as a golden‑boy groom further flesh out the film’s Pasadena world.
Kathy Bates appears in an uncredited role as Aunt Mitsy.
The humor is more about awkward conversations and generational collisions than big set‑pieces, and when the film works, it does so as a sweet, slightly melancholy story of a woman realizing that her family’s imperfections don’t doom her to repeat them.
Ted Griffin (Ocean’s Eleven) wrote the screenplay.
Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner in Rumor Has It (Photo/Warner Bros.)
Reception for Rumor Has It
Rumor Has It grossed $7.5 million on its opening weekend, finishing eighth at the box office.
The film would gross $88.9 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave Rumor Has It three out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Rumor Has It has settled into the realm of underrated comfort viewing: not a classic, but a pleasant, rewatchable gem for fans of Aniston, Costner, and MacLaine.
It stands as a charming curiosity in Reiner’s filmography, notable for treating a towering cinematic touchstone with affection and lightness rather than reverence.
