To borrow its fishing jargon, "Catch and Release" should be thrown back in the water. Preferably with a large rock tied around it so it doesn't resurface any time soon.

	Doug Curran Sam Jaeger, left, Kevin Smith and Jennifer Garner pal around in "Catch and Release." Click photo for larger image. 'Catch and Release' Starring: Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith, Juliette Lewis. Director: Susannah Grant. Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, language and some drug use. Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/

"Catch and Release" is a romantic dramedy about a Boulder, Colo., woman named Gray (Jennifer Garner) who finds herself at her fiance's wake instead of their wedding. Their uncut cake is in the refrigerator, the florist unknowingly arrives with armfuls of blooms, and gifts have been delivered. The groom, Grady, was killed in an accident on the eve of their ceremony.

As Gray tries to pick up the pieces of her life, she moves in with her fiance's friends, Sam (Kevin Smith), a funnyman almost never without food in his fist or mouth, and Dennis (Sam Jaeger), Grady's partner in their fly-fishing business. Also bunking at the house is an old pal of Grady's, a California playboy named Fritz (Timothy Olyphant).

If Gray weren't traumatized enough, a stranger (Juliette Lewis) with a connection to Grady surfaces. As Gray re-examines what she knew about her fiance, she rethinks her perceptions about herself and the men in her orbit.

If you've caught the TV commercials, you can probably see where most of this is going. Let's see, one vulnerable woman and three possible new loves -- well, make that two since you can eliminate Smith, who is here for comic relief and one serious interlude way beyond his acting level. The field further narrows as soon as the story unfolds.

"Catch" suffers from a host of problems, starting with the idea that Gray is surprised that her boyfriend was wealthy. You only have to look at his family's house or her diamond ring to see he comes from some money.

And in an odd twist for a movie aimed at women, Gray has no female friends? No maid or matron of honor? No girls to meet for coffee and talk about how she's falling, in record time for a grieving woman, for someone else? Also, in Boulder, there appear to be no apartments or houses that any singleton can afford. That's why all the 30-somethings must inhabit the same residence.

"Catch" was written and directed by Susannah Grant, who adapted the novel "In Her Shoes" and wrote "28 Days" with Sandra Bullock and "Erin Brockovich" with Julia Roberts. In the movie's notes, she acknowledges "Catch and Release" isn't a drama and it isn't a comedy.

"But to me, that's what life is -- a lot of both. You know the old saying: tragedy plus time equals comedy," Grant says. But there is no time in this equation, and there is precious little comedy or even the proper sentiment for a six-year relationship that met a sudden, sad end.

Garner, who starred in the fresh, funny "13 Going on 30," makes an appealing heroine, but she's stuck in a loser of a story. Grady's mother (Fiona Shaw) goes from being horrid to heartfelt, and Lewis' character is simply a cliched, idiotic mess.

The best thing about "Catch and Release"? Running jokes about Celestial Seasonings tea and the beautiful backdrop, a combination of real-life Boulder and Vancouver. So brew some tea and turn on the Travel Channel instead.