Rated PG-13

The opening background song in Playing for Keeps says it all: "Here I go, going down, down, down." Gerard Butler, going another round as an affable jock (surfing in Chasing Mavericks) and romantic lead (nominated with Jennifer Aniston for Razzie Award's Worst Couple in The Bounty Hunter), can't seem to choose a script-though he produces this one-that does his talent justice. He struts around enough to be appealing, but his role as a hapless, ex-soccer player who attempts to reunite with his son and ex-wife in Virginia is overshadowed by the attention-desperate soccer moms who can't resist him when he coaches their children. Maybe that's all Butler wants in Playing for Keeps (hence the cheesy title), but a tender story lies beneath the surface: that of a father and son coming to grips with the pitfalls and frailties of fatherhood and the commitment it takes to keep the relationship on track. That piece never comes to fruition.

So many films have done it better, touching upon the loss of daily parental contact (remember Kramer vs. Kramer?), or a divorced duo making their way back to each other, of which there are a multitude of versions. Director Gabriele Muccino guided a more heartfelt account of father-son travails in The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith. Playing for Keeps is silly in comparison. The character of George Dryer (Butler) remains thin, in spite of the noteworthy charm of the freckle-faced Noah Lomax (TV's Mad Love, The Walking Dead) who plays his son, Lewis.

The other characters don't add much real interest. Ex-wife, Stacie (Jessica Biel: Hitchcock, The Illusionist, the only real strength of the film), looks as plain as possible, with flat hair and bland makeup, probably to act as a contrast to the seductress, Denise (Catherine Zeta-Jones: Rock of Ages, Chicago). As for Denise, the viewer is left wondering why Zeta-Jones accepted such a walk-through copy of her other roles. Carl (Dennis Quaid: The Day After Tomorrow, TV's Vegas) is a pushy, amoral jerk who promises George perks for favoring his children in soccer. His wife, Patti, played by a surprisingly homogenized Uma Thurman (Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2, Pulp Fiction), also tries to seduce George, as does the nervous, needy Barb (Judy Greer: The Descendants, TV's Two and a Half Men). Such strong actresses in clichéd roles create a big disappointment, and Quaid's Carl is simply obnoxious.

George keeps flailing as a father by falling prey to being seduced, which keeps him from Lewis, so that the predatory women become the center of the film, instead of the distraction they should be until George wakes up to his responsibilities. Stacie, of course, is about to be married to another man, which is another cliché and helps turn Playing for Keeps into a comedy of errors.

The believable moments, such as a tearful scene between George and Lewis, are few and not the driving force needed here. George playing soccer in the drenching rain with Lewis doesn't salvage the film, nor does the hope that Stacie and George will find each other again, because the chemistry between them isn't strong enough to make the audience care.

What a shame that Butler still hasn't found a role that demands more of him than just showing off his magnetism. He has some acting chops that go to waste in Playing for Keeps, which will not be remembered for keeps, and is more annoying and sloppy than fervent or funny.

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