7.6 stars.

'Just Jake' has a few touching moments, far exceeding many of its other moments. This film is like a potpourri of good feelings mixed with dull ones. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed some scenes very much, while I sat and waited patiently through the slower and less interesting ones.

First of all, this storyline has really been overused and I'm a bit disappointed at its reappearance. It's about a boy who left his girl behind after graduating high school to pursue a musical career. Of course, now over a decade later, he is a famous country music artist. He returns to his hometown, and the drama unfolds. I mean, really, this concept has been chewed, spit out, chewed, spat, chewed, spat, chewed, swallowed, digested, expelled and chewed. And spat. There's got to be some original material out there to be found. But what this lacks in originality, it more than compensates for in musical mastery. In addition, the few emotional romantic encounters will leave you yearning for the return of your first true love.