Never Again is a 2001 American comedy film written and directed by Eric Schaeffer. The film stars Jeffrey Tambor, Jill Clayburgh, Caroline Aaron, Bill Duke, Sandy Duncan and Michael McKean. After being shown at the 2001 South by Southwest, the film was widely released by USA Films on July 12, 2002.
Never Again takes a ribald yet compassionate look at two lovelorn fifty-something New Yorkers. Christopher (Jeffrey Tambor) is an exterminator-cum-jazz musician who, after years of one-night stands, begins to question his sexual orientation. Grace (Jill Clayburgh) is a divorcee looking to jump-start her life again. When a blind date for Grace goes bad, she ducks into a gay bar, where she meets Christopher. The circumstances are so wrong that the two are immediately drawn to each other.
Just one problem, Grace and Christopher fall in love. Christopher pulls away from the relationship and breaks GraceâÂÂs heart. Grace and Christopher go through the motions so that they can discover that they donâÂÂt want to be alone and live together happily ever after. In the end, Grace plays âÂÂthe knight in shining armorâ to ChristopherâÂÂs âÂÂdamsel in distressâÂÂ. The film ends with a happy reunion.
Never Again received negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 31%, based on 61 reviews, with a rating of 4.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The performances are excellent, but much of the story rings false."