"Leap Year" is a delightful romantic comedy even if it does seem a tad formulaic. Girl loves boy, boy won't propose, girl chases boy, meets different boy, they hate each other then fall in love --- okay, I'll grant that's it's not the most original plotline, but what really counts in these films is the chemistry. And "Leap Year" has plenty of that.

Anna (Amy Adams) is a stager, meaning she brings in furnishings and arranges them esthetically to sell condos/homes. She's been dating Jeremy (Adam Scott) for four years and he hasn't popped the question. He's a cardiologist and seems to make little or no time for Anna, but she perseveres. Jeremy is leaving for Ireland for a cardiologist convention, and instead of a ring, Anna gets diamond earrings.

Her father, Jack (John Lithgow), has always told Anna the story of her great-grandmother proposing to her great-grandfather on leap year in Ireland, which according to myth, is acceptable. So Anna decides to fly there to surprise Jeremy and propose. After a terrible start to her journey due to inclement weather, she ends up in Dingle, Ireland. She needs to find a driver to get her to Dublin in time for the big day. Enter Declan (Matthew Goode), owner of the only pub in Dingle, who's behind in his mortgage payments and needs the money. He offers to drive Anna for a mighty sum and off they start on their adventure.

Every moviegoer has a favorite type of film, be it a murder mystery, a sci-fi adventure, war film, biography, whatever, but occasionally we all want a mindless escape with actors who are fun to watch, amusing moments, and beautiful scenery to boot. This is that film.

There is no actress out there today more adorable than Adams. She's extremely talented and exudes the exact amount of sweetness without being icky. Goode, just coming off "A Single Man" in which he does a remarkable job as Colin Firth's gay lover, is also quite adorable. From a female standpoint, what's not to like --- and he can act, as well. Surprise! Throw in the spectacular Irish countryside and you've got yourself a winner.

After coming off the year we just had, a little light entertainment that's exceedingly clean (you can take your mother --- heck, you can take your grandmother) isn't a bad thing. Adams and Goode make it a very good thing.

The plot of this movie is so familiar it could have been taken from a myriad of films, that is, the one where the prospective girlfriend/fiancee thinks she's ready to get married to the guy she thinks is Mr. Right, only to have her thinking become murky because she's met someone else. With the wrong actors and a woefully written script, this premise could have been disastrous. But "Leap Year" works because the two stars have C-H-E-M-I-S-T-R-Y!!

Adams seems comfortable in any kind of role, and her comedic timing is every bit as adept as she has displayed in her dramatic challenges. As Anna, she decides to travel to Ireland to propose to her beau, Jeremy (Adam Scott), who is there on business. The casting of Scott is perfect because his character is a bit smarmy, and although he's immaculately clean cut, he's not totally likeable, thus we don't care much if he ends up with Anna.

Of course, Anna runs into all sorts of tsuris (that's Yiddish for trouble and aggravation), so just getting to Dublin will be a miracle in itself. Quite predictably, she and Declan are like oil and water, at first, but things take a turn for the better when he defends her against some Irish thugs who usurp her precious Louis Vuitton suitcase. Nothing in this movie is over-the-top hilarious, but then again, thankfully the acting isn't either.

"Leap Year" is sentimental, to be sure, but never sappy. It is simply an enjoyable diversion for 97 minutes, and what a fun way to start the new year.