Had "The Rewrite" come out in 1999, it would have gotten ample promotion and a wide theatrical release from a major studio. In 2015, the Hollywood landscape has changed, both in regard to what kinds of films distributors are looking for and how they are ultimately released. In a day and age when the vast majority of movies that roll out on a nationwide scale are all about high-concept plotting, franchise-worthy source material and showy, effects-heavy scope, there is little room in multiplexes for well-written, character-centric ensemble pieces—no matter who is starring in them. Written and directed by Marc Lawrence (who previously collaborated with actor Hugh Grant on 2002's "Two Weeks Notice," 2007's "Music and Lyrics," and 2009's "Did You Hear About the Morgans?"), the heartfelt, smartly amusing "The Rewrite" deserved a bigger marketing push, but instead was relegated to a VOD release and a theatrical birth so miniscule it didn't even show up on the full weekend box-office charts. It may not have the visual fireworks of a Marvel Comics adaptation, but in many ways it is more satisfying, even refreshing, to see a film about real-seeming people in identifiable situations. There isn't an alien, robot or superhero in sight, and sometimes that is a very good thing.
See Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile.com. for full review
