5 Star Day is a quirky astrology-themed indie dramedy that challenges the notion that you can predict the outcome of a situation by interpreting the stars. The premise for the film is intriguing -- Jake Gibson (Cam Gigandet), a Berkeley college student, sets out to disprove the theory of astrology by contacting three people who were all born on the same day and comparing their experiences -- but the movie lacks the cohesive glue to hold it together. Writer/director Danny Buday presents an absurdly thin story that lacks the depth to transcend its drippy setup, and though there are moments when he shows flashes of subtlety and makes some impetuous choices, the film mostly stays in its uninteresting comfort zone.
Jake wakes up on the morning of his birthday and reads his horoscope in the paper, which promises a good day. However, soon after he reads those words, everything falls apart: His car is stolen, he gets fired from his job, his girlfriend cheats on him, and his apartment floods. Desperate for an outlet for his frustration, Jake finds three other people who were born on the same day, at the same time, in the same place. He decides to track each of them down and interview them about their birthday experiences to see if all four shared similar misfortunes, so that he can prove that astrology is nothing more than "propaganda." Jake takes a trip across the country to Chicago and manages to find each individual: He meets Yvette (Brooklyn Sudano), a troubled social worker, Wesley (Max Hartman), a cheesy Atlantic City lounge singer with a terminal illness, and Sarah (Jena Malone), a bartender with a young daughter and an ex-boyfriend with a drug problem. Soon, Jake's interest in Sarah becomes more than academic.
Rising star Cam Gigandet of Twilight fame plays his first lead role as Jake and delivers a sensitive portrayal that proves he's more than just eye candy. While all of the actors bring considerable charisma to their roles, 5 Star Day can be too pleasant, revealing itself to be nothing more than a contrived love story between Jake and Sarah, rather than an ideological examination of Jake's current obsession. This is mostly due to Buday's screenplay, which not only gets off to a slow and clumsy start, but avoids using a relatively straightforward narrative style -- he jumps around in time with reckless abandon and uses seemingly incoherent plot devices, only to cram way too many philosophical clichés into the final minutes of the film. 5 Star Day might have had the potential to be a winning film, but unfortunately, it lacks the necessary gravitas to be taken seriously.