Sometimes, as in the case of actress/writer Nia Vardalos, it pays to have good friends such as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. They were instrumental in backing her projects, that paid big, as was the case with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", which the actress wrote and starred in 2002. Alas, not having any doubts about her hidden talents, her latest film will not add anything to her resume.<br /><br />"My Life in Ruins", directed by Daniel Petrie, is a movie full of clichés. Written for the screen by Mike Reiss, who has worked a lot on television. This film is a rehash of other movies that capitalized on being travelogues where the action is placed as an after thought. Usually, the plot involves different characters from different walks of life, sharing some moments in a bus, a train, or a jet liner, where the scenery is more important than what is happening within the film.<br /><br />We are grateful we watched the film on a flight and didn't have to pay. This film is full of stereotypes with a minimum amount of laughs. Curiously, some of the exteriors that appear in the film are actually of sunny Spain instead of the Greek locations one assumed were used.