Just when you were ready to write off Renée Zellweger to the middle-brow romcoms and period dramas where former Oscar winners go when they approach middle age, along comes a movie like My One and Only to remind you of what a likable, indefatigable actress she can be.

The movie was spawned during a meeting in which George Hamilton told the late Merv Griffin about his unusual childhood and has kicked around Hollywood in various stages of development for 10 years. My One and Only finally got made in what passes today for the independent film circuit: The movie still cost millions of dollars and stars famous people, but it has few marketing dollars behind it, and you'll need to act fast if you intend to see it.

It is worth the effort. Zellweger stars as Ann Deveraux, an aging but still-scrappy Southern belle who grabs her two sons -- the prissy Robbie (Mark Rendall) and Hamilton stand-in George (Logan Lerman) -- and leaves her cheating husband (Kevin Bacon) in the act with another woman in their New York apartment in 1953.

Ann leaves in a Cadillac with two goals in mind: Somewhere west of here and a new husband. Director Richard Loncraine (Firewall, Wimbledon) embraces instead of reinventing the conventions of the road movie: As Ann and her sons drive across country, they encounter a series of ex-boyfriends and potential suitors (played by, among others, Eric McCormack, Chris Noth and Steven Weber). The three also fall into all kinds of misadventure. Ann gets arrested; later, she gets robbed.

The film's relentlessly nostalgic, bouncy tone, however, assures that all will end well, and even the resentment felt by Ann's sons will be smoothed over. My One and Only isn't exactly memorable, but this little, personable movie is a fine showcase for Zellweger's talents and a paean to the sort of mid-1950s America best remembered in Norman Rockwell paintings.

Cast: Renée Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Mark Rendall, Kevin Bacon, Troy Garity, David Koechner, Eric McCormack, Chris Noth, Nick Stahl, Steven Weber.

Director: Richard Loncraine.

Screenwriter: Charlie Peters.

Producers: Aaron Ryder, Norton Herrick.

A Freestyle Releasing release. Running time: 107 minutes. Adult themes. In Miami-Dade: Regal South Beach; in Broward: Boynton Beach, Sunrise; in Palm Beach: Palace, Shadowood, Parisian.

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