Saturday, January 19, 2008

27 Dresses


(Photo: Heigl and co-star James Marsden)

So my also-single roommate and I went to go see the movie made for any girl who's ever been a bridesmaid -- 27 Dresses. Katherine Heigl is adorable as Jane, a woman in her 20s who has worn 27 dresses for 27 friends who have 27 doses of bad taste. Sure, the plot is predictable (single girl who can't find love meets, seemingly out of nowhere, the guy she can't stand who she will no doubt fall in love with an hour into the movie), but it's also fun (my favorite scene involves Heigl dancing on a bar belting out Elton John's Benny and the Jets). The critics, on average, have graded this movie a C. This non-movie snob and her roommate who can appreciate a chick flick give it an A-.

I mean come on people, what were you expecting?

Of course, there must be something to the bridesmaid epidemic -- the movie has has grossed over $27 million (the 27 there is pure coincidence). Know why? Because every girl knows what its like to be single, even if she's not wearing 40 yards of polyester and a bad hat. And nothing says single like the happy-go-lucky bridesmaid who wears dress after bad dress in the hopes that when her day comes around, her friends will be there for her, too. (sigh. wipe tears. resume.)

I'm really not this big of a sap. The truth is, you can see the end to the film coming as clearly as a cab on Fifth Avenue. But is that really so shocking? These critics really need to chill out and stop complaining that the plot doesn't have enough twists and turns. It's a romantic comedy, for God's sake. Tell you what -- go grab a few girl friends, split a bag of popcorn and enjoy it for what it's worth. Although I do offer this warning -- if you didn't like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, then your tolerance for 27 Dresses might be something like drinking three martinis on an empty stomach (Although I still chuckle when I'm at a bar and a girl orders a martini. Does anyone actually drink those things? Who are you, James Bond?).

The only thing that distracted me during the movie was the fact that Heigl's character, Jane, worked as an assistant to some eco-friendly businessman and yet could still afford -- in NYC -- her own one-bedroom apartment with cute furniture and original moldings. I'm not a huge freak when it comes to theatrical accuracy, but this is just downright misleading.

Sigh.

But of course, happy planning...

1 comment:

carrie said...

oh, i love a mindless chick flick. i hope she didn't have any brown j crew dresses!