Made of Honor - Mini-Review

I am a sap for romantic comedies, as formulaic as they always are. They don't have to be Oscar-worthy. I just like to watch them and escape for a few hours and leave the picture with a little smile on my face. Made of Honor did that for me. I needed a mood boost last night, and on the spur of the moment went out to see Made of Honor. This is a film that is a trifle, a cotton candy confection. Patrick Dempsey knows his audience and his fan base, and he gives us what we want! Yes, this mirrors somewhat the plot of My Best Friend's Wedding -- but is that such a bad thing? I liked that movie! The best friends relationship of Patrick Dempsey's Tom and Michelle Monaghan's Hannah has a sweet setup, and it's believable that when she goes on an extended trip to Scotland that Tom would suddenly realize that she means more to him than just as a buddy.

The parts about Scotland in this movie just cracked me up. It's every woman's fantasy to meet "the guy" in Scotland and get married in a castle, and Tom feels overwhelmed at the competition, played by Kevin McKidd of HBO's Rome. I laughed when she was surrounded by shaggy Highland cows (pronouced Heeland coos!), and at the haggis hors d'oeuvres, and the Highland games.

Sidney Pollack plays Tom's many times married father, and they have a fun scene where he tells Tom to go to Scotland and woo Hannah. Tom quotes from an old movie, and Syndey says "Who wrote that crap?!" I was the only one in the theater cracking up, as Sydney was the director of The Way We Were!

The movie starts with a flashback from their college days, and I swear that they did digital effects on Patrick to make him look like he did back in Can't Buy Me Love -- but not quite as scrawny, thank God.

So, Made of Honor is worthy of seeing at a matinee, and will be worth a rental when it comes out on DVD. Three stars (for those that like sappy romantic comedies like me!) Hey, seeing Patrick Dempsey without a shirt is not a bad thing, and some hot kisses in this one!

Iron Man set to have big weekend

The reviews are pouring in, and Iron Man is getting raves! All the papers in Chicago give it 3 and a half stars. I won't be able to see it till Saturday, but I CAN'T WAIT! The summer movie season is starting with a bang! Made of Honor is not getting the best reviews, however. They're calling it a My Best Friend's Wedding with the genders reversed, and a retread. Will there be any oxygen left for Made of Honor? They're trying the counterprogramming for women, but Iron Man should make over $70 million this weekend, especially since they had an early start with 8:00 p.m. showings Thursday night!