Made of Honor

Even if a movie is a Chick Flick, can't it at least be smart? And this movie starts with a reminder that former President Clinton has become a punch line for a lame joke.

Maybe with the direction of Paul Weiland (of "Mr. Bean" and "The Black Adder" fame), I shouldn't have been so surprised with the pratfalls, too-broad humor and contrived situations. But Mr. McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey ("Sweethome, Alabama" and "Enchanted") has made some excellent choices for movie outings in recent years, so I was disappointed to see him playing so far beneath his game.

This is a predictable, contrived, "searching for the bluebird of happiness that is right in your own backyard..." sort of hogwash. I DID enjoy Sydney Pollack's ("Michael Clayton" and "The Interpreter") elaborate sixth wedding, delayed while the bride circled the block in her limo as their respective attorneys hammered out the pre-nup on their cell phones!

For ten years, Hannah, played by Michelle Monaghan ("The Bourne Supremacy" and "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang") has been the best friend of Tom, a wealthy womanizer played by Patrick Dempsey. Each Sunday they get together, shop, eat, gossip and generally hang out, sharing their past week and generally enjoying each other's company. Tom has a gang of guys with whom he plays basketball, plays poker and does guy things, but when the chips are down, i.e., when Hannah goes to Scotland for a six-week business trip, he realizes how important she is to his life and how much he misses her when she is gone. He resolves to rectify the situation, but on her return, she brings back a brand new fiancé from Scotland! In addition, in light of their close friendship, she asks him to serve as her Maid of Honor. He desperately surmises that this will bring him close enough to the action that he can derail the wedding.

In my opinion, some of his actions and reactions are downright petty, some of his tactics are unnecessarily mean, and some of the scenes seem clumsily devised. Dempsey says he is playing to his regular television audience with this role, so maybe they know something I don't.

I suspect this movie will do quite well...