STARRING
Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Sydney Pollack
DIRECTED BY
Paul Weiland
SCREENPLAY
Deborah Kaplan, Adam Sztykiel
MPAA RATING
Rated PG-13
RUNNING TIME
101 Mins.
DISTRIBUTED BY
Sony
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"Made of Honor" Review
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Poor McDreamy.
Patrick Dempsey stars as Tom, a serial dater who has never seriously considered dating his platonic friend of 10 years, Hannah (Michelle Monaghan, "The Heartbreak Kid"). Tom starts to mature about the time Hannah returns from a six-week business trip to Scotland with a fiancee (Kevin McKidd, "The Last Legion") in tow...the result? A predictable yet modestly entertaining romantic comedy from director Paul Weiland ("City Slickers II) and screenwriters Deborah Kaplan ("Surviving Christmas") and Adam Sztykiel.
While it would be easy to label "Made of Honor" a chick flick, it's clear early on that Weiland has something else in mind and both Dempsey and Monaghan are game.
"Made of Honor" is a slightly edgy and witty comedy blessed with a strong spark between the two leads.
Dempsey seems to relish being able to cut loose a bit as a man who succeeds in business while subscribing to a "never date the same woman two nights in a row" philosophy.
Monaghan offered the only decent performance in last year's "The Heartbreak Kid" remake, and "Made of Honor" serves solid notice that given the right film and the right leading man Monaghan can be quite the cinematic force. While the material here is fairly modest, Dempsey and Monaghan are a delightful couple and it's impossible to not root for their eventual coupling.
Sydney Pollack delights in a supporting role as Tom's equally commitment-phobic father, while Kathleen Quinlan is pleasing as Hannah's mom.
The film's soundtrack reinforces Weiland's edgy intentions, with the likes of Kanye West and Smash Mouth, while Weiland himself keeps the action moving along at a nice clip.
"Made of Honor" becomes more predictable as it winds down, however, the strong chemistry of Dempsey and Monaghan work favorably with the film's energetic spirit to create a solid date flick for couples young and old.
© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
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