Movie Review: 27 Dresses
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Common Sense Review
To be frank, there's not much original about 27 DRESSES -- except perhaps the titular bridesmaid frocks, which are as varied and wacky as they come. But that doesn't mean that this romantic comedy isn't any fun. Predictable as it may be, it's still fairly entertaining thanks to director Anne Fletcher's light-and-easy style (thankfully, she doesn't take the subject matter seriously) and, more importantly, the effervescence of star Katherine Heigl.
Jane Nichols (Heigl) is a people pleaser to the core; she'll happily twist herself into a pretzel juggling two weddings in one night (as she does in the hilarious opening bit) and playing second banana to Bridezillas. She convinces herself that her pathologically selfless ways are just an extension of her childhood -- her mother died when she was young, and she learned quickly to mother her sister and, it seems, everyone else -- and the mark of a good friend. Also, she claims to don those reprehensible attendant dresses because she simply loves weddings.
Enter Kevin "Malcolm" Doyle (James Marsden) -- the journalist who writes Jane's favorite wedding column -- who helps her see how debilitating her selflessness has become. They hate each other at first, but then (no surprise) wind up together ... after jumping through the requisite hoops. All this would be annoying if not for the fact that Marsden shares Heigl's effortless charm, and the two have great chemistry.
Ed Burns plays Jane's boss, a millionaire with a bank account and heart of gold who doesn't realize that she's madly infatuated with him. Instead, he falls for Jane's vampy but vacuous sister, Tess (Malin Akerman). How he could swap Jane for Tess is a serious mystery -- just one of a number of irritating, albeit small, flaws in the movie. On the other hand, there are some rewards -- like Judy Greer, who plays Casey, Jane's saucy, witty best friend.
The verdict: Brilliant 27 Dresses isn't, and there's something dated about the idea that a woman isn't happy when she's playing bridesmaid instead of bride. Considering that the movie was written by Aline Brosh McKenna, who also penned the bitingly exquisite The Devil Wears Prada, a bit more inventiveness shouldn't have been out of the question. But anyone who's donned a bridesmaid dress and has a romantic streak will enjoy this conventional confection -- consider it a no-guilt slice of wedding cake.
Fans of wedding-themed romcoms may also enjoy The Wedding Planner, Runaway Bride, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that although this film is fairly charming and no more objectionable, content-wise, than most other Hollywood romantic comedies (that is, if you don't object to movies that fully embrace romcom clichés), there is a fairly liberal sprinkling of swear words (particularly "s--t") and drinking. The message -- that women aren't truly happy if they're always the bridesmaid but never the bride -- verges on being a little overly retro, but since the movie is so frothy, it manages to get away with that such old-fashioned thinking. Star Katherine Heigl was in the hit comedy Knocked Up, so teens (particularly girls) will likely be interested.
Families can talk about the film's message. What's wrong with being a bridesmaid? Is a woman truly not happy if she's never the bride? How does Hollywood contribute to this thinking? Families can also discuss weddings: Have they become, as one character says in the movie, an industry that capitalizes on romantic ideals? What truly makes a wedding special, if it's not the presents, the fancy dresses, and the over-the-top receptions?
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