Tom (Patrick Dempsey) had one good idea in college. He invented the coffee collar,
that cardboard ring that fits around a cup and keeps a customer's hand from burning.
Today, Tom's a self-made (and self-absorbed) millionaire who spends his evenings
with random bimbos and his days with best friend Hannah (Michelle Monaghan).Though
they form the perfect pair, Tom doesn't view Hannah as girlfriend material until
she leaves Manhattan on a six-week business trip to Scotland. Like a lovesick pup, Tom
fidgets and whines until his loved one returns. Too bad for him Hannah's baggage
includes a strapping Scottish fianc�e (Kevin McKidd).
Much like Tom, the romantic comedy Made of Honor has one good idea, and here it is. Hannah
asks Tom to be her maid of honor in a bit of a gender switch, giving the conniving
lothario two weeks -- for some reason, weddings in tepid screenplays such as this
always happen in two weeks -- to disrupt the nuptials and win his dream girl back.
Let's acknowledge a few things right off the bat. First, Dempsey's incredibly popular
with the ladies. His female fan base has swelled thanks to his work as Dr. McDreamy
on the smash hit Grey's Anatomy. Based on the (unsolicited) feedback I received from female
readers and co-workers, Dempsey is to women what Miley Cyrus is to teenage girls.
If the two ever met in a movie, the film would potentially outgross Titanic.
But we also must acknowledge that Made has the artistic value of a paint-by-numbers
portrait. It's the cinematic equivalent of your favorite Starbucks drink. You know
exactly what you are getting when you order it, and you won't mind downing the all-too-familiar
brew if this unchallenging brand of storytelling is your cup of tea.
The screenplay recycles tired clich�s and director Paul Weiland (Leonard Part 6) con
tentedly settles on the easiest jokes (a gag involving a sassy grandmother and a
glow-in-the-dark sex toy gets used three separate times). At least Dempsey and Monaghan
beam like 100-watt bulbs as they make the most of the formulaic material. They're both able
to walk away from this with their honor intact.
Her honor's intact.
See Also
