Cinema Sunday: 27 Dresses

Today is Valentine's Day. Today's Cinema Sunday will take a look at a romantic comedy from 2008. 

Of all the genres of movies I have watched, I am not predisposed towards the romantic comedy or "rom com" in the parlance of the biz. 

I find rom coms too unrealistic.

Yeah, this coming from a guy who watches Marvel movies and Star Wars, a lack of "realism" is my issue with rom coms. 

Here's the thing. I don't expect Marvel movies and Star Wars to be true. But there is a sad, lonely boy me buried in the remnants of my soul who wants romantic comedies to be true. 

But there is the bitter, cynical old me that lives among the ruins of my soul who knows romantic comedies are never true. 

I have watched them mostly for the same reason most heterosexual men do: their wife wants to. 

My wife Andrea is a big fan of the genre and will willingly give up 90 minutes plus of her life, especially if Julia Roberts is in it. Not so much for Julia herself but for her leading men such as Hugh Grant and Richard Gere. Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride are among her favorites. 

One night several months back, we were channel surfing and landed by happenstance on 27 Dresses, a rom com from 2008. Katherine Heigl is no Julia Roberts but Andrea was willing to give it a whirl.  So we did.  

Katherine Heigl is Jane Nichols, a big city gal working a big city job who has been a bridesmaid for 27 weddings. She's so booked for weddings, she winds up being committed to two of them in one night. 

It's on this night she meets Kevin Doyle (James Marsden, no Hugh Grant or Richard Gere but he will do in a pinch). Kevin of course is all cynical about weddings and marriage. When Kevin finds Jane's day planner and sees just how jam packed Jane's schedule is with other people's weddings, he get an idea.

Kevin is a reporter, you see. Well, sort of. OK, not exactly. He's stuck writing wedding announcements but he wants to be a real boy reporter. He's gonna use Jane's story as material for a piece on the "perpetual bridesmaid" and hopefully be promoted to writing real stories about about the real news.

Jane's sister Tess arrives from Europe and immediately starts putting the moves on George, Jane's boss. Which isn't fair because Jane has been desperately in love with George and has been pursuing George by doing absolutely nothing about it. 

Also Tess is only pretending to like the things George likes. 

But it works, George and Tess announce their engagement and Jane winds up being their freaking wedding planner.

Well, that sucks! 

Kevin's back in the mix, writing the wedding announcement for Tess and George. Kevin asks Jane to interview her for his column on Tess, he gets her to try on all 27 bridesmaids dresses in her closet. 

The photos make a wonderful graphic adornment for Kevin's article. (What kind of a fershlugginer wedding annoucement is this?) 

Kevin begins to re-think his view of Jane and his view of the article. He asks his editor to hold off on publishing it so he can "fix" it. 

Spoiler alert: the editor will not hold the article. 

Stuff 'n' junk ensue as Jane and Kevin go out drinking and have an hilarious scene drunkenly stumbling through karaoke. Then they have sex in the car. 

Jane's having fun with Kevin.

Then she sees the article. 

Jane's royally pissed off at Kevin. 

Jane is also royally pissed off at Tess. 

Tess alters their late mother's wedding dress to her own style. 

That is it! Jane has had it with Tess' string of lies to George and demands on Jane! Jane will have her REVENGE!!!!

During an engagement party slide show, Jane shows pictures that exposes all of Tess's lies to George. Tess told George she was a vegetarian, just like George! Boo-yah! Jane puts up a photo of Tess' face in a plate of ribs! 

Tess told George she likes dogs! Bam! Jane has a photo of Tess recoiling from George's dog! 

And so on and so on goes Jan's photo parade of shame. 

George calls off the wedding, Tess is pissed at Jane and nobody is happy with anybody.  Even people who knew Tess was wrong for George think Jane's stunt was a real bitch move. 

Believe it or not, by the next act, Jane and Tess will work this out. Awwwwwww.  

Jane also winds up sharing a kiss with George and realizes she's not as hung up on his as she once was. 

It's Kevin she loves!!!!!! Awwwwwww. 

There's a whole running to catch a boat (in high heels, no less) and Jane makes a very public announcement (there's a microphone) that she loves Kevin. 

Awwwwwwww.

And Kevin loves her back.

Awwwwwwww. 

Spoiler alert: Jane and Kevin get married with 27 bridesmaids in attendance all wearing the 27 bridesmaid dresses Jane had in her closet.  

Awwwwwwww.  

27 Dresses is a slight confection, sweet but not too sweet. It certainly checks off all the boxes on the rom com checklist. 

Most reviewers in 2008 were not impressed, describing 27 Dresses as "clichéd and mostly forgettable", "shamelessly trading in the hoariest of chick-flick clichés" and "insipid". 

Next week's Cinema Sunday will revisit the romantic comedy for a film that  "trades on the hoariest of chick-flick clichés" on purpose. 

Until next time, remember to be good to one another.