Made of Honor (Sony Pictures)
Patrick Dempsey Is No Julia Roberts
The comparisons were bound to happen. Made of Honor is a movie about a man who is best friends with a woman. She gets engaged and asks him to be her Maid of Honor. At this point he realizes he is really in love with her. He goes along with helping her while secretly trying to win her love. Been there, done that, got a Julia Roberts tee shirt.
The transgendered My Best Friends Wedding has Patrick Dempsey cast as a guy named Tom who is wealthy because he invented the coffee collar. This gives him lots of free time to wine and dine the beauties of New York City. He also is best friends with a woman named Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) who he has known since college. They are just buddies with no romantic interest.
Hannah has to go to Scotland for six weeks on business. She comes back with a fianc in tow. This is when Tom realizes he really loves her. But is it too late for love and will he have to be satisfied with just being her maid of honor
Dempsey is not the best at playing light comedy. He has the romantic aspect down pat but the funny parts are difficult for him. He also looks a little bit old to be playing a man in his late twenties or early thirties.
Monaghan is sweet as Hannah but she too doesnt have that extra spark. The chemistry between Dempsey and her is okay but nothing to write home about. When you compare Dempsey, Monaghan and Kevin McKidd (who plays the fianc) with Roberts, Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz well you can see the problems they face.
Plus everything about the plot seems contrived and nothing flows naturally. It is a testament to Dempseys charm that things are as enjoyable as they are. A lesser actor would have sunk the movie.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations.
One bright spot in the movie is Sydney Pollack who plays Dempseys dad. He always comes through with a good performance. Kelly Carlson is stunning as Pollacks wife. Busy Phillips is fun as one of Hannahs friends and Kathleen Quinlan is strong as Hannahs mother. Having Selma Stern give another addled old person performance as the grandmother is in bad taste.
There are just too many similarities between Made of Honor and My Best Friends Wedding. Imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery but doing it with movies is a short road to failure. Unless you are a die hard Dempsey fan you might want to skip “Made of Honor and rent the Julia Roberts original.
I scored Made of Honor a wedded 5 out of 10.
