Film

Made of Honor (2008)

Director: Paul Weiland

Movie review

From Time Out New York

Shouldn’t a chick flick this misogynistic cancel itself out and implode, thus sparing us the indignity of suffering through another predictable, emotionally barren “speak now or forever hold your peace” moment? If only that were the low point of this inept, joyless exercise.

Patrick Dempsey stars as Tom, the idly rich womanizer we’re supposed to root for because he’s the star. Except Tom obviously hates women—he has rules about not committing to anyone, only dating the most vacant idiots possible, etc.—so the alleged moment of clarity in which he decides he’s in love with longtime pal Hannah (Monaghan) is more frightening than anything else.

Insubstantial characters and a plot that may as well be a series of establishing shots do little to mask the film’s main theme: Women are stupid. Thus nothing could be more humiliating, or a better source of humor, than a man doing traditionally female activities like planning parties, making gift baskets and hating fat girls. Also, sometimes people think Tom’s gay. You know, because he does all that gay stuff. Ha-ha. Romantic comedies don’t need to cure cancer or alter the face of cinema forever, but Made of Honor’s complete lack of ambition or originality shifts the film from the simply lazy category to downright insulting.