“27 Dresses” proves that the enjoyment of overly slushy, wedding focused romcoms aren’t just for women.
The 2008 film stars Katherine Heigl as a physical manifestation of the often quoted cliche loser in love expression; “Always a bridesmaid…”
Katherine Heigl demonstrates the chops to be a perfect comical lead in a film of this type – that is one that’s very predictable and never takes itself too seriously. Heigl plays Jane Nichols, a hapless romantic who loves weddings to the point of obsession, having made it her life mission helping friends and acquaintances prepare for their perfect big day.
What’s great is that Jane Nichols is a well developed and thoroughly likable character. She spends her time and energy helping others, investing little in herself to a fault. Katherine Heigl is a perfect choice for the part, sympathetic in the depth of the role, and flat out funny when the time calls for it.
There’s alot of obvious stereotypes, like a montage of Jane attending multiple weddings in a single night, changing from dress to dress in the back of a cab, or a group of love starved women brawling over a tossed bouquet. But all are done in a pleasing and enjoyable fashion, and you never once forget that the movie is intended to be funny.
Opposite Heigl is James Mardsen as Kevin Doyle, a wedding columnist who at first seems a touch too model-like for the role but ultimately warms up and pulls it off. On the surface, Kevin is a standard love-hating guy who views weddings as a legal form of slavery, and as such draws the ire of Jane immediately. The hardened Kevin has a deeper side that gradually gets revealed, showing his true values. Mardsen and Heigl have a good chemistry together.
A great supporting cast that share in the story and humor in their own unique ways fills out the movie well. Ed Burns plays Jane’s boss and crush George, with the beautiful Malin Akerman as spoiled younger sister Tess. One of my personal Hollywood crushes Judy Greer is hysterical as Jane’s best friend Casey.
The raunchy Casey is a perfect compliment to the uptight Jane, dropping laugh out loud lines throughout the story. “The only reason to wear this monstrous dress is so some drunken groomsman can rip it to shreds with his teeth.” She explains at one of the weddings, or “Who was that and where can I get one?” After seeing Kevin.
“27 Dresses” has a funny story that weaves a deeper connection between the characters. We watch wanting Jane to fall in love and do the right things, and scream at the TV when she doesn’t. We know Kevin may have alterior motives but that ultimately he will do the right thing. It plods a bit slow at times, and would be served better had 10 minutes been snipped form the 111 minute run time, but its a perfectly simple feel good story with laughs and good replay value.
