Oh, Katherine Heigl. Last year, you acted superbly in Knocked Up and vaulted yourself to deserved superstardom, the cred of which is reinforced by your time on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. And now it’s 2008, and you are already coming out with the PG-13 rated romantic-comedy 27 Dresses. How you have already fallen…
Except not. The film 27 Dresses is amazingly entertaining and engaging for those who unabashedly enjoy the chick flick genre. The plot would seem to belie this: Heigl plays Jane, a chronic right-hand-woman who has been a bridesmaid for a whopping 27 weddings, in addition to selflessly “helping out” (read: doing all the work) so each of the nuptials go smoothly in every way possible.
It might not surprise you to learn that Jane just wants a wedding of her own. And she’s so in love with her dreamy boss, George (whom, it might also not surprise you to learn, is a bit of a douche bag), but can’t bear to tell him how she feels!
High jinks ensue when Jane’s sister, Tess, comes to town and goes after George (successfully!). And, as if that weren’t enough, Kevin, a cynical writer for the New York Journal, stumbles across Jane’s path and, in a fashion that would be downright stalker-esque in real life but is apparently charming in Hollywood, he just won’t leave her alone! What a corker!
Yet despite all this, 27 Dresses is a solid film, largely because Heigl is just that damn good of an actress. Her character is immediately sympathetic, intensely nuanced, and something else that’s rare in a leading lady (when not accompanied by naivety): she’s genuinely kind.
There’s a scene early in the movie where, after returning home from a wild night with our heroine’s love, Tess asks Jane to tell her what George is really like. Jane hesitates, perceptibly at a breaking point, then unleashes a heartfelt monologue about George’s wonders to an oblivious Tess, too love-struck to be attuned to her sister’s anguish.
In the hands of lesser actress this clip would’ve had me vomiting out of the theater, but Heigl doesn’t fuck around. She pulls the scene off with a grace and humanity rare among her ilk. While Jane has her lesser moments, she is honestly caring in an intelligent way. And while her personal life steadily crumbles as the plot progresses, she never goes down either slippery slope of female protagonists. She is neither un-likeably bitchy nor sickeningly dreamy.
True, Heigl can’t take all the credit. The script clips along at a good rate without milking moments for more than they’re worth, and contains more than its share of snap and wit thanks to The Devil Wears Prada writer Aline Brosh McKenna. Judy Greer runs away with all her scenes as Jane’s hilariously dry, yet wise co-worker, and like Heigl, she doesn’t overdo it. Malin Akerman is excellent in her portrayal of Tess, being appropriately over-the-top and self-absorbed, yet matching Heigl’s dramatic skill in a climactic scene between Tess and Jane.
Don’t get me wrong: If you don’t have a soft spot for rom-coms of the chick flick variety, you will not like this movie, as there are enough awful parts to keep it from reaching across its genre. This is mostly thanks to Jane’s principal love interest, Kevin, who is an even bigger douche bag than George. Their uninspired textbook love story comes complete with a token series of scenes that begins with mad passionate sex, followed by Kevin being an ultimate douche bag, followed by Jane slapping him, followed by Kevin performing his one act of non-douche baggery, followed by total forgiveness and rainbows.
The film also becomes noticeably less tight in the last third of the movie, lapsing into clichéd lines and an increasingly sappy soundtrack. But it’s not completely without surprises either, and the script is condensed smartly enough that by the time you’re done groaning, it’s already on to the next scene.
27 Dresses may not be particularly groundbreaking or true to life, but if there’s a cardinal rule of art, it’s not “reflect reality,” but “for god’s sake, don’t be boring.” Heigl’s A-1 talent plus McKenna’s solid script ensures just that.