27 Dresses (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
X Rental
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / January 24, 2008

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride … That’s the premise for “27 Dresses,” a romantic comedy that is what I call a “Frankenstein film.” Not because it’s about Frankenstein, but because it’s an unmistakable assembly of borrowed parts from “Runaway Bride” (1999), “My Best Friend’s Wedding” (1997), “The Wedding Planner” (2001) and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2003). If you liked those, you’ll like this.

Jane (Katherine Heigl) loves weddings, and always has since 1986 when she found her true purpose: helping someone on the most important day of her life. Accordingly, over the years Jane has contributed wonderfully as a bridesmaid in her many friends’ wedding parties, willingly wearing hideous dresses without complaint.

But her own big day eludes her still. The man she’d love to marry is also her boss, George (Edward Burns), but he is oblivious to her affections. When Jane’s little sister, Tess (Malin Akerman), comes to town, George takes notice and wedding bells quickly start ringing, much to Jane’s chagrin.

The perpetual bridesmaid faces another wedding, but this time Jane has to watch her little sister marry the man she loves. Meanwhile, a wily writer for the New York Journal named Kevin (James Marsden, in his most entertaining role) fancies Jane and begins to pursue her, adding further complications.

Honestly, “27 Dresses” is just another romantic comedy, which means it faithfully and predictably follows all the usual conventions and expectations. But “27 Dresses” is better than many other such comedies and is a worthy rental for date night or girls’ night. It’s no “Hitch” or “Fever Pitch” (two great romantic comedies from 2005), but it’s close.

There were, however, two notable elements that made “27 Dresses” stand out to me: Katherine Heigl’s character uses the word “books” in the ‘80s sense, which refers to speed or velocity. And this movie has an endearing musical scene involving Elton John’s song, “Bennie and the Jets,” which is just about unforgettable and worth the price of renting it.

Directed by Anne Fletcher
Katherine Heigl / James Marsden / Malin Akerman
Comedy / Romance 107 min.
MPAA: PG-13 (for language, some innuendo and sexuality)

U.S. Release Date: January 18, 2008
Copyright 2008: 223