Made of Honor

Review in a Hurry:  A girl asks her best guy friend to be her maid of honor. Alas, he's in love with her. Sound familiar? Though enough major differences—and the charming leads—help Made of Honor overcome obvious comparisons to the still-superior My Best Friend's Wedding.

The Bigger Picture:  In Hollywood, good ideas never die. Julia Roberts scored a hit in My Best Friend's Wedding, where she tried to stop said friend's wedding and grab him for herself. Switch the genders, and you have the plot synopsis for Made of Honor.

Well, maybe isn't quite that simple. Where Julia and her crush were merely chummy, Tom (Patrick Dempsey) and Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) have a sweet friendship and fantastic chemistry. Best buds since college, they're perfect for each other—except for Tom's silly rules, the strictest being that he does not, will not, must not commit, to anyone and must sleep with everyone.

Love? It's not for him. This creates friction and a hint of sexual tension from the very beginning, nicely propelling the plot.

And the story needs all the oomph it can get; it relies heavily on the most common tropes of the romantic comedy genre, specifically from the subcategory of wedding interruptus. The tension between the leads is almost lost in the white noise of vindictive bridesmaids, fussy future in-laws and one too many dirty sex jokes, leading right up to the oh-so-predictable grand finale.

The 180—a Second Opinion:  Dempsey and Monaghan are two actors who are just so easy to watch. They truly are perfect for each other, sharing vibrant smiles, comedic timing and a genuine connection. Kudos to them for elevating rather routine material.