One of the basic elements needed to make a successful movie is to have
characters who are likable or dynamic in some way. I know this sounds like an
elementary thing but those involved in the making of Bride Wars must have been absent for that lesson on the day they covered it in Movies 101.
Liv and Emma (Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway) are two best friends who end up
having both of their weddings scheduled on the same day at New York’s posh Plaza Hotel. (Only in the movies, right?) Seeing as this has been a goal
for both of them since they were little girls, this causes a major rift as
neither will change their date and each goes to great lengths to sabotage the
other’s plans.
Both of these women are as deep as puddles and their behavior throughout would
be deplorable in teens, let alone grown women. The miracle here is that anyone
would want to marry either of them after what they do. The fact that one of the
grooms does decide to call things off makes him the smartest one in this group
of dullards. Hudson continues her downward spiral (five bucks to the person who
can name her last good movie), while Hathaway proves that even she can’t elevate a bad script. More than anything, Bride Wars fosters negative female stereotypes and underscores the notion that the single
life is the way to go.
Truth be told, Last Chance Harvey is not a very good movie. It has very few surprises, contains more than a few
unrealistic moments and employs some shameless physical humor. Yet, there’s so much chemistry generated between the film’s two leads that it’s easy to dismiss its faults. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are two
middle-aged singles who’ve come to accept their lonely lot in life, not necessarily happy about it but
accepting of the fact that they may be forever alone. How unexpected it is then
that they should brush aside their reservations and decide to take another
chance on love.
Well, it isn’t all that unexpected as writer/director Joel Hopkins foreshadows nearly the
entire plot. Still, Hoffman and Thompson make this pedestrian exercise bearable
and, at times, downright entertaining. This screen duo knows how to make a
cinematic silk purse out of a sow’s ear of a script as they connect with one another in a genuine way, even though
the plot they’re stuck in is as phony as a three-dollar bill. Watch these two edge towards
making the big leap and you won’t find a false moment between them. Had Hopkins been able to duplicate this in
his writing, Last Chance Harvey would have been something truly special instead of a vehicle enjoyed only by the
fans of its two stars.
This article appears in Jan 8-14, 2009.
