SOMETHING BORROWED
By Gary Murray
Starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, John Krasinski and Colin Egglesfield
Written by Jennie Snyder
Based on the novel by Emily Giffin
Directed by Luke Greenfield
Running time 115 min
MPAA Rating PG-13
Selig Film Rating Cable
There have been many film articles about wither or not the romantic comedy is dead. It is the narrowest of genres that has been failing at the box office over the last few years. So many films in the last few years have tanked at the box office, it becomes a wonder why producers in Hollywood would keep risking the money. The makers seem to have painted the films into a corner where there is no escape. The latest romantic comedy to be on the silver screen is Something Borrowed.
Our film opens with Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Darcy (Kate Hudson). The two are best buddies since childhood. Rachel is a successful lawyer who still carries a smoldering torch for Dex (Colin Egglesfield). The two had met six years ago in law school. Rachel always thought that Dex was not interested in being anything more than friends. One night, Darcy barges into their lives and basically forces Dex to ask her out.
In the present, Dex and Darcy are set to get married. On Rachel’s thirtieth birthday, she finally admits to her crush on Dex as they share a cab ride home. The next morning, Rachel awakens to find Dex in her bed. She claims that they were drunk and he says that he wasn’t that drunk. Now, that they have admitted their feelings, the little problem arises that he is engaged to her best friend.
The story is of the summer where the two try to discover if what they are experiencing is love or just some crazed infatuation. It borders on the French bedroom farce but with a more romantic twist.
This is the first star-turn for Ginnifer Goodwin and she just turns on the charm. The performance is one that should vault her to the A-list for celebrity. She is so the girl next door, the one who never wins the perfect guy until that last reel. It is bright and winsome role that should put Ginnifer Goodwin in the running for America’s Sweetheart.
John Krasinski basically plays his ‘Jim’ character The Office. He has all the boyish charm that the role needs but he doesn’t do much with the character. He is a back-bencher in both Rachel’s life and his big secret isn’t really a secret at all. It is fun to watch him fend off the advances of Claire (Ashley Williams) a one night stand that has gone terribly wrong.
The big winner of Something Borrowed is Kate Hudson. Her Darcy is self-centered and vain, just the kind of woman who isn’t the perfect partner for Dex. Most of the big laughs come at and with her in a role that oozes narcissism. She is not a bad person, just the wrong person, all flash and no substance.
With the romantic comedy, everyone knows where it will eventually end; the joy of the genre is the ride to the finish. Director Luke Greenfield takes the audience through the paces of the genre, hitting all the buttons along the way. He never builds that manic tempo and never makes the audience question what is going to happen at the end. It does drag along at almost two hours.
One has to question his Friends view of NYC. It is almost like a Woody Allen picture perfect view of the city, with beautiful streets filled with pretty white faces. People of any other color just do not live in this world.
Something Borrowed is just more of the same in the Romantic Comedy genre. It is not a bad little film but it is nothing special.
