Some moviegoers of less-than-sophisticated tastes use a disparaging term for romantic comedies and other similar films. "Chick flicks" are deemed by some to be necessary evils to keep one's wife or girlfriend - or more than likely, one's "I want her to be my girlfriend" - happy.
That's a shame. The testosterone-addicted who want nothing more than car crashes, M-1s and pyrotechnics (which are all viable movie gimmicks, don't get me wrong) may have missed out on such classics as "It Happened One Night," "His Girl Friday," "Pillow Talk" and more recent offerings like "When Harry Met Sally" and "Knocked Up."
The female star of the latter, Katherine Heigl, returns this week in a movie, "The Ugly Truth," that while not at the top of the list in its genre, benefits greatly from her presence.
She's a physical beauty and has a screen persona that never seems less than utter truth. Even with lackluster material (which much of "The Ugly Truth" is fueled by) she keeps her charm and talent upfront and directly in the camera. She's already proved her mettle in "Knocked Up" and "27 Dresses" and is the best thing happening in this film.
Director Robert Luketic has a decent track record as well, having directed the pleasant comedy "Legally Blonde." But he slips several notches here.
Heigl plays Abby Richter, the anal-retentive producer of a morning TV talk show on the verge of cancellation. As a last-ditch effort, the powers that be decide to add a shock-jock personality, Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), who has honed his chops on a basic cable advice show.
Mike wears his porcine credentials like a crown, and he and Abby are classic oil-and-water, romantic-comedy material.
Abby's love life is in dire straits and when she meets Colin, her new, handsome and charming neighbor (played by Eric Winter), she finds it repugnant, but necessary, to seek Mike's advice. They make a pact: If Mike can't help her get her man, he will quit the show. She thinks it's a win-win situation: Get her ideal man or lose the thorn in the side.
As happens in this type of film, the two adversaries soon find an attraction. Abby softens her view of him, and Mike begins to rethink his "lust is more relevant than love" philosophy.
Director Luketic and screenwriters Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith missed an obvious opportunity to mine "Pygmalion," "My Fair Lady" and the Cyrano story a bit deeper.
There's a lot of predictable fluff in the film but also a lot of crudeness that garners its R rating. One bit, involving remote-controlled vibrating underwear, is sort of cute but not as effective as Meg Ryan's "When Harry Met Sally" classic scene.
I liked "The Ugly Truth" in spite of its obvious flaws and will admit it was due to Heigl's charm and finesse. She'll find her niche soon and join the group of classic romantic-comedy actresses.
Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.
