Romantic comedies come in all shapes and sizes. First there’s the he/she is my best friend, but he/she doesn’t know I love her/him Made of Honor. Don’t forget that I’m with someone but met the love of my life The Heartbreak Kid. There is also the, we have to pretend to be a couple but really hate each other but end up falling in love, The Proposal. Finally, there is When Harry Met Sally, the mother of all friends falling in love romantic comedy. All the different variations have one thing in common, they all have happy endings.
This weekend brings The Ugly Truth [UGLYT]. The premise goes something like, you are so not my type, until you’re my type. Otherwise known as opposite attracts
Katherine Heigl [KHEIG] and Gerard Butler [GBUTL] will put up a battle of the sexes, against each other in The Ugly Truth [UGLYT]. Ms. Heigl has carved her own niche in the romantic and comedic genres with Knocked Up and 27 Dresses. Not only is she a major television draw, she is one of the few actresses who can carry a film. Butler’s abs and pecs became legend in 300, which he followed up with Nim’s Island and RocknRolla. The Ugly Truth is his first romantic comedy.
Heigl plays Abby Richter, a demanding morning news producer whose life is devoid of romance. Butler plays television personality Mike Chadway whose expertise is on what makes men and women tick. Abby finds Mike’s bluntness about women disgusting, but she must work with him since his brutal honesty means higher ratings. When Abby meets the man of her dreams, Mike promises her that with his help, she can win him over.
While coaching her to do all the sexy things women must do to win their man, Mike begins to develop feelings for the very vixen he helped create. She in turn realizes that there is something more to his crass maleness and ends up developing a soft spot. After all, he is very diligent about helping her fall in love with someone else; maybe he’d work just as hard if she was his girlfriend. Complications arise when her dream man begins to reciprocate her feelings.
This weekend, audiences will find a good bet with this offering. The chemistry between Heigl and Butler has been much talked about and both are adept at playing the multi-dimensional characters. Like The Proposal earlier this summer, The Ugly Truth is a departure from the big budget blockbusters that populate theaters.
With its two engaging leads, The Ugly Truth has a good chance of telling it like it is at number one this coming weekend. And that’s the Weekend Pass!