Now, does anyone think we need a “How to” column to scare off a guy in a little over a week?   Yeah, I know it is suppose to be a how to in reverse, but come on the ones that make those common mistakes are not going to see the error in their ways and the ones that don’t make those mistakes don’t need the how to in the first place. Then there is the real reason these mistakes are made, and well frankly that is not going to change with any how to article in a magazine. As to this movie, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson, The Four Feathers) the “How to” girl should have run kicking and screaming after the first few days when her psycho routine did not drive Benjamin Barry (Mathew McConaughey, Reign of Fire) away. Red flags should have been dinging all over the place for her.

Andie is the How to girl at Composure Magazine. Her roommate Kate (Kathryn Hahn) just got dumped by yet another guy in under a week and is a mess. Their editor (Bebe Neuwirth, Summer of Sam) wants a story. Kate is the typical needy, clingy, attached the moment you meet type of girlfriend. In fact she doesn’t see what is wrong with calling her boyfriend in the middle of the night to let him know what she ate today. Okay, Andie is smart, attractive and funny, but she doesn’t want to write this fluff anymore and is hoping if she plays it the editors way for awhile she will get to write about real subjects. The girls head to a bar to find Andie’s dupe. At this bar is ad executive Ben, the Judies (Michael Michele from Ali and Shalom Harlow from Head Over Heels), and their boss. They are haggling over who should have this big diamond account. Ben is a genius at sportswear and beer and the Judies think they are better adapted to glitz and glamour. When Ben spouts his mouth off about being able to make any girl fall in love with him they challenge him with the wager being, the diamond account. Earlier in the day the Judies were at Composure and know of Andie’s next article, so they pick her out in the bar. Andie is dazzling and charming, Ben is witty and sweet. The two would have parted ways once they got outside if they were not being duplicitous. Ben drives a motorcycle and Andie was wearing a cocktail dress and heels. Not likely she would have otherwise climbed on the back of his bike. Ben doesn’t usually get past the one night stand, but to hook this girl he backs off of the sex and she conveniently leaves her purse with Knick tickets so he has to call again. First of all what woman leaves her purse and second of all if her wallet was in her purse, how the hell did she get home in a cab? This is where the games really begin. She pleads for something to drink in the final seconds of the basketball game. She gives him a love fern on the third date, moves in her stuffed animals, bed ruffles and female items to his medicine chest. Paleeze, they aren’t even sleeping together yet. He prepares her a beautiful dinner and she announces she is a vegetarian so out to dinner they go. He misses another basketball game and she weeps all through dinner. This is only the beginning and she gets even more psycho, but haven’t we all had enough. Cringe cringe.

This movie has lots of laughs, the plot is so unbelievable you don’t really root for either of the two. Not until she meets his family, then it all changes. So when their deceptions are exposed (and they will be exposed) I think the reaction was a little uncalled for. Just once I want a romantic comedy to end without one person chasing the other as they leave town. So the movie was funny and torturous, the climax disappointing and the ending predictable, but the chemistry between Hudson and McConaughey was touching. Also appearing in this Donald Petrie directed film were Adam Goldberg, Rebecca Harris, Robert Klein, Bill Kotsatos, and Annie Parisse. Hudson, like her mom, can really light up the screen with her smile. For the most part I enjoyed this film so I give it nine couches out of 10.

Last updated: Thursday, March 20, 2008 02:46:00 AM

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