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Made of Honor
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Wikipedia article
'Made of Honor' ('Made of Honour' in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Australia) is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and written by Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan, and Harry Elfont. The film stars Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, and Sydney Pollack, in his final screen appearance prior to his death less than a month after the film's release.
The plot follows a lifelong playboy who falls in love with his best friend, only to have her get engaged and ask him to be her maid of honor. It was released by Columbia Pictures in the United States on May 2, 2008. The film garnered negative reviews from critics who criticized the formulaic humor and script, but grossed $106.4 million worldwide against a $40 million budget making it a box office success. It was released on DVD on September 16, 2008.
Plot
On Halloween night, 1998, at Cornell University, Tom Bailey, Jr., dressed as Bill Clinton, slips into bed with his pre-arranged date, Monica. It turns out to be her roommate Hannah. Tom likes her because she is honest and does not fling herself at him. Ten years later, they are best friends. He is wealthy, as he invented the "coffee collar" and gets a dime every time it is used. Tom is with a different girl every week, while Hannah focuses on her career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is very content with life, and thinks she is too.
After taking Hannah to his father's sixth wedding, she tells Tom she must go to Scotland for work. He discovers that without her, being with a different woman week after week is not fulfilling. Realizing he loves her, he decides to confess his feelings when she gets back. Upon returning, Hannah surprisingly introduces Colin, a wealthy Scot, as her fianc. She asks Tom to be her maid of honor and Tom decides to do it upon his other friends' advice, to spend time with her, convincing her to marry him instead.
He is introduced to the other three bridesmaids. One is Melissa, Hannah's cousin and a disgruntled ex. She hates him even more when she doesn't get to be the maid of honor. So, when Tom throws the bridal shower, Melissa sabotages it by giving him a business card for entertainment, which turns out to be for a sex toy party. Hannah gets upset and leaves. Again seeking advice from his other friends, they teach him what a maid of honor must remember. The next day, he takes Hannah shopping, impressing her. Afterwards, she tells him she is moving to Scotland with Colin after the wedding.
After arriving in Scotland at Eilean Donan Castle, Tom realizes he is running out of time to stop Hannah. He meets Colin's family and must participate in a variant of the Highland Games, in which the groom competes to prove himself worthy of his bride. He also competes, but loses in the last round. Tom takes Hannah out for a walk, planning to tell her his feelings. The other bridesmaids interrupt for Hannah's bachelorette party. On her Hen Night, Hannah sells her kisses for change in a pub. As she goes around, Tom kisses Hannah. Though it starts as a peck on the cheek, it becomes a passionate kiss.
That night, when Hannah tries to ask Tom about the kiss, her drunk cousin is in his room, trying to have sex with him. Hannah leaves and Tom runs after her. Then he knocks on her door, pleading for her to let him in. She refuses and asks about the kiss. He tells her he knows he, not Colin, is the one for her. She refuses to cave in and instead tells Tom she will still marry Colin the next day. He cannot watch Hannah and Colin get married so he decides to go home.
When questioned about Tom's sudden departure shortly before the wedding, Hannah informs Colin he is just afraid of losing her. On the way home, Tom realizes that he must stop the wedding and goes back on horseback. Just as the priest asks for objections, Tom is sent flying with his horse and through the chapel doors. Seeing her best friend on the floor, Hannah rushes to him. As he struggles to stand up, he tells her that he loves her more than anything and that she should marry him. They then share a kiss. Hannah tells Colin that she is very sorry and that he is the perfect guy, just not for her. Colin's aunt then tells Colin, in Scots, to punch Tom, which he does immediately.
Hannah and Tom eventually get married. Melissa catches the bouquet and then links arms with Tom's dad. On their honeymoon, Tom turns on the light just to make sure he has got the right girl and Hannah replies "You do". They kiss and Hannah turns off the light, Tom saying "Oh, Monica" and Hannah replies "Oh, Bill."
Cast
Production
The filming schedule was 26 days to accommodate Patrick Dempsey's commitments to Grey's Anatomy. Dempsey was part of the project before the director was chosen and agreed to Weiland after seeing an early cut of his coming-of-age film Sixty-Six. The scene where Dempsey juggles plates was not in the script and was added on the day.
Eilean Donan castle, famously the home of Connor MacLeod in the Highlander film, was used for exterior shots of one of the McMurray family homes.
Release
'Made of Honor' was originally rated R for "some sex-related material", but was later rated PG-13 for "sexual content and language". In Australia, it is rated M. In Sweden, the Swedish National Board of Film Censors rated the uncut version as suitable for all ages.
In the UK the British Board of Film Certification (BBFC) rated it a 12 for "Moderate Language and Sex References". When released on DVD, it was rated 12 for "Strong Sex References".[https://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/SearchClassifiedWorks/?SearchView&Query=%28%20/]
Reception
Box office
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $15.5 million in 2,729 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging $5,679 per theater, and ranking #2 at the box office behind 'Iron Man'. It grossed a total of $46 million in North American and $60 million internationally, for a total worldwide gross of $106 million, against its $40 million budget.'Made of Honor' was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 16, 2008.
Critical response
'Made of Honor' received negative reviews from critics, and was called a gender swapped version of 'My Best Friend's Wedding'. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a approval rating based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads: "Sharp performances by Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan can't save this forgettable, formulaic chick flick from its comic failings." On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 37 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F.Keith Phipps of 'The A.V. Club' gave the film an overall C grade, giving credit to the performances of Pollack and Monaghan for being surprisingly good in a by-the-numbers romantic story alongside Dempsey displaying "plastic sincerity" in his role, saying: "It's telling that he's followed by a string of sidekicks apparently created to make him less bland by comparison." 'The New York Times' Stephen Holden commended the punch-up of the script for adding "tart satirical flavors to a cotton-candy formula" and the screen presence of both Dempsey and Monaghan, highlighting the latter for giving "enough sweetness to satisfy the cotton-candy addicts." Barbara Vancheri of the 'Pittsburgh Post-Gazette' praised the utilization of the "picturesque, romantic" Scotland setting and the cast's willingness to perform, despite devolving into slapstick comedy and tacking on a 1940s film ending. She concluded by explaining its release alongside 'Iron Man' saying: "'Made of Honor' is made to order for women or couples looking for an alternative to the comic-book adaptation and for a romcom with such obvious and memorable film forebears, it's still breezy fun."
Elizabeth Weitzman from the 'New York Daily News' gave credit to Dempsey for his comedic timing over material containing "snickering emasculation" and director Paul Weiland for his "brisk pace" direction over "a lazy script from three screenwriters who take the low road every time." She concluded that: "The cinematic equivalent of a cookie-cutter wedding, 'Made of Honor' ultimately feels a little depressing." Philip Marchand of the 'Toronto Star' noted how the film's content contains "numerous references to insecure masculinity", saying that: "It's often a problem to determine when a movie is satirizing characters from a superior height and when it's sharing the mental level of those characters." Peter Bradshaw of 'The Guardian' said about the film beyond its "gibberish" title: "Everything else about it is plasticky and nonsensical with no one behaving like a real carbon-based life-form. Monaghan's charm is stifled, and a classy cameo from Sydney Pollack as Dempsey's scapegrace dad goes for nothing. A film to leave at the altar." Ed Gonzalez from 'Slant Magazine' called the film "soul-crushingly predictable", lamenting the misuse of Pollack's "ostensible prestige" only for it to be diminished by Kevin Sussman's character, unfunny sex jokes, an irritating soundtrack and defamation of Scottish people.
The film was nominated for Choice Movie - Bromantic Comedy at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards, but ultimately lost to 'What Happens in Vegas'.
References
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