Something Borrowed - Movie Review

She can do better.

And therein lies the problem with “Something Borrowed.”

Had a chance to catch up on this romantic comedy starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, and John Krasinski over the weekend on DVD. I like romantic comedies, and the trailer looked charming enough. Plus I’m a fan of Miss Goodwin, an actress with tremendous charm and an unmistakable future. I even like the rest of the cast.

Just not in this movie.

Goodwin plays Rachel, a successful but single lawyer in New York City. She’s supposedly the unattractive one. I say “supposedly,” because only in the realm of a Hollywood movie would someone that looks like Ginnifer Goodwin have trouble attracting a man.

Her best friend Darcy, played by Kate Hudson, has no such trouble. This is despite that fact that she is one of the singularly most annoyed characters ever to grace, or should I say shame, the silver screen. I like Miss Hudson as an actress, so I’ll put the blame for this on director Luke Greenfield, but sweet Moses is she a bitter pill to swallow. She’s apparently Rachel’s best friend from childhood, for reasons the movie never quite explains, even though no one in the movie seems to be able to stand her.

That includes their best friend Ethan, played by John Krasinski from television’s “The Office.” He’s been nursing an unspoken crush on Rachel for years, but mostly shows it by being her sounding board throughout her romantic escapades. Ethan is meant to be this movie’s Duckie Dale, the memorable sidekick to Molly Ringwald in the John Hughes classic “Pretty in Pink.” Devoted and loyal. Willing to offer all his love if only she would look his way. And everyone in the audience knows he’ll never get his shot.

Of course, there’s only one problem with that summation. That film had Jon Cryer, an actor who’s built a living on being sweet but unappealing to women. It’s possible to believe that Molly Ringwald would be his one true shot at happiness. This film has John Krasinski. Are you starting to see my point? No matter how good an actor he may be, there’s no amount of acting that will be able to convince me that he would have the least amount of trouble finding a replacement. In fact, one of the running jokes of the movie is a one night stand that Ethan has that leaves him ducking the advances of yet another attractive woman Claire, played by Ashley Williams, throughout the movie. If there’s a tragedy in his inability to get Rachel, it’s that he’s too chicken to say anything to her, not that she’s his only chance for true love.

And then there’s her true love, Dex, played by Colin Egglesfield. Apparently, this is supposed to be the love of Rachel’s life. Again, the word “apparently” alludes to the fact that these two have absolutely zero chemistry on screen. And while sure he may have male model looks and a degree of pedestrian charm, there’s very little to recommend Dex as a boyfriend or as a leading man. He’s actually the kind of stiff that most romantic comedy heroines would spend their ninety minutes trying to avoid. So while all the emotion swings of the film hinge on her desire to be with him, the audience can’t help but to think in the back of their minds, she can do better.

Truth be told, everyone involved can do better. That includes the filmmakers. An interested enough premise for a romantic comedy, but in the end any love story depends on our desire to see the characters end up together. This one just leaves me wondering if there’s anything better behind door three?