Okay, full disclosure: I loathe movies in which seemingly smart, talented women consider snagging a man (a barftastic expression in and of itself) to be the be-all, end-all goal of their existence. It’s an insidious trope that reduces us to a flock of retrograde numbskulls. As an anthropological experiment/exercise in masochism, I dragged my husband and some pals to see Bride Wars on opening night earlier this year and I’m still scarred. (Serves me right, I know, I know.) There was a scene in which a small Tiffany box (i.e. THE COVETED RING!) falls from a closet shelf into Kate Hudson’s (or maybe it was Anne Hathaway’s?) hands. This prompted — I kid you not — the row of women behind me to gasp, then squeal in delight. And no, they were not 15 year-olds. With all due respect to them, I just don’t get it.
So anyway, the trailer for Leap Year (in theaters Jan. 8 2010) would seem to be very much in the mold of gotta-get-the-ring! romantic comedies and therefore, not my bag. Amy Adams stars as an American woman who travels to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on Feb. 29. On her way to find her guy (Knocked Up‘s Adam Scott), she meets a dashing Irish chap (Watchmen‘s Matthew Goode) and…well, you know. From the fake-out non-proposal-over-romantic-dinner to the pretending-to-be-lovers-until-we-really-fall-in-love bit, the trailer is a veritable playbook of rom-com clichés.
Yet for some bizarre reason, I’m not ready to write this one off just yet. There’s the Amy Adams factor, for one. I’ve never not enjoyed the two-time Oscar nominee on screen. And I’d like to think that she’s smart enough to be discerning about which projects she selects. Then there’s the director, Anand Tucker, who helmed Shopgirl and Hilary and Jackie — two solid films that no one could ever describe as vacuous entertainment. And finally, the script was co-written by Slumdog Millionaire‘s Oscar-winning Simon Beaufoy. Sure, he shares screenwriting credit with Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, the team behind Made of Honor, Surviving Christmas and Josie and the Pussycats. That’s less encouraging. But am I crazy for holding out hope that Leap Year will be better than your average 27 Made of Honor Dresses for the New in Town Ugly Truth about The Proposal of Bride Wars?
I probably am.
I’ve seen this movie before, in bits in pieces… in other movies. Which is sad, because I could watch Amy Adams read the phone book and be happy. But not this, no way.
Agreed. I mean how cliche can they get… Amy Adams’s stardom film Enchanted has the exact basic plot…
Great characters; fun movie!!
I have been fairly disgusted with the rom com that has come out recently too. I think 27 Dresses was the last one and there were parts that really bothered me about that one too.
You’re so right!!! My mom (and me) was a big fan of Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwick. It’s weird that back before women’s rights the rom-coms they made had the leading ladies on equal footing with their male leads. So why do the female characters nowadays seem so, I don’t know, sad? Pathetic? Incomplete?
BTW – The Lady Eve, My Favorite Wife, The Ugly Truth, Pat and Mike. Still good, still worth watching.
Good list! I’d add Holiday, His Girl Friday and The Philadelphia Story.
Seriously…I wouldn’t even begin to hope that this movie will be good! Come Onnnnnn!!!
Looks just like every other rom-com (especially ones where they go to other countries – what is with Ireland/Scotland as of late?) but Matthew Goode and Adam Scott I feel like are kinda a-typical leads for a rom-com, so that gives me hope….I mean, they aren’t as pretty as Patrick Dempsey or Ryan Reynolds, but dear Morgana they are gorg gorg gorg.
Matthew Goode is just SO HOT. I have no rational comments on this development, as his accent has melted my brain.
haha yeah that accent is quite yummy, he’s not even irish right?
Nope, he’s English, and his normal voice is pretty awesome too!
I thought he was Scottish. Whatever he is, he’s delicious, accent or no. I’ll see this one just for the cast, if nothing else. I love all three of the leads.
Besides, I like a good rom-com. There haven’t been many good ones in the past couple years. Proposal was the last one I liked. Before that, Just Like Heaven and Music and Lyrics were pretty decent.
…and thereby proving that it’s not the *movies* that are making women look like retrograde numbskulls; it’s the *women* who are making women look like retrograde numbskulls.
I agree. The accent I can fall in love with anyday. There are just some of us who are hopeless romantics and could watch these movies over and over, no matter how “cliche”. I do not apologize for loving these movies. I can never get enough and I want to go to Ireland myself to find my true love. Sigh!!
The trailer gives away the WHOLE movie. I wonder who she will choose?
Yes! Why does every trailer now give away the entire plot of the movie?!? i don’t understand when this happened and what the strategy is? that said- matthew goode- yum yum
Yeah, seriously! I now have no reason to see the movie as the trailer just showed me the entire thing!
i like adams and i love matthew goode, but this movie is coming out in january. JANUARY. good movies rarely come out in jan unless they are oscar movies going into wider release.
Anyone konw the song in the trailer?
I’m not a rom-com fan, and this reminds me of The Proposal, 27 Dresses AND Made Of Honor – and they’re the only rom-coms I’ve seen in the last year.
That said, Amy Adams is brilliant, so I hope it’s better than average, if only for her sake.
oh yeah that’s the other thing i was going to say….second Amy Adams movie trailer with a Decemberists song (the other was for Sunshine Cleaning, Crane Wife 3). This song is O Valencia I think. Dunno about the second song snippet though
The song is “Just say yes” from Snow patrol.
plus the trailer is so corny, and that cheesy voice over.
Looks typical but I like the pairing of Matthew Goode and Amy Adams. Rental.
Yes you’re crazy. Don’t get me wrong. Amy Adams is a darling (as charming as ever), but, as you say, this movie seems like its ridden with cliches. It’s like the writers thought they’d throw Adams at Ireland because she has red hair. Let her have a rom-com romp in the rolling hills of… yeah we get it already.
Ben – Just Say Yes, by Snow Patrol.
You know what the worst one was? He’s Just Not That Into You. Made me physically ill. All women are crazy! Was the message of that one. Honestly, aren’t there any women involved in the production of these movies?? How can they LIVE with themselves?? The Ugly Truth is another–which was actually WRITTEN by three women. Disastrous!!
Bride Wars was bad, but I agree–I have never been as disappointed with a movie as I was with He’s Just Not That Into You. I thought it woud be smart and funny–Justin Long! Ginnifer Goodwin! Drew Barrymore!–but it turned out to be dull, formulaic, and, worst of all, self-contradictory. Awful.
Agree. He’s just not that into you was awful. Leap Year doesn’t look that bad mainly because Amy Adams is so likable. Once I get based the fact that the movie is basically saying women have to sit and patiently wait to be proposed to…or they can wait until Leap Year and propose themselves. All recent romcoms have been like that. Hard to root for the girl if she is too spineless to either be more agressive or walk away.
Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll probably rent it, or watch it on cable…I like Amy Adams and Matthew Goode is adorable. Sounds better than Bride Wars did, for sure!
Yes, this looks totally cliche, cheesy, and predictable, but I think the “Amy Adams factor” is the reason I might decide to go see it- she’s such a good actress and so darn adorable!