Hen Movie of the Week: The Ugly Truth? Heigl Needs to Pick Better Material

*Two Kernels

The latest rom-com entry of the summer season is "The Ugly Truth," a movie I had actually been looking forward to seeing based on the amusing trailers and the casting of Katherine Heigl, whom I enjoyed in the movie "Knocked Up," as well as on the TV series "Grey's Anatomy." Alas, this is one of those films in which the trailer is better than the actual movie, more because of creative editing than because the marketing folks put the best bits in the preview. The ugly truth is, there aren't any best bits.

Heigl plays a character very similar to the one she portrayed in "Knocked Up"---a smart workaholic in the television industry who is beautiful, but unlucky in love. Here she is the producer of a local morning news show in Sacramento whose ratings are tanking. The station manager decides to draw in Jerry Springer fans by hiring Gerard Butler, a cable shock jock whose bits entitled "The Ugly Truth" purport to explain how men really think. His act relies on the belief that meaningful relationships are bogus because men are simple apes guided by their private parts. Heigl is completely repulsed by his philosophies, though he proves great for ratings. Against her better judgment, she even helps him perfect his neanderthal schtick, if only to save her news show. The best scene in the movie is a dream in which she imagines how far she might sink to his level just to win ratings.

Then, on a bet to get rid of Butler, she agrees to follow his advice in her own love life. Despite her best efforts, she can't seem to find the man who meets her 10 criteria for the perfect mate, until she runs into her doctor neighbor. Butler guarantees her success in snagging this perfect guy, if she follows his advice and changes everything about herself. Of course, eventually she figures out that the guy isn't so perfect if he can't accept her for who she really is. Guess who turns out to be the real perfect guy?

As with any rom-com, much depends on how funny the gags are and how much we care about the characters. Unfortunately, this one comes up short. I never laughed out loud once in the theater. A couple of crude gags involving soda spilled on a crotch and vibrating underwear simply fall flat. Despite an intriguing premise of discussing the differences between male and female expectations, the dialogue lacks wit and creativity. In fact, the whole film feels like an effort that never lives up to its potential.

And I never really cared much about the characters. Unlike films such as "Knocked Up" and more recently, "The Proposal," none of the supporting characters is interesting or funny. The best rom-coms know how to accessorize with a good supporting cast. As for the main couple, I just wasn't feeling the love. There are hints of a relationship building as a friendship grows between the two, but I wasn't sold by the finale. Also, while hints are dropped that Butler's character contains more depth than he allows for his TV persona, the story could have used a few more scenes to establish this nice guy lurking beneath the pig exterior. A few more tweaks on the screenplay and at least ten minutes of crucial footage added to the 94-minute movie could have bumped this from a mediocre film into a good one. Too bad.

Finally, it is a testament to Katherine Heigl's star quality that I enjoyed watching her onscreen, even if I didn't care for the movie. She definitely has presence, and based on her previous work (including her Emmy-winning stint on G.A.), she has talent. I fear, though, that she needs to be pickier with her big-screen material, lest she wind up shunted to the B-list of rom-com flicks. If she is going to stick with rom-coms, at least pick quality material. Better yet, break out of the rom-com formula and do something different. It is a risk, but one that has worked well for the likes of Julia Roberts. Not so much for Sandra Bullock, but Sandy is still making good rom-coms (see previous review of "The Proposal") mainly because her strength is comedy. She is more of a modern-day Lucille Ball.

So far, Heigl has not excelled as a comedienne. She is better as the straight woman or in drama (which so far has been limited to television), but producers seem to want to push her into the rom-com mold. I'm sure her great beauty contributes to such casting. Every rom-com movie-maker is looking for the next Julia Roberts. But Roberts won an Oscar for . . . a drama and successfully broke out of the rom-com mold. In that respect, Katherine Heigl has the potential to truly be the next Julia Roberts. Heigl would do well to recall that she won her Emmy for dramatic acting. She should take a chance and use those skills on the big screen. Just pick a better script than she chose for this lame rom-com.

Yours in Sisterhood - VB


*The Henhouse Movie Rating System:

Four kernels – An exceptional film worth paying for a babysitter to see in the theater, or worth staying up late to watch on DVD after the kids have gone to bed and devoting your full attention to.

Three kernels – A good film that has many entertaining elements and might be worth seeing in the theater if you have a free babysitting offer from relatives or renting to watch while folding the laundry.

Two kernels – A so-so movie that might be worth seeing if it happens to be on cable and you want something to take your mind off washing dishes without thinking too hard.

One kernel – A bad film only worth watching if you need an unintentional laugh or if it’s the only decent thing you can find on free TV while breastfeeding at 2 a.m.

Zero kernels – A film SO awful you should avoid at all costs; yes, worse than watching even a bad infomercial for the 20th time while breastfeeding at 2 a.m.