Not necessarily something new but it is a move in the right direction for romantic comedies.

Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed is not necessarily something new but it is a move in the right direction for romantic comedies. Although predictable and at times formulaic, it still manages the solid cast and well adapted script perfectly to bring strong laughs and a few tugs to the heart strings. Based on the novel by Emily Giffin and brought to the screen by writer Jennie Snyder (The Gilmore Girls) this one is certainly a home run for a girl’s night out but also has just enough to make it a fun date night too.

Darcy (Kate Hudson) and Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) are best friends. Darcy is marrying Dex (Colin Egglesfield); but Rachel has fallen for Dex. See the dilemma? As I said it is cookie cutter at its roots but where it blossoms is in the carrying out of the story. You sort of feel sorry for Darcy yet you want Rachel to get the guy. But at the same time Darcy really has done nothing wrong except to be that girl who always seems to get what she wants and makes sure the world caters to her. This facet of liking all the characters gives you the chance to watch it unfold with light hearted trepidation for all.

Although well-acted I must say I was a little distracted by one thing. Hudson and Goodwin are only a year apart in age yet they seem so further apart in look and style. Possibly it is Kate’s old soul that makes her seem a half decade removed. It was just hard to picture them as friends from childhood. But that is a minor flaw and I certainly can not fault the film as a whole for it. Major kudos go out to John Krasinski who plays Ethan. His character has been the third musketeer in this friendship from way back and almost treated as one of the girls. Krasinski has textbook comedic timing and a personable charm that makes him the ideal comic relief. 

I have not read the book but from the conversations I picked up around the room it seems that it does a fairly decent job of representing the written word. There is a nice homage to Giffin’s other book too and I challenge you to try and find it while watching. Also, intentional or not, I appreciated them using scenes from older films as humorous antidotes and clever ways to get a laugh. There are movies we all reference in the relationship realm and it was cute to see one or two used here.  

Something Borrowed is rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and some drug material, and it is more appropriate for the 16 and up crowd. There are a lot of bed hopping scenarios and sexual conversions that might not be a good idea for your younger teens to partake in. For the older crowd it is a funny and at times touching film that would be a perfect girl’s night out flick. And guys, even if your wife wins the coin toss you might find this not nearly as painful as you expected. I give it 3.75 out of 5 tiny leg splints. It is certainly top notch in its genre and one that most will watch again and again once it hits network TV. 

Matt Mungle 

Review copyright 2011 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.