Today’s quick review: Made of Honor. By the time Tom (Patrick Dempsey), a life-long womanizer, realizes that he is in love with his best friend Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), she is already engaged to Colin (Kevin McKidd), a seemingly perfect man from Scotland. When Hannah asks Tom to be her maid of honor and help plan her wedding, Tom hatches a plan to prove that Colin is wrong for her, sabotage the wedding, and win her back.
Made of Honor is a romantic comedy about a man who falls in love with his best friend. After a decade of companionship and emotional support, Tom finally realizes that he cares for Hannah more than any of the shallow women he has been dating. With only weeks before wedding, Tom attempts every trick he can think of to break up Hannah’s engagement to Colin.
Made of Honor goes far thanks to its charming premise and perfectly matched leads. Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan have great chemistry, and the movie does a skillful job of playing that up, showing in countless subtle ways that they are right for each other. Their banter is a steady source of humor, and seeing Tom realize how much he relies on Hannah is quite rewarding.
However, Made of Honor makes a few missteps along the way. Tom is a charismatic man who is forward about what he wants, but the story thrusts him into a passive-aggressive role. Left with no way to compete with Colin on level footing, Tom resorts to sabotage and deception. This dynamic even extends to the finale, which is satisfying enough but suffers from the way the movie boxes Tom in.
Give Made of Honor when you’re in the mood for a light romantic comedy with a great cast and a decent premise. The movie does not do a perfect job with its story, struggling to strike the right balance with its love triangle, but the characters are fun to spend time with. Check it out if you like romantic comedies.
For another romantic comedy about a womanizer who has a last-minute change of heart, try Ghosts of Girlfriends Past or Wedding Crashers. For one about best friends who realize they are right for each other, try Just Go With It.
[5.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0866439/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for well-matched leads, good humor, and slight plot issues.