Made of Honor

There's a major difference between the small screen and the big one for Patrick Dempsey.

On the television hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy," he's "McDreamy," a lead character who makes female audiences melt. But he was arguably the worst thing about last year's movie hit "Enchanted," in which he showed the emotional range and charisma of cardboard.

Nevertheless, he's expected to do most of the heavy lifting, both dramatically and comically, in "Made of Honor." It's a task that he's woefully prepared to fulfill.

It certainly doesn't help that this romantic comedy is overly familiar and predictable. Its debts to both "When Harry Met Sally" and "My Best Friend's Wedding" are considerable.

Dempsey stars as Tom, an independently wealthy womanizer who's recently discovered that he's in love with his best friend, Hannah (Michelle Monaghan).

Tom is preparing to tell her, but Hannah has returned from a monthlong trip to Scotland with some big news of her own: She's now engaged to Colin (Kevin McKidd), a wealthy Scotsman that she met while she was in Europe.

To make matters worse, Hannah also asks Tom to be her maid of honor, which puts him in the unique and uncomfortable position of helping give the woman he loves away to another man.

Dempsey almost appears to be catatonic at times — McSleepy, anyone? And he has no sense of comic timing. But to be fair, hack filmmaker Paul Weiland ("City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold") isn't much help. His direction is workmanlike at best, and there's a real lack of energy.

To their credit, the supporting cast members do try to bail them out. Monaghan is charming as always. And Sydney Pollack does get a couple of guilty laughs as Tom's serial-marrying father.

"Made of Honor" is rated PG-13 for crude sexual humor and language (both references and sight gags, as well as some suggestive talk), scattered strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), comic violence (slapstick, as well as some brief fisticuffs), brief nudity (a shower room scene and nude statues), derogatory slurs based on nationality, and some brief sexual contact. Running time: 101 minutes.

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