Film Review: ‘Something Borrowed’ is Something Bad

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CHICAGO – Wedding movies, the wedding industrial complex, weddings as women’s literature, where does it end? (divorce) It’s that time of year, and the wedding film makes its ritualistic appearance, here represented by the morally bankrupt “Something Borrowed.”

Rating: 2.0/5.0

This upper middle class fantasy involves peachy-keen, newly minted thirtysomethings experiencing the wedding bell blues. They love each other, over and over again, but have no trouble sneaking behind each other’s backs for a little hey-hey. The most disingenuous character turns out to be a hero, and the most heroic ends up struggling with his vague sexual orientation in London. What is a family values culture to do?

Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) walks into her 30th birthday surprise party, which is shorthand for a this-is-your-life movie set up. Her best friend Darcy (that name should be stricken from the women’s literature oeuvre), portrayed by Kate Hudson, lauds her with a powerpoint about their best friendship, which includes their dorky childhood friend Ethan (John Krasinski). It seems that Rachel, while in law school, introduced Darcy to her eventual fiancé, Dex (Colin Egglesfield). But Dex and Rachel have a secret, one that never got the proper exposition.

Darcy ends up being too loaded at the party, and forces Dex and Rachel to retrieve her Chanel purse (which is quickly pointed out to cost $2000). Sharing a cab home, the old law school study partners switch their electives to biology, and as the sun comes up the next morning Rachel and Dex wake up in each other arms (he’s “something borrowed”). It seems that the secrets is they have always were attracted to each other.
There are a series of complications that arise from this dilemma. Rachel is the maid of honor in the wedding, of course. Ethan becomes Rachel’s confidant in the matter. Dex becomes a d-bag as he can’t decide what to do. And mutual friend Marcus (Steve Howey) flits about looking for someone to ‘hey-hey’ him.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Something Borrowed”

Together but Separate: Ginnifer Goodwin (Rachel) and Colin Egglesfield (Dex) in ‘Something Borrowed’ Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Something Borrowed”