Monday, May 9, 2011

Something Borrowed

"Something Borrowed", winner of this year's Rotten Tomato and Kate Hudson's latest contribution to the world of romantic comedy, is hardly something to be laughed at.

The film follows Rachel (played by doe eyed Ginnifer Goodwin) as she helps her childhood friend (Darcy) prepare for her wedding. About ten minutes in, we catch Rachel making out in the back of a cab WITH THE GROOM. The dirty little secret here is that Rachel has spent the last six years crushing on this guy without breathing a word to anyone, including the man in question.

Bad leads to worse as Rachel and Dex begin an illicit affair, sleeping around behind the bride's back and expecting their friends to simply play along. In the end, everyone's various sexual escapades are brought to light and ....................everything is fine?

This is where I got confused. in spite of multiple affairs, wounded friendships and broken relationships, every character in this movie gets a fairy tale ending. Darcy cheats on her fiance' and has a baby; Ethan moves to London and writes a book while Rachel and Dex move in together without batting an eye.

At the end of the film, no one gets hurt. No one.

There are no realistic consequences in destroying a marriage or having sex someone while engaged to someone else.

While John Krasinski does an amazing job in the role of best friend, it is hardly a redeeming factor in this movie.

Admittedly, we watch films to draw us away from reality. For example, reality won't tell you it's okay to cheat on your future spouse if that's where your feelings lead you. And reality won't let you get away with it scot free. I promise.

Movies like this one, however, will lie to your face. Ask anyone who's ever had an affair or been cheated on, I guarantee you it's painful. It hurts.

I'm not one to carry a banner or fly a flag for the Christian movement here, but there are women (and men) out there who will see this movie and assume this is how the world works. That is the message of this movie.That the series of choices we make in life don't matter. That we can just go back and change things whenever it's convenient. That as long I'm happy in the end, it doesn't matter how I got here.