Movie Review for My Best Friend's Girl (2008)

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Review #684 of 365
Movie Review of My Best Friend's Girl (2008) [R] 101 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $9.00
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When Seen: 19 September 2008 @ 5:50 pm
DVD Release Date: Unscheduled (please check back)
After the Credits: Nothing

Soundtrack: Download now from The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - or - order the CD below

Directed by: Howard Deutch (The Whole Ten Yards)
Written by: Jordan Cahan (debut)

Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Dane Cook (Dan in Real Life) • Kate Hudson (Fool's Gold) • Alec Baldwin (Brooklyn Rules) • Jason Biggs (Over Her Dead Body)

review lite • website • trailer • premiere photos • spoiler • 2cOrNot2c?
Ages ago, there was an episode thread of the short-run MTV sexual awaking series, "Undressed" about a kid called "Trashman" who made a 'living' out of dating girls and dumping them so they'd go back to their old boyfriend. Hmm, if you saw this thread, then you'll know pretty much all you need to know about Jordan Cahan's story directed by Howard Deutch and named My Best Friend's Girl. If not, then, let me explain it to you. Tank, real name Sherman Turner (Dane Cook), is a top satisfaction agent for a mail-order air purifier company who brings his work ethic to his dating ethics. For many years now, the bachelor has taken a fancy to playing a game or doing a job where he power dates and smooth talks your AWOL girlfriend just long enough to then turn into a real pig and make her come running back into your arms. Oh, it's a sweet life. You could argue, as one of the objects of one of his clients points out, he gives couples a second chance. Well, that might be all well and good until his cousin, not by blood, Dustin (Jason Biggs) hires him to "Tank" his former girlfriend, Alexis (Kate Hudson). Normally, Tank has a rule against messing up family, but he makes an exception and starts dating Alexis. Of course, if you either saw the "Undressed" thread or have the clairvoyance of a common fruit fly, you'd predict that Tank and Alexis would fall in love, poor Dustin. And, then you'd predict how the film will end too, and you'd probably be correct, but check the spoiler if you want to be sure.

If that doesn't sound like much of a plot, or if it sounds similar to recent films let alone the MTV "Undressed" thread mentioned before; well it isn't, and you're right. Last spring, Jason Biggs played nearly exactly the same character right down to the "is he or isn't he gay" lines in Over Her Dead Body, Kate Hudson played almost the same hard-to-impress girlfriend in Fool's Gold, and last fall, Dane Cook played the similarly suave dude in Good Luck Chuck--only he was the one constantly getting dumped. Well, at least the casting director for My Best Friend's Girl had it pretty easy. The only major cast member to break type is Alec Baldwin who plays a woman's studies professor that's a closet womanizer. [note: that was sarcasm folks] So, there's a recycled, derivative story, with recycled busted characters being played by actors with experience at nearly identical roles, adding up to one final question: Why'd anyone make this film, and why would we support them in their decision? The excuse that every autumn needs a good romantic comedy doesn't hold up well in this case.

My Best Friend's Girl does have a couple of really funny parts. My favorite of these occurs early on in the film when Alexis calls tank at work and he thinks she's a regular customer calling to complain about the air purifier. He's using her call as an example for how to defuse and angry phone customer at a morning training session in front of a training group. That part should have just been turned into an "SNL" sketch and they could have saved everyone else a lot of trouble. For being a romantic comedy, this movie is about the least romantic one I've ever seen. Part of it's the detestable nature of Tank and part of it is the sickening puppy dog that Jason Biggs plays in every one of his roles. He seems unable to break free of his American Pie, Jim character. Oh, an the part where he gets his eyebrow shaved off revealed in the trailer isn't any funnier in the movie.

… stale, contrived, derivative, and predictable.
My Best Friend's Girl is not poorly directed, poorly directed, nor poorly written. It's just stale, contrived, derivantive, and predictable. Keep saving up the money, good films are just around the corner, gulp, I hope!
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Cast Members
Dane Cook • Kate Hudson • Alec Baldwin
Jason Biggs
Director
Howard Deutch
Writer
Jordan Cahan
Review-lite My Best Friend's Girl (2008) [max of 150 words]
Dane Cook plays a dude nick-named Tank who dates your ex so badly she comes running home at warp speed. Jason Biggs plays his cousin, just dumped by the one-sided love his life, Alexis (Kate Hudson), who hire Tank to do his deed on her. Guess what happens? This romantic comedy lacks both. Save the movie money for something better this fall.
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