Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!

Starring: Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel, Topher Grace, Nathan Lane, Sean Hayes, Gary Cole, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kathryn Hahn, Octavia Spencer, Amy Smart, Stephen Tobolowsky, Moon Bloodgood
Directed by: Robert Luketic
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Romance
2004

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A grocery store worker (Kate Bosworth) wins a contest to go on a date with her favorite actor, Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel). The two hit it off, much to the chagrin of her best friend (Topher Grace).

Review:

Tim: There were certain aspects of Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! that I really liked. The movie is surprisingly enjoyable. I had fun watching it. However, as the movie moves towards its conclusion, I was struck by how unsatisfying everything is wrapped up. The ending felt forced and rushed, and that greatly decreases the overall quality of the movie. This film showed some real promise, but ultimately, it crumbles too much. This ends up being a pretty forgettable film.

I actually really like the basic premise. It's fun to watch an average girl get the chance to spend time with her favorite (and one of the most popular) actor in the world. The two obviously come from very different backgrounds, and those differences come to light in humorous ways. That part of the film was very strong and enjoyable. Things become weaker when he visits her in West Virginia, and everythign that follows. The build up to the date and the date itself are both done extraordinarily well. The rest of the movie feels a bit weaker, though.

I wasn't overly impressed with Kate Bosworth. I don't think she is a very strong actor. I never really believed her naive West Virginia qualities, like those nonsense words she says or her inability to deliver a complete sentence when she meets Tad. I know that things like that happen in real life, but her delivery of those lines just didn't work for me. She never really seemed comfortable in the role, and that hurt the movie. Josh Duhamel, on the other hand, was pretty terrific as Tad Hamilton. He played the charismatic, yet slightly shallow actor very well. He oozed presence, and I thought he gave the best performance of the film. His energy is what propels the movie forward, as you actually believe he could be a huge movie star.

Topher Grace was okay. He has some talent as an actor when he's playing in his wheelhouse, as he is here. I just felt like his performance was a bit too whiny and mopey for my liking. I never really felt a desire to see he and Bosworth together. That hurt the film. Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes were too over-the-top, and Hayes looked particularly ridiculous in the part. Ginnifer Goodwin also seemed like she gave a weak performance. The cast has recognizable faces, but they don't all give the quality of performances that they needed to.

The movie does have some very strong scenes. The bathroom scene between Duhamel and Grace is one of the highlights, as is the woodcutting scene between those two. The whole initial date was well done. However, the movie as a whole just feels a bit too weak. It doesn't do enough to make you feel anything for the characters. The ending feels incredibly predictable, but it was rushed- almost like the producers knew that everyone in the world knew how the film was going to end, so let's not waste time getting there.

In the end, there's some aspects of Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! that I really, really liked. Unfortunately, the movie as a whole doesn't hold up. The film just isn't good enough.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



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