If Kate Hudson had any idea that she’d still be making lame romantic comedies ten years after becoming a mainstay in the genre, she probably would have made some radically different career decisions, because at this point, even Hudson has to be sick and tired of watching herself in these movies. Her latest film, “Something Borrowed,” certainly isn’t the worst thing she’s ever done, but it’s par for the course, as it trips and stumbles over just about every rom-com cliché in the book on its way to the film’s oh-so-obvious happy ending. It’s not a complete waste of time thanks to some solid performances from the cast, but those looking for a movie to see with their girlfriends while the men are at “Thor” could do a lot better than this.
Ginnifer Goodwin stars as Rachel, a talented attorney working at a New York law firm who’s just turned 30 and still hasn’t found that special someone to spend the rest of her life with. That’s because the guy she’s secretly in love with – law school study buddy Dex (Colin Egglesfield) – is engaged to marry her best friend, Darcy (Kate Hudson), the perpetual center of attention who gets everything she wants. But when Rachel tells Dex about her secret crush on him one night, he reciprocates by kissing her, leading to a night in bed with one another that Rachel immediately regrets. Dex is certain that he has feelings for her, however, and convinces Rachel to spend more time with him so that they can figure out if it’s real enough to risk hurting Darcy, who’s too self-absorbed to even realize that her best friend and fiancé are having an affair right under her nose.
There’s not much to say about “Something Borrowed” that you couldn’t read in a hundred different reviews about a hundred different romantic comedies except that it’s not as bad as you might think. Based on the bestselling Emily Giffin novel of the same name, the film posits an interesting question (What would you do if you were in love with your best friend’s fiancé?), but fails to make the story that follows in any way engaging. Part of the problem is that many of the characters aren’t very relatable. Both Rachel and Dex could have saved themselves years of anguish if they just had the courage to open their mouths and say how they really felt, while Darcy is such an egocentric bitch that it’s hard to imagine Rachel would even be friends with her at all. The audience is reminded on many occasions just how great their friendship is, but we’re never shown any real proof apart from a scene where the girls dance to Salt-n-Pepa’s “Push It,” despite Rachel damning Darcy’s selfish ways just a few days before.
Fortunately, the actors at least make it somewhat enjoyable. Ginnifer Goodwin and Colin Egglesfield both manage to be likeable despite their characters’ transgressions, while Kate Hudson plays the obnoxious narcissist a little too well. But the real highlight is John Krasinski, who spends most of the film evading an obsessive former lover (Ashley Williams) from her barrage of advances when he’s not doling out life advice to Rachel. Much like he did in 2009’s “It’s Complicated,” Krasinski pops in every so often with a few zingers that reinvigorate the movie. He’s the only consistently great thing about it, although that shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been following his career over the past few years. Still, it’s hard not to feel like the actor’s dry brand of humor could be better utilized elsewhere, because while “Something Borrowed” has its share of funny moments, without Krasinski’s scene-stealing performance, it would have almost none.
2 / 5 Stars
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield, John Krasinski, Steve Howey, Ashley Williams
Director: Luke Greenfield
