Honouring the chick flick!

Made of Honor
Director: Paul Weiland
Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Sydney Pollack

If there is one genre that is sure to endure it has to be the 'chick flick'. With the formula of a leading, Hollywood man, Patrick Dempsey (Tom) , and Michelle Monaghan (Hannah) and a little bit of love sprinkled between the scenes, it is a sure shot winner!

Tom thrives on having fun with a different girl on his arm every night. Hannah is different. She is his best friend and the one constant in his life. When Hannah goes to Scotland on a six-week business trip, Tom realises his life is empty without her and decides that when she returns, he'll ask her to marry him. But their reunion is not what he expects, as Hannah introduces him to handsome, wealthy Scotsman Colin McMurray (Kevin McKidd) to whom she has become engaged. When Hannah asks Tom to be her "maid" of honour, he reluctantly agrees in an attempt to woo Hannah and stop the wedding before it's too late.

Think My Best Friend's Wedding with some Scottish and at times banal jokes. Eventually though the entire movie comes down to 'will he or won't he'.

It is a no brainer of course! After all, this is Hollywood and the target market is the female audience whose hearts go pitter-patter for Dempsey. But all's not lost as 'significant others' will enjoy looking at the girls go all mushy.

With Honors
Director: Alek Keshishian
Cast: Brendon Fraser, Joe Pesci, Moira Kelly, Partick Dempsey

With Honors is the story of a group of smug Harvard students during the early 1990s. Brendan Fraser plays Montgomery Kessler — a high-flyer, destined for greatness in his chosen field of government. Gore Vidal as his professor is delighted by the initial chapter of his final year thesis. Unfortunately for Monty, a hard drive failure results in his thesis becoming digital gibberish. On the way to the library to copy the 10 chapters he has already printed out, a trip results in his life's work falling down a grate into the boiler room. To his horror, he discovers that someone named Simon (Pesci) living in the boiler room, is using his opus as fuel. Monty's thesis is held to ransom — one page will be released from captivity for every favour that Monty performs for Simon.

The remainder of the movie unfolds as Monty forms a bond with Simon, which extends far beyond the thesis. We learn that Simon is an intelligent man, educated by living in some of the best university libraries in the US... but a man with a hidden past. As Monty and his flat-mates Everett (charismatically played by Patrick Dempsey) and Jeffrey (the hammy Josh Hamilton) uncover Simon's secrets, they also realise that he is terminally ill. The underlying moral of the story is Monty's discovery of the innate importance of a human life and of love. The importance of living with honour rather than graduating With Honors.

60-second Profile: Patrick Dempsey
January 13, 1966

- The writer is an afficionado of film