As Good As It Gets

Absolutely the worst movie.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I hate chick flick genre. or, maybe, I do not understand it. but "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton !" could be an exception. for a nice use of clichés. for a story who reminds, in not bad manner, the dream of a lot of children to meet theirs hero. and for the humor. a sweet love story who has the right cast. this could be the explanation for my indulgence about a film who propose a story not so awful, chances for actors to give a nice show and few slices of clichés who are inspired used. and this is all.

Win a Date With Tad Hamilton (2004): Dir: Robert Luketic / Cast: Topher Grace, Josh Duhamel, Kate Bosworth, Nathan Lane, Gary Cole: Funny romantic comedy about expectations and our perception upon meeting people. Josh Duhamel plays heart throb Tad Hamilton who gains unfavourable tabloid exposure when caught drunk driving. His agents decide to do a contest where the winner receives a date with Tad. Kate Bosworth is surprised and delighted to win and has Tad is won over with her wholesomeness. She works at a supermarket where her manager, played by Topher Grace who has a crush on her. After the date Tad decides to move to her town but Grace is cautious of the relationship that spawns. Great concept that has an ending that cleverly ties in to its beginning. This counters its formula structure. Directed by Robert Luketic who previously made Legally Blonde but despite the success of that film, he hits stronger comedic notes with this romantic comedy. Grace brings superb comic touches to the jealous manager in a predictable role yet one viewers may relate too. Bosworth and Duhamel are both solid as two people from opposites ends who have totally different expectations. Nathan Lane and Gary Cole are both talented actors but they are unfortunately underwritten. Themes addresses that a date with fame is a fantasy with no focus on reality. Score: 8 ½ / 10

A chick flick romantic comedy although the laughs are mainly provided by Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane.Tad Hamilton is an actor known for wholesome roles but when he is caught drinking and driving, leering with a floozy, his agents decide to get him some positive publicity by raising money for charity via a lottery. The lucky winner getting a date with him.Kate Bosworth plays the likable blonde from a small town who adores him and wins the date. For some reason even though the film is set in the modern day, she and her best friend thinks Tad is wholesome just like his film persona. Such lack of cynicism.Topher Grace plays Bosworth's friend who has always yearned for her but has been afraid to tell her. Tad has a good time in LA with Bosworth and follows her down to their small town, making Grace jealous.This is light, inoffensive, frothy film but with little substance. All the leads are likable enough, even Josh Duhamel gives Tad some likability and sincerity but it never amounts to much.

Unobtrusive would be a good word to use when describing the film Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. Is it obvious? Yes. Is it clichéd? Yes. Is it horrible? Not quite. With a few good laughs, some fun performances, and a decent soundtrack, the movie ends up being nice filler on an evening with nothing else to do. I even think it was better than Robert Luketic's previous "chick flick" effort Legally Blonde, but then, I hated that one. With no expectations at all, mocking my sister for her taste in films, I will say I had a smile throughout. Sure most of it was due to the sheer absurdity and banality of it all, but it was a genuine smile nonetheless.The premise is something that could be written by any marginally gifted screenwriter and pits two best friends (with the obvious sexual tension of the boy being in love with the girl) caught up in the fact that she wins said date with said movie star. Being the good Virginia girl she is, she does not allow Tad to take advantage of her in Hollywood and ends up leaving town to go home with his heart. He follows, trying to better his life full of materialism and debauchery, much to the chagrin of his manager and agent (a funny twosome of Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane). Just at the moment when our lead is about to pour his heart out to the love of his life, after she finished her story of Hollywood escapades, in comes Tad to turn his life upside-down. Rather than finally tell her how he feels, he attempts to sabotage Tad's advances, but of course, like in all these types of films, his tries end up backfiring, bringing the two lovebirds closer together.There are no misconceptions on how the movie will end up, who will get the girl, who will do the right thing at the right time, but despite these misgivings the journey is entertaining. Topher Grace as the lead hero, trying to win the girl of his dreams, plays the geeky good guy to perfection. When he goes to Tad's farm, portrayed great by Josh Duhamel, (he's really just playing himself isn't he?), and the two go head to head chopping lumber, you can't help but laugh. Especially when Duhamel smacks Grace at the end, and Topher feels the sting…priceless. As for the girl at the center of it all, Kate Bosworth does a good job. She has never impressed me too much, but here she plays the country-bumpkin to a T. All the innocuous language and catch phrases can definitely induce some eye rolling, but it works for the part. Even Ginnifer Goodwin and Gary Cole bring in some laughs with small roles. Cole's attempts to talk the west coast movie biz lingo is great because you can see someone in his situation totally doing just that.It is paint-by-numbers through and through yet finds some moments of creativity. With lines such as Grace saying he'd tear Duhamel apart with his bare hands, or vicious rhetoric, I had to chuckle. The director and screenwriter treat the townspeople nicely with their star-goggles on, unbelieving that a movie star is in their home. I guess they even throw in an homage to An Officer and a Gentlemen—I'll take the parents' word for that being as I have not seen the film. Would I go out of the way to check the film out again? No. However, if it is on TV or someone suggests watching it, I will have to refrain from laughing at them obscenely, walking out and never talking to them again, because in the end, I'd probably stick around and watch.