Wedding lover Jane (Katherine Heigl) harbors an unrequited crush on her boss George (Ed Burns) and spends a lot of weekends being a bridesmaid to her many friends. She also devours the “Commitments” columns written by Kevin Doyle (James Marsden). Jane’s little sister Tess (Malin Ackerman) comes to visit and meets George. Jane watches horrified as a proposal comes all too quickly and she helps her little sister plan a wedding to her dream guy. Meanwhile, Kevin pursues Jane for an article, and for himself. When Jane finds out about the article, what will happen to both these budding romances?

CRITIQUE

There are too few female directors working in Hollywood and Anne Fletcher is one who has recently begun to carve a name for herself. Summer of 2006 ended up blessing Fletcher with a sleeper hit in the form of the dance/romance film Step Up. She moves firmly into romantic comedy territory with this film. 27 Dresses has no freshness of story, but a solid bit of humor here and there, along with appealing actors, help it deliver decently for its genre.

I balk at the term formulaic when film critics use it to describe a film. Its connotation is negative, implying that a film can’t just hit the notes it’s supposed to for the type of movie it is and be a quality film. I feel this could cause someone to miss out on excellent films. There are flaws in 27 Dresses but they have nothing to do with the romantic comedy conventions. The film respects the things the audience expects to see and is not any worse for it.

The story isn’t perfect. You wonder if Jane would really be that upset by an article that doesn’t seem to be negative in any way, for example. There are funny moments elsewhere, though, such as Jane and Kevin’s drunken rendition of “Benny and the Jets.” The montage where Jane shows Kevin all the bridesmaid’s dresses she’s worn is kind of funny and quite sweet, as well. Plus, Judy Greer as Jane’s best friend Casey is hilarious.

The flaws come in other areas. First, the casting of Katherine Heigl as Jane. Her performance is solid, but the movie depends on the audience believing that someone who looks like Heigl would be without a boyfriend and overshadowed by a younger sister. It doesn’t quite work. Also, Jane is meant to be stricken with guilt after she shows that Tess has been lying to George about the kind of person she is in front of their family and friends, but the viewer feels that Tess deserves it, so that hits a bit of a false note. The most important part, Jane and Kevin’s interaction, is successful, though. Imperfect but still funny and romantic when it counts, 27 Dresses is a solid entry into the genre.

THE VIDEO

Widescreen is always the perfect format for home viewing and this disc is no exception. The transfer also has no problems. Those hideous dresses remain horrible!

THE AUDIO

As usual, the 5.1 Dolby surround for the English track is excellent and there is also a Dolby surround track for the French language. There are only English and Spanish subtitles offered, though.

THE EXTRAS

The Wedding Party: This is the usual behind-the-scenes doc. There is plenty of on-set footage and interviews here, though most of it is the usual praise for the actors and discussion of the story and characters. The comparisons of Jane and Tess are probably the most interesting parts.

You’ll Never Wear That Again: Those unsightly dresses mentioned in the title are the focus of this doc. Costume designer and director Fletcher mostly take up the running time with their interviews. A few of the “best” dresses are singled out for discussion, like the Gone With the Wind theme dress. Best, though, may be the thinking behind the wedding dress chosen for Jane herself.

Jane’s World: The production design of the film gets its due here, and this may be one of the best of the extras. The extent of work that went into the sets is really evident here, from Jane’s apartment to all the weddings in the film. The best may be Jane’s workplace. The eco-friendly company is represented by an actual eco-friendly set.

The Running of the Brides: A brief visit to the famous one-day bridal dress sale at Filene’s Basement in New Jersey makes up this extra. The interviews while in line and after the first frantic rush at the dresses are all like a reality show.

Deleted Scenes: There are only three scenes here, but they are good to watch. One is just a short bit not included in a scene that is in the finished film, while the other two are more substantial. The best involves Tess’s bridesmaids dresses, which includes more of Greer’s hilarious performance.

FINAL THOUGHTS

27 Dresses has what a romantic comedy should in most ways, so the flaws of the story aren’t too much of a detriment. An appealing cast provides much of the fun, and romantic comedy lovers will definitely enjoy it. All of those people will want to buy this disc, especially because it also has good extra features.