The Ugly Truth

Ty gives ***1/2 Stars

Title: The Ugly Truth
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring
Katherine Heigl
Gerard Butler
Eric Winter
John Michael Higgins
Cheryl Hines
Release date July 24th 2009

So after seeing this movie, my friends who I saw it with asked me the question, "Is this considered a chick flick or a romantic comedy?" Well both and neither at the same time. I would like to classify this film as a sex flick. A movie about sex that's supposed to be funny because lets face it, sex is funny. In this movie you have Katherine Heigl (Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey's Anatomy, Jane in 27 Dresses, Alison Scott in Knocked Up) who plays Abby Richter. An award winning producer on a morning talk show whose ratings are falling. The network decides to hire someone on that will make the show more interesting. Enter Gerard Butler, (One Two in Rock'n'rolla, King Leonidas in 300, The Phantom in Phantom of the Opera) as Mike Chadway, a crash, chauvinistic, tactless, says it like it is, TV personality, that gets all the male viewers of this movie rooting and or laughing their heads off as women look on in disgust. So since this movie is borderline a romantic comedy, you know how this works. Whether it be a Meg Ryan flick like When Harry met Sally or You've Got Mail, to a Julia Roberts blockbuster like Notting Hill or Runaway Bride or even Kathrine Heigl's own 27 Dresses, it's almost always the same thing. Guy meets girl or girl meets guy. They don't like each other. By the middle of the film they hate each other. The next scene, they're in love and trying to swallow each others tongues. Closing credits. Happily ever after. The end. Blah, blah, blah... boredom. But is this movie a romantic comedy or even a "chick flick"? Not really. Why? Well a chick flick is usually a movie that a woman can either A, relate to, or B, a fantasy that a woman wants. I'm pretty sure most women are not incredibly beautiful women on top of their industry, who have a ruggedly charming, handsome yet repulsive, male co-worker that they have to baby-sit during office hours who happens to be in love with them, and I'm pretty sure that even though most women would love to go to work everyday and see Gerard Butler, they'd stop wanting him when he tells them that they're a bitter, fat, wound up hag, and advises them to try and not trip over their cat or pussy while they're eating ice cream while walking on their StairMaster. That's actually close to a line from the movie, and either way it's a lose lose situation for women. I'm sorry ladies but chick-flick = fail. Anyways, so is this movie good enough to pay full price for? There has only been one romantic film that I've seen that I've suggested people go to the movie theater and see as soon and as quickly as possible and that was The Lake House. With a few rare exceptions, no romantic comedy or chick flick should be paid full price for in the theaters. These movies are meant to be watched at home on the couch, that way you can discuss or argue over them with your significant other after the movie is over. So no. Rarely should you pay full price for a movie like this in theaters and no you should not pay full price to see this one. Also, I would like to point out that this movie is rated-R, which was a surprise to the four of us watching, especially when you're sitting there expecting a PG-13 film and they say f*ck a dozen times through out the movie or when Katherine Heigl says c*ck like 7 times in a row, just so she can say c*ck. So yes. This movie is rated R and I thought I'd throw this out as a warning. So bottom line. This movie made me laugh. Why is it that brutal honesty makes everybody laugh or blush or both? Is it considered a breath of fresh air when people tell the truth? I get the same response when I start talking around people I don't know. What is it that makes the ugly truth so attractive? Maybe, which is true when it comes to looks, it doesn't matter what appears on the outside. It's the deeper meaning and knowing the truth that lies on the inside that is really the most alluring and beautiful thing we can experience, and the truth, though it might be surround by ugliness, is what really shines through.