The TV Addict 

Katherine Heigl is a movie star.

Knocked Up was the opportunity that opened the door for her and despite her comments to Vanity Fair, I’m sure she is appreciative to Judd Apatow for everything that movie has done for her. She wasn’t really the star of that movie, but with 27 Dresses, that isn’t the case any more.

27 Dresses is the story of Jane, a woman infatuated with weddings and the person who must have been the inspiration for the phrase “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” Jane works at the corporate office of an outdoor supply company and is equally as infatuated with her boss, George, played by Ed Burns. In her free time, Jane plays wedding planner, helping her friends (and friends of friends) to manage the stress of planning their special day. She has a closet in her Manhattan apartment filled with nothing but the assorted heinous bridesmaid dresses that she’s collected over the years.

Jane also loves to read and collect the columns of Malcolm Doyle, a writer for the New York Journal newspaper who covers the “Commitments” section of the Sunday edition. Jane doesn’t know that Malcolm is actually Kevin Doyle (played by James Marsden), a man whom she met at one of her weddings who sees tremendous story potential in her after finding her day planner and looking through it. The chemistry between Heigl and Marsden is definitely there. The two spark between their witty and cynical conversations and two scenes at different bars showcase this nicely. One of them features background music by Heigl’s new husband, musician Josh Kelley, and the other features a drunken and hysterical take on an Elton John classic.

I’m sure you all see where this is headed already, right? In comes Jane’s younger sister, Tess (Malin Ackerman). Jane has always looked after Tess following the death of their mother while they were very young. Tess is the stereotypical little sister, she’s used to being coddled and taken care of and has an incredible sense of entitlement in all aspects of her life. In a nutshell, Tess falls for George, George falls for what he thinks is Tess and both expect Jane to plan all aspects of the wedding they want to have in 3 weeks after the engagement.

During this time, Kevin offers to cover George & Tess’s wedding plans as a cover to learn more about Jane and research his story about her. The story intregues Kevin’s boss at the paper, played by The Office’s Melora Hardin. She finally relents to Kevin’s repeated attempts to bring some more journalism to the style section of the paper. The previous suggestions the two go over during their meeting got a chuckle or two. Probably the best sequence of the movie happens when, during research for the story, Kevin discovers Jane’s closet in her apartment. I won’t ruin the fun of seeing it by describing it here but it got the most laughs in the theater by far.

Performance wise, the cast is solid and includes one of my favorite recent comedic actresses. Judy Greer plays the role of Jane’s best friend Casey and steals just about every scene she’s in. I’ve been in love with Greer since her achingly funny portrayal of George Bluth’s assistant, Kitty, in Arrested Development. She’s snarky and witty and cuts Tess down to size during a humorous scene in a yoga parlor. Marsden also does well, expanding his rom-com experience following last year’s performance as Prince Edward in Enchanted. Kevin’s views on love are everything that Jane’s aren’t, and the clash between the two of them is predictable but still satisfying.

27 Dresses doesn’t offer a whole lot more than the typical romantic comedy fare, but the performances are good and Heigl literally lights up the screen. If you’re a fan of her work on Grey’s Anatomy, this will be right up your alley. Heck, even if you liked her in Knocked Up you’ll still have fun at this movie.