Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004) User Reviews

Chick Flick, but don't completely scrap it

[monkbuddy · 7/10 · 2 June 2005]

This movie is definitely a "chick flick." Both male leads are played pretty well. Josh Duhamel portrays the self-absorbed actor well, but has difficulty being believable when he is supposedly being sincere. Of course, maybe that's the point. Topher Grace, on the other hand, is able to portray an emotion in very subtle ways, and is therefore perfect as the inwardly-tortured old friend.

Kate Bosworth's character seems to be quite one-dimensional, and not always consistently. She is overly naive, even for a small town hick. I get the impression that the Hollywood types who wrote her part have never been to a small town, or at least, not since the 50s. There are sweet, wholesome people in this world, but they are more realistic than this girl. It is difficult to ascertain who the protagonist is. Is it Topher or Kate? His character has more depth than hers, but it appears that the story revolves around her.

Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes provide much-needed comedy and interest to the story. I found myself looking forward to their appearances on-screen. Funny moments and a few good performances make it worthwhile, but I definitely believe it will appeal more to us women than the men.

A sweet chick flick

[FilmSchoolWriter · 6/10 · 23 January 2006]

I enjoyed "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton". It's a brainless, cutesy little romantic comedy -- but that's okay since it doesn't try to be anything deep or uber meaningful. Topher Grace does a good job playing the sort of nerdy-uber romantic-always crushing on cheerleaders but never having one as a girlfriend guy. It seems to be a really natural performance, possible too natural? ;) Just kidding. But honestly, he does as good of a job as any guy can do in a movie that is totally geared towards the female population. Needless to say, the moral of this story is pretty obvious and it's one we've seen at least a gazillion times before. But I liked it and it's perfect if you're looking for something that requires no brain power at all.

Topher Grace ruined this for me

[Boyo-2 · 5/10 · 24 December 2004]

Okay, I wasn't born last week, so I knew the ending before the opening credits were over. But I still thought this had the chance to be original and maybe even edgy and maybe..everything it wasn't.

Girl has understandable crush on famous movie star. Movie star needs some good press so his agents get the bright idea to set him up on a date with a total stranger. Meanwhile, girls stuttering dweeb of a friend has a crush on her but has never told her, cause as I mentioned, he's a stuttering dweeb. Girl wins date (SURPRISE SURPRISE), goes to LA, and does not have the worse time of her life, and goes back home. She does NOT sleep with the movie star, which impresses him and is the best moment in the movie (when he says "Good for you" to Rosie); its him realizing she may be a person of substance, and explains why he follows her home to East Hell, West Virginia, so 'some of her goodness can rub off on him', or something to that effect. Then movie star BUYS A FARM in West Virginia, meets the girls father, and invites her back to LA to begin shooting a movie he's been dying to get.

Don't have to tell you the rest, except that Bosworth plays Rosalie like she has straw sticking out of the side of her mouth. Josh is, of course, a shallow cigarette-smoking (that's a sure indication of his lack of integrity; in the NEW Hollywood, only bad people smoke) self-absorbed ACTOR, and Topher Grace stutters and hems and haws like he has a nervous tic. He ruined what might have been decent entertainment.

There is an insight or two, as mentioned, nothing memorable or profound. In many ways, the title of the movie is the best thing about it. I like a title that tells it all, what can I say..5/10.

makes up in charm what it lacks in edge

[Buddy-51 · 6 August 2004]

`Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' is a predictable fairy tale romance that skates by on the cleverness of its premise and the charm of its performances. Kate Bosworth stars as Rosalee Futch, a small town girl from West Virginia who has a mad crush on a hot Hollywood stud named Tad Hamilton. One day she enters a contest on the Internet, the prize being an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to spend an evening with her dreamboat. Rosalee, of course, wins the contest and has her magic fantasy moment, whereupon she flies back home, expecting to file the experience away in her heart as the high point of her life and then continue her humdrum existence working at the local Piggly Wiggly. What Rosalee doesn't anticipate is that Tad will be so smitten with her genuine goodness and unpretentious nature that he will wind up traveling to West Virginia in order to get to know her better. Complicating matters is the fact that Rosalee's long time friend and boss, Pete, is secretly, madly in love with her and isn't about to give her up without a fight to this fancy, flashy dude from Hollywood.

Given the premise, the makers of this film could, with a bit more self-confidence, have made a keen, hard-edged satire about the role celebrity-worship plays in the lives of ordinary folks. Instead, they've opted to take a softer, less abrasive approach, settling for a more conventional love triangle that still manages to win us over despite the formulaic nature of the story. The best part about `Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' is that it doesn't turn Tad into a boorish, self-centered jerk, which would have been so easy to do. As played by Josh Duhamel, Tad is, instead, a decent, well-meaning, good-natured young man who basically just wants the same thing out of life that we all do, namely love and commitment from that one special person. Even though we know how this triangle will most likely be resolved, the film still generates a certain amount of emotional tension because we actually come to like all three of the characters who make it up. We know Rosalee can't end up with both men, but each, in his own way, appears to be a viable alternative. This spirit of equanimity is not always the case with these types of stories.

Bosworth exudes such a healthy, radiant glow that we don't question for a second why both Tad and Pete are drawn to her. Duhamel pours on the celebrity charm without becoming smarmy and unctuous in the process. And Topher Grace nicely underplays the role of Rosalee's erstwhile secret devotee who faces a rival no Ordinary Joe should ever have to go up against.

`Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' isn't as good as it might have been had it opted for a riskier, edgier tone. But it's not bad as romantic comedies go – and in these days of `Along Came Polly,' `Alex and Emma,' `Chasing Liberty' et al., that's saying quite a bit indeed.

Better than most films from the same genre

[christian123 · 4/10 · 12 December 2004]

A grocery store checkout girl (Kate Bosworth) wins a contest to win a date with hot young "bad boy" actor, Tad Hamilton, played by Josh Duhamel. When he ends up falling in love, her life is turned upside down when he comes to her small hometown, and gets into a competition with her best friend (Topher Grace), who is also in love with her.

Generic story aside, the film is actually pretty decent. It isn't great or original but fans of the genre should enjoy it. The film works better than it should thanks to its young and charming cast. They all play likable characters and you will be rooting for them. Kate Bosworth is very charming and beautiful as Rosalee. Her character is very sweet and its hard to hate her though she may be a little too pretty for the role. Josh Duhamel plays Tad and he gives a decent performance. Topher Grace is very funny and entertaining as Pete. His sarcastic sense of humor starts getting old near the end of the film though. The supporting actors are also pretty good. Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes play Tad's agents and they both give funny performances.

Besides for the impressive cast, there isn't much more to recommend. The story is pretty stale and predictable. You can predict what will happen just by watching the trailer. The music is very annoying and corny. The dialog is very cheesy and lame. The film is also kind of dull because you know where things are going and they add a bunch of pointless scenes. Robert Luketic brought us the very enjoyable Legally Blonde but he doesn't quite score a win with this film. His direction is uneven and a bit clumsy. I'm being a little too harsh on this film. It really is a harmless romantic comedy that teenage girls should enjoy. It's also better than Chasing Liberty and the Prince and Me. In the end, fans of the genre should check this film out, everyone else should skip it. Rating 5/10

Light laughs and decent performances deserves a 6/10 for me

[OriginalMovieBuff21 · 6/10 · 30 April 2005]

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews for this movie. It occurred to me that I really had no desire to watch this film beforehand but a week ago, there was nothing to watch and suddenly Win a Date with Tad Hamilton popped up. So I watched it. I thought the movie was decent. Nothing special and very forgettable but it was still alright to me. Topher Grace and Josh Duhamel put up some good performances especially Topher. I thought he played a really good role. There were some funny jokes and a couple laughs like the scene when Topher and Josh are cutting wood and Josh takes off his shirt while Topher does same. I thought that scene was the funniest part of the movie. Overall, nothing really special to this film and very forgettable, but still I thought it was a decent romantic comedy Hedeen's Outlook: 6/10 ** C-

Kate Bosworth was not right for the role...

[ashleigh129 · 6/10 · 24 February 2004]

I felt like this movie could have been a lot better if there had been some real chemistry between both Tad (Josh Duhamel) and Rosalee (Kate Bosworth) and Pete (Topher Grace) and Rosalee would have had just a little bit of chemistry. Rosalee was so ditzy and had no personality or substance in the film, although both of the men chasing after her claimed that she did. I didn't root for either couple to stay with her, because I couldn't believe that either character would have been interested in her. Her first scenes when she met Tad were extremely cheesy, and her annoying accent when conversing with Pete was too much to handle. Too bad since Topher Grace is fabulous in any role and the hotness of Josh Duhamel cancels out any flaws in his acting.

Kate Bosworth and Josh Duhamel are boring together

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 4 November 2013]

Rosalee Futch (Kate Bosworth), Pete Monash (Topher Grace), and Cathy Feely (Ginnifer Goodwin) are best friends and co-workers at the local Piggly Wiggly. Pete secretly pines for Rosalee, and Cathy's the ugly best friend. Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel) is a big movie star with a shallow life. To rehab his image, they create a contest to win a date with Tad Hamilton.

Kate Bosworth is way too hot at the start. They've got to ugly her up and do a big makeover when she gets to Hollywood. And the truth is the dates with Tad Hamilton aren't the most compelling watch. Bosworth and Duhamel are really really pretty people. They are fine actors but they're completely overshadowed by the much more funny Topher Grace. The movie shines with Topher. The best scene comes when Toper and Duhamel have a shirt off. He's the only truly funny thing about this movie. Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane are annoying little cartoons as Tad Hamilton's people. Ginnifer Goodwin does a few funny lines but she doesn't have enough to do. They need to cut short the dates, and invest the time with the 4 main characters together.

Fluffy little film

[fluffyclown · 8/10 · 18 May 2004]

I admit it. I saw this movie simply because I wanted to see something light and fluffy. I got what I wanted.

Yes, it's a chick flick. Yes, it's predictable. Yes, it has the typical Hollywood ending. But the film never said it was going to be anything but that, and that's why I liked it. No political agendas. No heavy drama and/or gut-wrenching scenes. In fact, there really wasn't anything in this film that was really negative. It was just a cute, fluffy little film that was intended to make you fill light-hearted when it was over. And for me, that is exactly what it did.

Rank: 8

Run of the Mill Teen Rom-Com

[ed_two_o_nine · 6/10 · 26 December 2007]

I came to this movie without much hope bit being a fan of romantic comedies in general. However I was pleasantly surprised by this movie without thoroughly enjoying it. Given the choice I would not watch this film again (as regular readers know is my barometer for judging a film) but I would watch it with my wife.

The film runs to the tried and tested formula of teen romantic comedies and the ending is obvious from the outset. But there is still plenty to enjoy here.

The cast all perform well without anybody standing out, though the chemistry between the three major characters could have been better.

Fans of the genre could do a lot worse than check out this film.

Let down in one major way...

[Miss1886 · 21 April 2004]

I honestly thought I would like this film. I'm pretty much the target demographic (17 year old girl with a liking for romantic comedies and good looking boys) so I thought this film would be a great way to kill a couple of hours on a boring thursday night.

And to be honest, the plot isn't too bad. It's a predictable love story, but then again predictable love stories are the reason why I fell in love with classics such as Dirty Dancing. This story is sweet and the ending did have me going "awwww...". But let me put it his way: it will only make you "awww" if you are a chick flick fan. If you are not a chick flick fan, you'll probably have had enough sugar by the first forty five minutes. It's definitely what I like to refer to as a "Red Bull". Totally sugary and so perky, at times, it can be disturbing.

However, although I liked the story, I was totally disappointed with the acting. The acting is what shames this movie. Kate Bosworth is terrible. She's the biggest typecast of the wholesome girl next door and her squealing and vacant, wide eyed stares belong on the Bold and the Beautiful. Not on the big screen. And although she tries, Ginnifer Goodwin's character of Cathy is so flat and one dimensional. She should be slutty, but instead of any sort showing of sex appeal (the only character with sex appeal is Angelica the bartender who I truly believe is one of the best actors in the film), Cathy's dialogue is littered with overt, tacky, cringeworthy sexual innuendo. Infact, not even that. It's usually laid out on the table. But instead of laughing, you just feel like slapping her. Such a shame for Goodwin, as I was impressed with her performance in Mona Lisa Smile and this character is well beneath her talent. Josh Duhamel plays the "duh" factor to perfection. His pecs are far more of a star than he is. Enough said.

What really, really surprised me though was that I fell head over heels in love with Topher Grace and his character, Pete. He did a wonderful job conveying his jealous, unrequited love. I truly hope we see more from him, because he was the only actor in this film I didn't feel like slapping. Oh, I liked Angelica too. She was good. And of course, Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes. Always good for a laugh.

I can't really recommend this film for anyone. I think even the tween market will be disappointed with it. Hey, they might enjoy the "awww" factor. Everyone else will just walk out and have forgotten it within 15 minutes.

Chick Flick Within a Chick Flick

[JackRJosie · 6/10 · 7 July 2020]

Yeah it's a good enough show to get a 7. A 7 for me is above average. It's a cutesy story with some hidden good messages. Not as textbook as i thought it'd be.

Tofer Grace is kind of annoying though. Not a Tofer Grace fan. He always gives me A-hole vibes. He works in Spider-Man but yeah... not a fan of him as a love interest. He's far too sarcastic to be likable. And that's coming from someone who is very sarcastic. But yeah... i like this movie... SUE ME!!

"Celebrity Date Game"

[Kamurai25 · 5/10 · 17 August 2020]

Decent watch, could watch again, but can't recommend.

If you're just into romantic comedies, this might work for you, and it's not a bad movie, but it's not a very strong movie. It's a "two guys are going to fight over a guy" trope that tries to stand out by the guy who isn't obvious being a "dream celebrity".

The chemistry between that actors isn't great, and the scenarios are very contrived. While it a fun movie, it feels like acting when good acting feels very natural.

In a world where we have so many options, it's just hard to tell anyone to prioritize this one.

A nice and not completely brainless chick flick

[svetiev_b · 7/10 · 16 May 2008]

One thing that makes this movie different than all the others of this genre is the fact that it does not have a negative character and even the stereotype, movie star Ted Hamilton's character is driven by morally and ethically righteous motives. So the main plot of this movie (as unbelievable as it may sound) revolves around the characters struggle with their self and they strive to overcome their own boundaries and limitations.

As I said in the beginning there is no bad guy in this movie. Everybody does the right and noble thing at their given time.

Now all this philosophy aside, this is a nice easy going movie with overly idealized moral values, which is kind of rare now a days and makes it quite refreshing and unexpected.

i expected alittle better.

[thrillcats · 5/10 · 16 January 2004]

Ok. So I was the only person over the age of 21 in the theater during a sneak preview (i should have known better). Despite the teenagers running around and making comments during the whole picture, I think I enjoyed the movie- but expected alittle bit more. The relationship between Tad and Rosalee seemed rushed to me and a lot of the characters had very little depth. I thought the acting was well done, especially Josh (Tad) in his first movie. He impressed me the most. The movie went by quickly and was entertaining, but worth the $10 ticket and the crowd noise? I should have waited til it came out on Pay per view. Half the price and I can wear pajamas. I think if you go into the theater not expecting too much, you won't be disappointed. And if you're a Josh Duhamel fan- you'll have a great time!

The Pigly Wigly girl

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 17 July 2005]

Even before the film started, one realizes where this film is going, so without any expectations, and nothing else good showing at the time this movie came on, we decided to take a chance. The film has some mildly funny moments. As directed by Robert Luketic, the movie shows no surprises, but it's amusing for a laugh, or two.

The premise is ridiculous, at best. In fact, the movie makers have taken pains to present the people of West Virginia in a dignified way, contrary to what some comments here indicate. In fact, the cashier, Rosalee, has a lot going for her. The premise is completely false, but again, this is an attempt to make a romantic comedy.

Rosalee finds out in the worst way, there's no place like home and real love is the one Pete feels for her. After all, he really knows what makes Rosalee tick, contrary to Tad Hamilton, the Hollywood "hunk", who is only playing a role, which proves to be the case when his agents come calling him for the new picture where he will be the star.

Kate Bosworth, as Rosalee, has some good moments. Topher Grace, who is a good actor, plays second fiddle to Josh Duhamel, the star of movies who thinks he might be in love. Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes have some funny moments too.

This is a film that will seem better when the viewer realizes what it is, pure escape, formula entertainment, and sits back, relaxes and have a few laughs while watching it.

Playing a date

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 22 September 2014]

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.

Much funnier than the typical chick flick!!

[hel410 · 9/10 · 26 May 2004]

This movie had much more going for it than I had anticipated. Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes as the agent and manager Richard Levy (both of them had the same name!) were hilarious, as was the hotel clerk - a small part played by Sam Pancake who I at first mistook for Martin Short. Topher Grace had tons of great one-liners, and Ginnifer Goodwin and Kathryn Hahn also really good in supporting roles. I liked Josh Duhamel too, and was interested to find that he really wasn't the stereotypical movie star trying to manipulate Kate Bosworth. His character was really sincere, giving you no one to really dislike and making the plot much more interesting. Overall, I was laughing out loud through a good deal of this movie when I had expected it to be a little lame - a really nice surprise!

Formulaic

[ivko · 5/10 · 4 May 2004]

Paint by numbers romantic comedy. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, here that you haven't seen a thousand times before in other films. Bosworth is charismatic, Grace less so (although in fairness his role doesn't give him a lot to work with), Duhamel is beleivable as a shallow actor attempting introspection for the first time. The movies best comedic moments come from Lane and Hayes, who embrace the superficial Hollywood lifestyle and are just fine with it, thank you very much. But in the end, unless you can count to your IQ using only your fingers and toes you will know how this movie ends before it begins. I wonder if it makes me a saddist that I long for an ending where the object of affection in the movie realizes how they REALLY feel too late, and the last scene in the film is he/she tearfully blurring into the background as the camera focuses on the now-happy nice guy/girl walking away to their new, healthy, relationship? You know, like a French film.

Great

[Michael_Elliott · 14 March 2008]

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton (2004)

**** (out of 4)

Rosalee (Kate Bosworth) is your typical girl living in a small town where nothing much really happens. After work she hangs out with her two friends and they usually wind up at the movies watching her favorite actor Tad Hamilton. Pete (Topher Grace) has been her best friend since childhood and even he is embarrassed by the way the girls act towards the silver screen. Rosalee often says she bets Tad is just as caring and romantic in real life as he is on the screen. Pete, being the wise one knows that an actor can sell anything and especially sell romance to a young girl.

Out in Hollywood the media has broken a story about Tad (Josh Duhamel), which could ruin his career. Tad was caught drunk driving with a female fan and this here certainly goes against his romantic image. Fearing some sort of public backlash, Tad's manager (Nathan Lane) decides to hold a contest where one lucky fan could win a date with the handsome actor. As it turns out Rosalee wins the contest and to her shock, the date goes better than expected and soon Tad finds himself in West Virginia trying to take the date to the next level. All of this doesn't sit too well with Pete because he sees Tad as a fraud and he's also keeping the secret that he loves Rosalee.

There's all sorts of things going on in the film but director Robert Luketic is smart enough to know how many times this type of story has been told. Not only in the past ten years but the past hundred years of cinema. The screenplay makes a very wise choice and it appears the writer was sick to death of the current romantic comedy and decided to set the film as if it were being made back in the 1930's. The film plays out more like Bringing Up Baby or Adam's Rib instead of something watered down like How to Deal or even Crossroads for that matter. I doubt this film will become a legendary classic but it's pretty darn close to perfection for what it is.

Another good thing working for the film is that is appears to have been made for adults. Perhaps that's why the film didn't do too well at the box office because the characters involved have experienced life and they know life well. Instead of countless scenes where the viewer is ten times smarter than the character, this film here gives us smart characters who are talking about serious issues and by doing this the film adds some very tender moments that aren't usually seen in a movie like this. The film is smart enough to stay away from any clichés and it's smart enough to treat all the characters with a bit of respect. Even the "rednecks" are never made out to be stereotypes and Hollywood is given a bit of respect as well.

Going into the film we expect to go down the same road and we know how this Cinderella story will turn out. The film goes down that same road but there are many bumps here and there that throws things off course and keeps the drama high because we truly don't know who the young girl will pick. We know there's only two choices but there isn't a clear cut winner and in the end we are rather shocked at how things play out. There are plenty of funny moments here as well and once again the screenplay seems to be sticking its tongue out at us. The biggest spoof is the current romantic comedies in theaters. As we're watching the film we are seeing something we've seen countless times yet the film then sticks its tongue out at us and says we know that's what you're thinking but we're going to give you something else instead. That slyness in the writing is what makes the movie such a charm.

For a great screenplay to work however you need a cast that can bring it to life. Once again, I've been very harsh on today's so-called actors but the performances gathered here is something really refreshing. Kate Bosworth is probably the freshest and most charming actresses to grace a romantic comedy since Meg Ryan way back in When Harry Met Sally. That incredible smile will put a smile on the viewers face just like it does her friends in the movie. Just the way Bosworth's characters jumps off the screen makes it very easy to see why these two men would fall in love with her. In fact, the viewer themselves might find their hearts slipping into the competition. Josh Duhamel does a wonderful job at showing the high class Hollywood hero who tries coming down to Earth. Once again the actor's charm really wins over on the viewer and seeing the two together will remind you of the best date of your life. Then there's Topher Grace who probably has the toughest role to sell yet he pulls it off without any problems. There are many instances where Grace could have gone over the top or his jealousy could have rubbed the viewer the wrong way but the actor manages to show off the good with the bad without it looking forced or faked.

Typical romantic comedy

[rigovega · 5/10 · 11 August 2020]

Win a date with Tad Hamilton is one of many romantic comedies where everything is predictable and unoriginal. I really wanted to be surprised at some point during the film with some twist or turn in the plot and that never happened. It was as though the writers just got every cliche and went with what works and avoided any kind of risk. If you really want to have an idea what this is about before seeing it, just think in terms of guy wants girl, girl wants other guy plotlines and there you have it. Seriously, there is nothing special here. To make matters worse, even the soundtrack was stereotypical.

Adorable

[corvidia · 6/10 · 1 August 2021]

Super cute movie. The first 3/4 are shockingly good - excellent dialogue, believable characters - formulaic, but well executed...

...Aside from the lack of WV accents that no one except the ever-fabulous Kathryn Hahn, the motel guy and an off-cam extra at the bar could even be bothered to attempt! Come on, it would have been so easy to add this great sense of place and culture, which the set designers/art directors did to PERFECTION. This is a stunningly beautiful movie. The lighting is also beautiful, making every scene unexpectedly like a thoughtful painting. Actually a little shocked at how gorgeous they made this film - to see these scenes popping off the screen like the original John Waters Hairspray or Kubrick was the last thing I expected from a fluffy romcom.

The actors all did wonderful jobs, aside from the almost complete lack of accents or even attempts. Their characters were unusually believable and so I suppose some of that is owed to the director, too.

The Piggly-Wiggly was a nice Appalachian touch; they really channeled the small town feel. There was some garish product placement here and there - a Sprite Can, a Little Debbie's Strawberry Shortcake box, etc. - semicringe. But the whole thing had heart, right up to the end, at which point the dialogue became the sort of trite nonsense the earlier part of the film had correctly ridiculed.

Did some producer take the script away from the original writers and rewrite the ending? It all just kind of collapses in the last 15 min or so of the film, suddenly characters act out of character, and everything becomes really kitschy and banal. There was no reason for this - up till then, the whole movie had followed the genre formula but still left its own unique stamp on it and really put in a lot of effort into making it an excellent example of the genre.

So it was nearly capped out at the 9 star max a romcom is ever allowed (and/or due to the usual obnoxious soundtrack), then lost 1 star due to lack of WV - or hell, even Southern - accents, and 2 stars due to the ending, and the fact that Pete would never say those things that way or leave his dog in the middle of the road all that time at the end, when one of his greatest flaws is his down-to-earth pragmatism. He likes his dog and is a vigilant, detail-oriented fellow. He would keep that boy out of the road, as long as his eyes were working...I know they just wanted to have the dog frame the credits, but that was the know-it-all micromanagerial producer talking, no doubt.

Anyway, well worth watching for the first 75% at least.

Everyone is Tad Hamilton to someone Win a Date with Tad Hamilton

[jaredmobarak · 4/10 · 9 February 2008]

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.

Spends too much time being in a hybrid category

[StevePulaski · 6/10 · 27 April 2011]

If you are an aspiring filmmaker and need an idea for a ninety minute film I think I may have your solution; write a script for a romantic comedy. Think about it, the first thing you do isn't the thing your going to wind up sticking with. Kevin Bacon started with horror films and now he's a household name. Even Peter Jackson. What you want to do is get a pretty straightforward storyline for a romantic comedy made and expand it into roughly an eighty to one hundred minute film.

Comedy is a risky environment, if there aren't big names, people won't pay. Even if it's bashed, you'll make money, but you need respectable comedy names. Horror is a bad market to get in now because everything is CGI and remakes. It's another genre I'd shy away from. Write a script for a romantic comedy, get some middle of the road stars to be in it, and boom. It doesn't cost too much to make a romantic comedy either. That is my advice for you.

I bring this up because Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! sounds like a film that could've been made by almost anyone. There is always a market for romantic comedies because there is always a girlfriend in need of a chick flick and time with her boyfriend. It's a win win. Even the most cliché romance movies get a fair rating from critics and audience members. It doesn't have to be Notebook worthy. If it makes them laugh, tear, and care, chances are, they'll eat it up.

Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! is about a regular girl named Rosalee (Bosworth) who gets the once in a lifetime chance to go on a date with her favorite movie star hunk Tad Hamilton (Duhamel). What she doesn't know, aside from his stunning, romantic comedy appearances, Tad is just a burnout Hollywood wreck. Tad winds up falling in love with Rosalee, and wants the two to live together. Rosalee's best guy friend Pete (Grace) is extremely jealous and in shock Rosalee would fall in love this guy. This causes a whole new subplot for the film.

The movie is stuck in the awkward hybrid section of "regular ol' rom com" and "on the edge of daring rom com." Even though I am usually an easy sell with romantic comedies, I didn't care too much for the characters in the film. Even Topher Grace who I am known to love. Rosalee's simply minded, quick decision making character isn't how I would like a protagonist to be and Tad's character just is an unlikable schmuck.

I did however enjoy some scenes in the film, most of all the farm scene where Pete and Tad are trying to chop logs. Pete tries to show off to the girls with his bird-chest, but once that shirt comes off of Tad, Pete might as well get lost. The scene was very accurate on how girls act around a muscular guy and a wimpy guy. It hit the target.

Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! has some nice little perks to it like Topher Grace, an interesting soundtrack, and some small other plot perks, but overall it's one of those films that really used up a ton of it's budget on actors when it could've done so much more and went a lot deeper. I didn't hate it, I didn't care too much for it.

Starring: Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel, Topher Grace, Nathan Lane, Sean Hayes, and Gary Cole. Directed by: Robert Luketic.

Not Bad, but a bit predictable

[ToySoldier79 · 7/10 · 2 January 2004]

"Win A Date With Tad Hamilton" was a good movie, albiet predictable and cliche, but, what romantic comedy isn't these days, it was great to see Topher Grace in a role other than Eric Forman or bit parts in Soderbergh movies, he definitely has real potential to be leading man material later in his career, but not to far off I am sure, this was a great start for him, Kate Bosworth was stunning as always, but I just didn't feel much chemistry between her and Josh Duhmel, maybe that was the point, the scenes between her and Topher were well done and they showed a chemistry with each other, but I wish there had been more scenes with them, and let the story between them evolve, other than that, it had alot of energy, some wonderful scenes between Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes as Josh's Agent and manager, and Josh wasn't the typical slimeball actor that you would expect he actually showed tons of heart, and I think that he was very charming in spots, I think this film will find the audience that liked the directors first movie "Legally Blonde", so, cliched as it was, it was a good way to spend 100 minutes. 7/10