Seen on: January 20, 2008

The players: Director: Anne Fletcher, Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna, Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Edward Burns, Melora Hardin

Facts of interest: Anner Fletcher also directed "Step Up."

The plot: Jane (Katherine Heigl) has been a bridesmaid 27 times and never really worried about her private life, at least not until her own sister hooks up with the man she's secretly in love with.

Our quick thoughts: Katherine Heigl has an impressive wardrobe in Anne Fletcher’s “27 Dresses,” but that’s not nearly enough for the film to succeed. Heigl plays lead character Jane, a young woman who loves weddings and spends most of her time being a perfect bridesmaid. But when her sister Tess (Malin Akerman) arrives in town and starts flirting with Jane’s boss (with whom she’s secretly in love), Jane begins to realize that thinking about her own life is more important than caring for other people’s happiness.

Heigl delivers a delightful performance and obviously tries to hold the film together, but the flawed script and conventional story line continually sabotage her efforts. “27 Dresses” fails to stay clear of romantic comedy clichés, offering cinemagoers absolutely nothing they haven’t previously seen. The plot is predictable at best and the dialogues remain quite shallow, making most of the characters act like a bunch of high school graduates discovering the power of true love.

Strangely enough, the solid soundtrack turns out to be the film’s best asset, setting stage for a handful of entertaining musical sequences sans the superficial babbling. At least there’s plenty of Katherine Heigl to enjoy, because she lights up the screen every time she steps in front of the camera.

Freaky quote: "I feel like I just found out that my favorite love song was written about a sandwich." - Katherine Heigl

The final word: Unless you have a thing for weddings and can’t wait to walk down the aisle yourself, “27 Dresses” is probably no worth the trip to the theatre.