The Ugly Truth

PASSING THOUGHTS
Romantic comedies typically require a measure of suspended disbelief. Even the most believable premises involve coincidences, out-of-the-ordinary circumstances, and internal changes that occur at the speed of montage. Trouble can arise when the level of suspension begins to rival that of a sci-fi or horror flick, and unfortunately it requires the same imagination for me to buy into the characters and theme of this movie as it does for me to accept the existence of Ewoks, elves, and zombies.

First of all, the leads are caricatures who represent opposite extremes of the relational spectrum. This isn’t a problem in itself, but when the world begins to morph and twist around them, essentially adjusting to their extremities, the effect is jarring. Instead of placing the hypothesis of the theme in front of a realistic backdrop for speculation and comparison, the film applies the hypothesis to the world which takes it out of reality. Instead of lust and love being two different things, they are merged into one. Lust and its effects are typically frowned on by society, but here it is given the same respect and approval that love is. Whatever planet this film is set in, it isn’t Earth.

If the film had been able to successfully blur the difference between love and lust, this premise might still have worked. But there are numerous plot holes and character contradictions that make the fantasy all the more unbelievable. First, Mike says that he doesn’t believe in a healthy relationship, to his “very core”, citing a list of bad experiences as proof. Then, naught but one dance later, his core has undergone a complete transformation, and he believes in love and is willing to pursue what he must consider to be a healthy relationship. Next, after having fled from what we are to believe is love, Mike tells his new producer, “You know what I like best about you? I don’t want to have sex with you”. He didn’t say, “I’m not in love with you”, he made an overt reference to lust.

A third gaping discrepancy in the plot is the falling out between Abby and Colin. The entire movie we are led to believe that Abby has fallen in love with Colin; he has everything she wants, and he’s a great guy to boot (except of course for the horrendous fact that he orders bottled water instead of tap water). Yet in the end when Abby confesses that she is nothing like the woman she has presented to him, it somehow drives away her love for him. If she loved him before, revealing herself to be a liar shouldn’t change that. In fact, Colin should be the one rejecting her. But in this strange new world, Colin ends up getting the shaft because the girl he fell in love with stopped loving him when she exposed herself as a fake. I believe that’s a first in cinema history.

This perversion of reality is made most evident by one of Heigl’s comments in the special features. In reference to the two leads, she says, “It works because they bring out the best in one another…” But by her character’s own admission, Mike didn’t bring out the best in her. He brought out a false her that could tune into a man’s lust and manipulate him into developing feelings for her.

This film tried to be a modern day When Harry Met Sally—it even had an orgasm-in-the-restaurant scene (though this one was real). But while WHMS shows the evolution of friendship to love and presents a somewhat coherent presentation about the differences between men and women, TUT tries to mix lust and love and proclaim it to be a universal truth. But thanks to the fabrication of a fantasy world filled with unbelievable characters, the “truth” is revealed to be what it really is. A lie.

But to be fair, it is an ugly lie.

BASICS

Your Cup O’ Tea:
If you aren’t looking for a lovey-dovey romance, and want more physical and bizarre comedy, this is up your alley; think Something About Mary. Even comedies tend to have a serious streak, but this film doesn’t tap into that. This is an antagonistic love story where the leads know each other from the get-go but don’t get along at all. There’s plenty of clashing and jousting, and it won’t require a lot of thought to follow. If you want a chic flick that minimizes the “chic”, this is your pick.

Steer Clear:
If you’re looking for a family-oriented comedy. This is rated R for a very good reason: lots of overt sexual language, references and profanity. There’s very little nudity (male backside, censored female front), but this is definitely an adult film. This is almost what American Pie would be like if it got older; the romance and relational development are minimized in exchange for physical comedy.

Nothing New Under the Sun:
This has the social commentary feel of a crass "When Harry Met Sally", and the protagonist angle of a raunchy "Hitch". And with very few deviations, the characters and interactions are very much reminiscent of Someone Like You, and, to a degree, "27Dresses".

Buy or Rent:
RENT. Unless you found the physical comedy to be funny enough for multiple viewings, there won’t be much to justify making this a purchase. You can tackle most of the bonus features in less than an hour, and the story is pretty straight-forward. The dialogue is more of a commentary and doesn’t necessarily make for an entertaining exchange. The performances are good enough, so if you’re a fan of Heigl or Butler this may be something you’d add to your collection. Other than that, one viewing should be enough. Of course, if you want a healthy collection of previews (this baby has a baker’s dozen of ‘em) this is a must-buy.

FEATURES

-Scene Selection

-Language Selection

-Select Scenes Commentary with Director Robert Luketic and Producer Gary Lucchesi:
10 scenes total.

-Deleted Scenes:
Approx 10 minutes of new footage. There are six scenes total, most of which are continuations of existing scenes. There are two scenes which deal with the introduction and creation of Mike’s agent, but the rest seem to extend the through-lines of the scenes they were cut from. The final scene is interesting in that it shows you what montage footage looks like without the music behind it. …Which in turn shows you how important music is to making a montage work! (The footage in these scenes is cut and polished for the most part, so the quality is the same as the feature footage.)

-Alternate Endings:
Approx 5 minutes. There are two alternate endings. The first is simply a role reversal of the very last scene in the theatrical version. The second is an extended Return of the King-esq ending where we get lots of reactions shots from the other characters, and we see what appears to be the outdoor reception of a wedding between our two lovebirds. Most of this segment consists of a dance sequence without the music.

-Gag Reel:
Approx 10 minutes. There is a lot of footage here, but only about 5% of it is what you would consider bloopers or outtakes. Most of what you’ll see are ad-libs and alternate or extended lines. Nothing that really makes you think, “I wish that was in the movie”, just a display of some of the creativity on set. Not much to laugh at, but definitely one of the longest “gag reels” I’ve seen.

-The Truth Is Ugly: Capturing the Male and Female Point of View:
Approx 12.5 minutes. This is pretty much a segment where the producer, director, screenwriters and major cast members explain the theology behind the movie in their own words. This isn’t about the movie per se, but it sheds further light on the perspectives and overall theme of the story. It’s not redundant, but if you’ve watched the film, you pretty much get the idea.
DUH! FACTOR: 8 out of 10

-The Art of Laughter: A Making of Hilarious Proportions:
Approx 16 minutes. This is the part where the actors talk about how great the director was to work with, the director talks about the cast, and the producers and screenwriters chime in with their praise for the project in general. There is some time taken to discuss Georgia and Larry’s (played by Cheryl Hines and John Michael Higgins) exchange and contribution to the film, but other than that, this segment is pretty much praise over behind-the-scenes footage. No real eye-openers here, but if you want to hear how the muscle-bound hero of 300 came to be a romantic lead, you might find this interesting.
DUH! FACTOR: 7 out of 10

-Previews:
Did You Hear About the Morgans?, Angels and Demons, Julie and Julia, Blu-Ray Disc Ad, 2012, The Accidental Husband, It Might Get Loud, St. Trinian’s, The Maiden Heist, Assassination of a High School President, Coco Before Chanel, Whatever Works, Fireflies in the Garden, The Nora Roberts Collection.

Woulda Been Nice: To have more “truth” and less “ugly”.