My wife and I watched Win a Date with Tad Hamilton on HBO in a room at the Menger Hotel day before yesterday. I’d heard good things about the movie, but wasn’t sure if I wanted to watch it or read Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. I’m glad that I watched this movie though, because it turned out to be very good indeed, actually.
My wife was a huge fan of Legally Blonde when it came out, and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton was directed by the same guy. I did not enjoy Legally Blonde as well as Tad Hamilton, however, and I don’t think that a film being directed by Robert Luketic is going to instantly hurl it onto my must-see list. But he did a nice job on this film.
Basically, Rosalee, played by Kate Bosworth, wins a date with a Hollywood super-hunk named Tad Hamilton, and Tad and she start falling for each other. Rosalee’s best friend, played by Topher Grace, also has feelings for her though, and the resulting love triangle is what propels this movie forward. What’s interesting about this movie though is the Topher Grace character. He’s an excellent actor for one thing, and his character is delightfully quirky for another.
And the other interesting thing about the movie is that Tad Hamilton turns out to be a pretty good guy. A lot of times in this kind of movie, the Tad Hamiltion character would have been shallow and unlikable, but in this movie, you might argue that he’s a little on the shallow side, but he’s too likeable a guy to hold that against him.
Another cool thing to look for in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton is Gary Cole’s performance as Rosalee’s father. It’s a small part, but he’s fantastic and very dry in the role.
The movie also features from great one liners, my favorites being: “Guard your carnal treasure.” and “Sometimes Goliath kicks the shit out of David. It’s just nobody bothers to tell that story.”