Kate Hudson, who hasn’t been in a good movie since she was Oscar-nominated for “Almost Famous,” gets top billing again in the so-so “Something Borrowed.” Fortunately, the chick flick is the first lead role for Ginnifer Goodwin, one of the more interesting actresses working today, whether in TV (“Big Love”) or in films (as the first Mrs. Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line”).
Goodwin makes a meal of this thin gruel, derived from a novel by Emily Giffin. Her subtle work makes you care about this young lawyer, who finds herself drawn into an affair with the fiancé of her about-to-be married BFF — even if some of the other performances are problematic, the script and direction are by-the-numbers at best and Goodwin’s hairstyles tend to be distractingly awful.
As we see from way too many flashbacks, Goodwin’s character has secretly been crushing on Hudson’s fiancé (the wooden Colin Egglesfield of “Melrose Place”) since their days at law school. But she defers to Hudson, her more sexually aggressive childhood pal — at least until Goodwin and the fiancé end up sharing a boozy cab ride home from Goodwin’s 30th birthday party.
PHOTOS: ‘SOMETHING BORROWED’ FILMING IN NY
It’s awkward, and mildly farcical, when Egglesfield and Goodwin are awoken from her bed the next morning by frantic cellphone calls to both of them from Hudson. Things get even more complicated when Goodwin arrives with a platonic buddy (uber-dweeb John Krasinski of “The Office”) for a summer share in the Hamptons with Hudson, Egglesfield and the latter’s cartoonishly macho pal (Steve Howey of TV’s “Reba”).
When Krasinski isn’t dodging the attention of another aggressive female in the house by pretending to be gay, he’s sensitively figuring out what’s going on between Egglesfield and Goodwin. He warns Goodwin (whom he has his own secret crush on) that the guy is, after all, about to be married to her best friend.
The press notes describe Hudson’s character as “high-maintenance,” but her over-the-top performance pushes past the point of obnoxiousness. It’s enough to make you wonder why a character as smart as Goodwin’s would put up with Hudson for 10 minutes, let alone most of their lives.
It’s a testament to Goodwin’s skill as an actress that we almost buy this — and the idea that her character would carry a torch for such a shallow, weak pretty boy who will most likely turn out to be a serial philanderer if she wrests him away from Hudson.
The script, attributed to Jennie Snyder Urman, tries to excuse this by arguing that he’s only marrying Hudson to please his dying mother (Jill Eikenberry, most of whose part seems to have ended up on the cutting-room floor). Personally, I didn’t buy it or the ending.
Hopefully, Goodwin will land a juicy dramatic role as a result of “Something Borrowed.” Hudson should get a new acting coach — and make sure the cinematographer of her next movie doesn’t make the 32-year-old actress look like she’s on the far side of 40.