Rated PG for some mildly suggestive content.
Directed by Mark Rosman (A Cinderella Story…)
Starring Hilary Duff, Heather Locklear, Chris Noth…
This film was marketed as a kids’ film. What young girl doesn’t want to see the next Hilary Duff flick? But I think The Perfect Man was a little more.
Teenager Holly Hamilton (Duff) is tired of moving every time her single mom Jean (Locklear)…gets dumped or fails in a relationship. As a result, Holly never allows herself to get attached to anyone because she knows that she’ll just have to pick up and move once again.
Tired of the moving routine, Holly decides to try to make her mom happy by creating a secret “admirer”…the perfect man. She consults her friend’s uncle (Noth) about the characteristics of the perfect man. One lie turns into another and before long the secret emerges.
This film is entertaining on several levels. First, it’s a romance. My wife and I really enjoyed Chris Noth’s character, the man giving advice to the young girls about “the perfect man.” He was a “Hitch” of sorts.
But kids seem to like the film as well. A teen romance emerges as a subplot and the stories intertwine quite well.
Locklear was really good in the role of the divorcee mom. Her performance is authentic and doesn’t cave to trampiness. (What? Locklear trampy???) Divorcee’s are really liking the film.
And I especially loved the wannabe boyfriend who is the Styx fan. Some classic film moments there.
Personally I had a few small irks with the film. I had to pause the DVD once and talk to my kids about the decisions we make and the consequences that follow. In one scene Duff and her friend trigger fire sprinklers in a building, soaking everything in it. This was “for love” of course and is never mentioned again. I had to explain to my kids that the poor guy’s business would have been closed for weeks for repairs, etc. and that these kinds of choices usually have drastic consequences. But hey- this is Hollywood. Are there really such things as consequences?
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Sure. It was clean and fun. Although you might have to explain a few things like my example above or the male bartender who is picking up on guys throughout the film.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
