Official poster.

Sam Carter & Beka Rutledge
Opinion Writer & Assistant Editor

DVD – GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST (New Line Cinema)

Sam Carter
Opinion Writer

Actors:

• Matthew McConaughey: stars as Connor Mead, a womanizer who knows all the right ways to charm the ladies, but uses them for all the wrong reasons.
• Jennifer Garner: plays Jenny Perotti, Connor’s love interest throughout the film who is the only one not susceptible for falling for his evil ways.
• Michael Douglas: plays Uncle Wayne, the man who taught Connor how to charm the ladies, but has come back as a ghost to correct his teachings.

Plot: Connor Mead is a photographer who has been able to make any woman fall in love with him. He just doesn’t love them back. After getting his heart broken by his high school sweetheart, Jenny, he takes on the teachings of his Uncle. He does not let anyone get too close and uses women as toys for his pleasure. These habits are attempted to be stopped by three ghosts at his brothers wedding; the ghost of girlfriends past, present and future.

Acting/Direction: Matthew is very believable as a ladies’ man, and Garner plays the lovable girl next door very well. Secondary characters like Michael Douglas as Uncle Wayne, and Emma Stone as the ghost of girlfriends past, make for hilarious moments. The movie is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that pertains to dating. It is very funny, but predictable as, we all know the story.

Chick Flick “iness”: This is a chick flick through and through; you know it when a hunky star like McConaughey is cast as the lead. This is a movie that will make women furious at first and then cry in the end. Many women can relate to this as they have dated their share of “players” and thus it makes it great viewing for the female market.

Official Poster.

IN THEATRES – THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE (New Line Cinema)

Beka Rutledge
Assistant Editor

Actors:

• Eric Bana: plays Henry DeTamble, a college librarian with a genetic impairment that causes him to time travel without warning.
• Rachel McAdams: plays Clare (Abshire) DeTamble, an artist who first met Henry as a young girl, fell in love with him and grows up to marry him.

Plot: Clare meets Henry when she is a little girl while he is time traveling. Once they are married, the couple deals with much more than the typical marital problems. Henry is gone for weeks at a time in his time travels, leaving Clare alone wondering when he will return. They struggle to have a child because it seems the fetuses have the same disorder causing Clare to miscarry. They fight to find some stability and normalcy in their lives and make do the best they can because of their strong love for each other.

Acting/Direction: The film is beautifully put together. It is a bit confusing at times, and viewers do have to pay attention to make sense of some things. The acting over all is good. Bana does a decent job with a difficult character, and he definitely makes the females drool. McAdams gives a great performance as she usually does. Together they make a fine pair and give a believable portrayal of true love.

Chick Flick “iness”: This movie is without a doubt a chick flick. It has the right amount of romance, angst and tearjerker moments. It may be short on laughs, but it is a great love story.

The Verdict:
These movies are evenly matched. The difference lies in the audience. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a better date movie, whereas The Time Traveler’s Wife is perfect for a girls’ night out. However, we have to make a decision here and the verdict goes to Ghosts. If you want to come out of the theater scratching your head, then pay to go see this, otherwise sit at home with your significant other and enjoy a few laughs watching a cheesy, predictable movie.