nnocent giggles. Sheltered views. A complete faith in men. What comes to mind? If you’re thinking of teenage girls, you’re wrong. Welcome to the life of Rosalee Futch (Kate Bosworth), a 22-year-old cashier at a local grocery store, the Piggly Wiggly, in a small town of West Virginia. In “”Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!”” one sees Rosalee’s romantic life revolve around a celebrity with whom she wins a date, and around a man she’s known all her life who secretly loves her. Despite the fact that the plot is entirely predictable, it would have still been possible for the film to be entertaining. However, the lack of plot and character development kills any hopes one might have had and those two hours end up being a waste of time.
Director Robert Lukatic (“”Legally Blonde””) creates Bosworth’s look in the shadow of Reese Witherspoon’s; the only difference is that Bosworth’s character is much, much more naïve. She glides through the scenes with a perpetually wide-eyed look, placing infinite trust in anyone who is kind to her. Her pining best friend, Pete (Topher Grace), is exactly how he should be ‹ shy, good looking, the only one who really “”understands”” Rosalee, and filled with an immense love for her. Grace plays the part exquisitely; it is disappointing that the writers did not further develop his character beyond the cute boy next door. Josh Duhamel is Tad Hamilton, the amazingly sexy Hollywood star with an image problem. Enter Rosalee, and the drama that is the premise of the film begins. The slight problem is that the story never develops, and that the characters are explored on a strictly superficial basis. None of the individuals transcend their stereotypes, which leaves the viewer with a vague, unsatisfied feeling when the film is over.
On a more positive note, the film will appeal to younger audiences. The soundtrack is full of songs by fashionable artists like John Mayer and Liz Phair, giving “”Tad Hamilton!”” a very trendy, pop feel. Strictly from an aesthetic point of view, the movie makes the cut. The sets perfectly portray what one might imagine Hollywood and a small hick town to look like. All the characters are very good-looking, which is also a great ploy to attract viewers. Unfortunately, the lack of substance drags the entire film down. Overall, it is a good movie to go to if you are a teeny bopper or if you’ve been meaning to take your younger sibling out. If you don’t fall in either of these categories, your time will be better spent taking a nap, since you’d probably end up having an expensive one at this movie.
