The Ugly Truth (2009)

Terrible advice wins in The Ugly Truth, and the movie throws it a parade. Gerard Butler plays Mike, a cable loudmouth whose whole act is that men are simple and romance is a sales pitch, and the script mostly takes his side. Katherine Heigl’s Abby is a Sacramento producer with a checklist for everything, and the story treats that list like a flaw to be sanded off. Her makeover isn’t growth. It’s learning to laugh at jokes that aren’t funny and dress the way a coworker tells her to. Butler has real swagger, and Heigl is game for the slapstick. The best stuff happens off to the side: John Michael Higgins and Cheryl Hines as married co-anchors whose on-air bickering is sharper than the main plot. The doctor next door is a nice haircut with no personality. It made $205.6 million worldwide on a reported $38M. A 3.3 because the leads have spark and the advice is awful. $25.38 says you hear a radio host hand out dating tips this week and argue back at your dashboard.

What works: Butler’s cocky energy and Heigl’s slapstick give it some bounce, and Higgins and Hines steal every scene as bickering co-anchors.

What doesn’t: The script treats Abby’s standards as the problem to fix, and the love story only works once she becomes someone else.

Who it’s for: People who want a background rom-com with plenty of bickering and don’t mind arguing with its message.