Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004) User Reviews

Chick Flick, but don't completely scrap it

[monkbuddy · 7/10 · 2 June 2005]

This movie is definitely a "chick flick." Both male leads are played pretty well. Josh Duhamel portrays the self-absorbed actor well, but has difficulty being believable when he is supposedly being sincere. Of course, maybe that's the point. Topher Grace, on the other hand, is able to portray an emotion in very subtle ways, and is therefore perfect as the inwardly-tortured old friend.

Kate Bosworth's character seems to be quite one-dimensional, and not always consistently. She is overly naive, even for a small town hick. I get the impression that the Hollywood types who wrote her part have never been to a small town, or at least, not since the 50s. There are sweet, wholesome people in this world, but they are more realistic than this girl. It is difficult to ascertain who the protagonist is. Is it Topher or Kate? His character has more depth than hers, but it appears that the story revolves around her.

Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes provide much-needed comedy and interest to the story. I found myself looking forward to their appearances on-screen. Funny moments and a few good performances make it worthwhile, but I definitely believe it will appeal more to us women than the men.

A sweet chick flick

[FilmSchoolWriter · 6/10 · 23 January 2006]

I enjoyed "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton". It's a brainless, cutesy little romantic comedy -- but that's okay since it doesn't try to be anything deep or uber meaningful. Topher Grace does a good job playing the sort of nerdy-uber romantic-always crushing on cheerleaders but never having one as a girlfriend guy. It seems to be a really natural performance, possible too natural? ;) Just kidding. But honestly, he does as good of a job as any guy can do in a movie that is totally geared towards the female population. Needless to say, the moral of this story is pretty obvious and it's one we've seen at least a gazillion times before. But I liked it and it's perfect if you're looking for something that requires no brain power at all.

Topher Grace ruined this for me

[Boyo-2 · 5/10 · 24 December 2004]

Okay, I wasn't born last week, so I knew the ending before the opening credits were over. But I still thought this had the chance to be original and maybe even edgy and maybe..everything it wasn't.

Girl has understandable crush on famous movie star. Movie star needs some good press so his agents get the bright idea to set him up on a date with a total stranger. Meanwhile, girls stuttering dweeb of a friend has a crush on her but has never told her, cause as I mentioned, he's a stuttering dweeb. Girl wins date (SURPRISE SURPRISE), goes to LA, and does not have the worse time of her life, and goes back home. She does NOT sleep with the movie star, which impresses him and is the best moment in the movie (when he says "Good for you" to Rosie); its him realizing she may be a person of substance, and explains why he follows her home to East Hell, West Virginia, so 'some of her goodness can rub off on him', or something to that effect. Then movie star BUYS A FARM in West Virginia, meets the girls father, and invites her back to LA to begin shooting a movie he's been dying to get.

Don't have to tell you the rest, except that Bosworth plays Rosalie like she has straw sticking out of the side of her mouth. Josh is, of course, a shallow cigarette-smoking (that's a sure indication of his lack of integrity; in the NEW Hollywood, only bad people smoke) self-absorbed ACTOR, and Topher Grace stutters and hems and haws like he has a nervous tic. He ruined what might have been decent entertainment.

There is an insight or two, as mentioned, nothing memorable or profound. In many ways, the title of the movie is the best thing about it. I like a title that tells it all, what can I say..5/10.

makes up in charm what it lacks in edge

[Buddy-51 · 6 August 2004]

`Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' is a predictable fairy tale romance that skates by on the cleverness of its premise and the charm of its performances. Kate Bosworth stars as Rosalee Futch, a small town girl from West Virginia who has a mad crush on a hot Hollywood stud named Tad Hamilton. One day she enters a contest on the Internet, the prize being an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to spend an evening with her dreamboat. Rosalee, of course, wins the contest and has her magic fantasy moment, whereupon she flies back home, expecting to file the experience away in her heart as the high point of her life and then continue her humdrum existence working at the local Piggly Wiggly. What Rosalee doesn't anticipate is that Tad will be so smitten with her genuine goodness and unpretentious nature that he will wind up traveling to West Virginia in order to get to know her better. Complicating matters is the fact that Rosalee's long time friend and boss, Pete, is secretly, madly in love with her and isn't about to give her up without a fight to this fancy, flashy dude from Hollywood.

Given the premise, the makers of this film could, with a bit more self-confidence, have made a keen, hard-edged satire about the role celebrity-worship plays in the lives of ordinary folks. Instead, they've opted to take a softer, less abrasive approach, settling for a more conventional love triangle that still manages to win us over despite the formulaic nature of the story. The best part about `Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' is that it doesn't turn Tad into a boorish, self-centered jerk, which would have been so easy to do. As played by Josh Duhamel, Tad is, instead, a decent, well-meaning, good-natured young man who basically just wants the same thing out of life that we all do, namely love and commitment from that one special person. Even though we know how this triangle will most likely be resolved, the film still generates a certain amount of emotional tension because we actually come to like all three of the characters who make it up. We know Rosalee can't end up with both men, but each, in his own way, appears to be a viable alternative. This spirit of equanimity is not always the case with these types of stories.

Bosworth exudes such a healthy, radiant glow that we don't question for a second why both Tad and Pete are drawn to her. Duhamel pours on the celebrity charm without becoming smarmy and unctuous in the process. And Topher Grace nicely underplays the role of Rosalee's erstwhile secret devotee who faces a rival no Ordinary Joe should ever have to go up against.

`Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' isn't as good as it might have been had it opted for a riskier, edgier tone. But it's not bad as romantic comedies go – and in these days of `Along Came Polly,' `Alex and Emma,' `Chasing Liberty' et al., that's saying quite a bit indeed.

Totally the wrong ending!

[darthsteele-39338 · 2/10 · 5 July 2020]

I enjoyed this little rom-com up until the end. Probably would have given it seven stars but the ending blew it. Would have liked to have seen our girl next door give it a go with the movie star! Was very disappointed when she runs back to the mediocre boy next door. I guess it was written this way to make it relatable to the target audience maybe? Was left very dissatisfied.

What would it be like if we could date our crush

[lisafordeay · 6/10 · 18 October 2020]

Win A Date With Tad Hamiliton is a 2004 romantic comedy starring Kate Bosworth, Topher Grace,Josh Duhmel and Ginnifer Goodwin. It tells the tale of a girl named Rosalie(Bosworth) who has a massive crush on an actor named Tad Hamilton(Duhmel). But when she wins a competition for dating Tad,her best friend Pete(Topher Grace) is secretly in love with her(yeah 13 Going On 30 anyone). But will Kate choose Tad the handsome actor or Pete her best friend since childhood.

Yes this film is predictable but still I enjoyed it. The song from 13 Going On 30 Why Can't I is featured in this film which had me going wow 2004 was the year for this song. Also starring Sean Hayes,Nathan Lane and Octavia Spencer.

Better than most films from the same genre

[christian123 · 4/10 · 12 December 2004]

A grocery store checkout girl (Kate Bosworth) wins a contest to win a date with hot young "bad boy" actor, Tad Hamilton, played by Josh Duhamel. When he ends up falling in love, her life is turned upside down when he comes to her small hometown, and gets into a competition with her best friend (Topher Grace), who is also in love with her.

Generic story aside, the film is actually pretty decent. It isn't great or original but fans of the genre should enjoy it. The film works better than it should thanks to its young and charming cast. They all play likable characters and you will be rooting for them. Kate Bosworth is very charming and beautiful as Rosalee. Her character is very sweet and its hard to hate her though she may be a little too pretty for the role. Josh Duhamel plays Tad and he gives a decent performance. Topher Grace is very funny and entertaining as Pete. His sarcastic sense of humor starts getting old near the end of the film though. The supporting actors are also pretty good. Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes play Tad's agents and they both give funny performances.

Besides for the impressive cast, there isn't much more to recommend. The story is pretty stale and predictable. You can predict what will happen just by watching the trailer. The music is very annoying and corny. The dialog is very cheesy and lame. The film is also kind of dull because you know where things are going and they add a bunch of pointless scenes. Robert Luketic brought us the very enjoyable Legally Blonde but he doesn't quite score a win with this film. His direction is uneven and a bit clumsy. I'm being a little too harsh on this film. It really is a harmless romantic comedy that teenage girls should enjoy. It's also better than Chasing Liberty and the Prince and Me. In the end, fans of the genre should check this film out, everyone else should skip it. Rating 5/10

Light laughs and decent performances deserves a 6/10 for me

[OriginalMovieBuff21 · 6/10 · 30 April 2005]

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews for this movie. It occurred to me that I really had no desire to watch this film beforehand but a week ago, there was nothing to watch and suddenly Win a Date with Tad Hamilton popped up. So I watched it. I thought the movie was decent. Nothing special and very forgettable but it was still alright to me. Topher Grace and Josh Duhamel put up some good performances especially Topher. I thought he played a really good role. There were some funny jokes and a couple laughs like the scene when Topher and Josh are cutting wood and Josh takes off his shirt while Topher does same. I thought that scene was the funniest part of the movie. Overall, nothing really special to this film and very forgettable, but still I thought it was a decent romantic comedy Hedeen's Outlook: 6/10 ** C-

Win...155 unspoiled minutes of your life by not watching this super-annoying movie!

[theinvisiblera · 1/10 · 24 September 2017]

So if you ask me what's good about this movie I can only tell you that I hadn't figured it out yet. Maybe the story could have some potential if it got a new screenplay, set of characters etc. You get the idea. Not much good to tell.

On the flip side, if you ask me what's bad about this movie, I have a whole list of things. But I will only focus on one point - the characters. And I don't mean the actors - or rather - I don't know if I have actors in mind as well, because the characters themselves and their lines were so terrible, it overshadowed the actors' performance. Total eclipse of talent, if there was any to start with.

Here's a quick character overview so you get the gist of it: The main female character - Rosalee - is so dull, I even thought her best friend could be in the lead, for what was like the first 5 minutes of the movie.

Cathy - Rosalee's best friend. Annoying, annoying, annoying. Fangirl of the title character, Ted Hamiltion. And FANGIRL do I mean! Hearing her overly exalted lines made me have a spasm attack inside, every time she opened her mouth. Whoever wrote that & thought it could be relatable? Or even believable? Tad Hamilton - a tool,but a nice tool. At least he tried. A celebrity and Rosalee's prime love interest.

Pete - Rosalee's best friend, who also happens to be secretly in love with her & my MAIN VOMIT GENERATOR in this movie. This character is a disgrace for every underdog lover in every romcom movie ever created. Chauvinist & treating his love interest like his property, he always knew better what she needed & wasn't shy to tell he what exactly she had to do with her v-card (& was very explicit about that, too). He basically felt entitled to tell the girl of his dreams where she could and couldn't go, with whom and when, as well as harass her life, while still being a coward too much to tell her his actual feelings for her. Not that it changes anything, because when he finally tells the unsuspecting poor thing, after who knows how many years of cowardice, he expects her to dump her current beau and move to another state with him ON THE SPOT. Is that supposed to be romantic, cause I'm getting more like psychotic? If I ever met a guy like him in real life I would steer clear of him & possibly report him a stalker. This character literally made me pause the movie after each scene he appeared in, for like 15 mins, so I could cool off and forget I ever watched him.

I only finished the movie because I was down with pneumonia for 3 weeks and was dying for something I haven't seen before. But I tell you - even then it was a BIG FAT NO.

Kate Bosworth was not right for the role...

[ashleigh129 · 6/10 · 24 February 2004]

I felt like this movie could have been a lot better if there had been some real chemistry between both Tad (Josh Duhamel) and Rosalee (Kate Bosworth) and Pete (Topher Grace) and Rosalee would have had just a little bit of chemistry. Rosalee was so ditzy and had no personality or substance in the film, although both of the men chasing after her claimed that she did. I didn't root for either couple to stay with her, because I couldn't believe that either character would have been interested in her. Her first scenes when she met Tad were extremely cheesy, and her annoying accent when conversing with Pete was too much to handle. Too bad since Topher Grace is fabulous in any role and the hotness of Josh Duhamel cancels out any flaws in his acting.

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!

[jboothmillard · 5/10 · 27 April 2011]

From director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Monster-in-Law), I had certainly heard the title, and I knew it might be a soppy romantic comedy chick flick, but I have been known to sit through many of those. Basically in rural West Virginia, young grocery clerk Rosalee Futch (Superman Returns' Kate Bosworth) dreams of one day meeting her movie star idol Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel), and she sees a way to make this a reality. She spots a competition where the prize is to go on a date with Hamilton himself, so after raising the $100 entry fee, she is shocked and delighted to be the winner, while her best friend and co-worker Pete Monash (Topher Grace) is irritated. So Rosalee finally comes face to face with Tad Hamilton, who is doing this, with the insistence of his agent Richard Levy the Driven (Nathan Lane), to clean up his fading image and boost his profile, and she is naturally nervous. So the date goes well and she has a nice time, as does Tad, who is somehow smitten with this girl he only got to know for a few hours, and he wants more, so against the wishes of Richard, he moves to West Virginia. Rosalee is of course confused to see this movie star asking her out for another date, and getting close to become a more frequent boyfriend, but she enjoys every minute of it, while Pete, who is secretly in love with her, is extremely jealous. Pete does find it in himself to come out and show his true feelings for Rosalee, but she is confused, doesn't seem to really take it in and is naturally more towards Tad. In the end, Rosalee realises she does indeed have true feelings for Pete, Tad tells her he has been lying and lets her go, and the true loving couple have their happy ending kiss. Also starring Gary Cole as Henry Futch, Ginnifer Goodwin as Cathy Feely, Kathryn Hahn as Angelica, Octavia Spencer as Janine, Sean Hayes as Richard Levy the Shameless, Amy Smart as Nurse Betty and Stephen Tobolowsky as George Ruddy. Bosworth is nice as the beautiful star-eyed fan, Duhamel is alright as the simpleton movie star, and Grace is good as the love sick jealous friend, the film didn't make me laugh a lot, but the story would appeal to anyone who has always wanted to meet their idol, your probably going to get more than you bargained for, and there's that saying that it's different when in the flesh, anyway, a not bad romantic comedy. Worth watching!

Fluffy little film

[fluffyclown · 8/10 · 18 May 2004]

I admit it. I saw this movie simply because I wanted to see something light and fluffy. I got what I wanted.

Yes, it's a chick flick. Yes, it's predictable. Yes, it has the typical Hollywood ending. But the film never said it was going to be anything but that, and that's why I liked it. No political agendas. No heavy drama and/or gut-wrenching scenes. In fact, there really wasn't anything in this film that was really negative. It was just a cute, fluffy little film that was intended to make you fill light-hearted when it was over. And for me, that is exactly what it did.

Rank: 8

A nice and not completely brainless chick flick

[svetiev_b · 7/10 · 16 May 2008]

One thing that makes this movie different than all the others of this genre is the fact that it does not have a negative character and even the stereotype, movie star Ted Hamilton's character is driven by morally and ethically righteous motives. So the main plot of this movie (as unbelievable as it may sound) revolves around the characters struggle with their self and they strive to overcome their own boundaries and limitations.

As I said in the beginning there is no bad guy in this movie. Everybody does the right and noble thing at their given time.

Now all this philosophy aside, this is a nice easy going movie with overly idealized moral values, which is kind of rare now a days and makes it quite refreshing and unexpected.

Kate Bosworth and Josh Duhamel are boring together

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 4 November 2013]

Rosalee Futch (Kate Bosworth), Pete Monash (Topher Grace), and Cathy Feely (Ginnifer Goodwin) are best friends and co-workers at the local Piggly Wiggly. Pete secretly pines for Rosalee, and Cathy's the ugly best friend. Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel) is a big movie star with a shallow life. To rehab his image, they create a contest to win a date with Tad Hamilton.

Kate Bosworth is way too hot at the start. They've got to ugly her up and do a big makeover when she gets to Hollywood. And the truth is the dates with Tad Hamilton aren't the most compelling watch. Bosworth and Duhamel are really really pretty people. They are fine actors but they're completely overshadowed by the much more funny Topher Grace. The movie shines with Topher. The best scene comes when Toper and Duhamel have a shirt off. He's the only truly funny thing about this movie. Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane are annoying little cartoons as Tad Hamilton's people. Ginnifer Goodwin does a few funny lines but she doesn't have enough to do. They need to cut short the dates, and invest the time with the 4 main characters together.

Let down in one major way...

[Miss1886 · 21 April 2004]

I honestly thought I would like this film. I'm pretty much the target demographic (17 year old girl with a liking for romantic comedies and good looking boys) so I thought this film would be a great way to kill a couple of hours on a boring thursday night.

And to be honest, the plot isn't too bad. It's a predictable love story, but then again predictable love stories are the reason why I fell in love with classics such as Dirty Dancing. This story is sweet and the ending did have me going "awwww...". But let me put it his way: it will only make you "awww" if you are a chick flick fan. If you are not a chick flick fan, you'll probably have had enough sugar by the first forty five minutes. It's definitely what I like to refer to as a "Red Bull". Totally sugary and so perky, at times, it can be disturbing.

However, although I liked the story, I was totally disappointed with the acting. The acting is what shames this movie. Kate Bosworth is terrible. She's the biggest typecast of the wholesome girl next door and her squealing and vacant, wide eyed stares belong on the Bold and the Beautiful. Not on the big screen. And although she tries, Ginnifer Goodwin's character of Cathy is so flat and one dimensional. She should be slutty, but instead of any sort showing of sex appeal (the only character with sex appeal is Angelica the bartender who I truly believe is one of the best actors in the film), Cathy's dialogue is littered with overt, tacky, cringeworthy sexual innuendo. Infact, not even that. It's usually laid out on the table. But instead of laughing, you just feel like slapping her. Such a shame for Goodwin, as I was impressed with her performance in Mona Lisa Smile and this character is well beneath her talent. Josh Duhamel plays the "duh" factor to perfection. His pecs are far more of a star than he is. Enough said.

What really, really surprised me though was that I fell head over heels in love with Topher Grace and his character, Pete. He did a wonderful job conveying his jealous, unrequited love. I truly hope we see more from him, because he was the only actor in this film I didn't feel like slapping. Oh, I liked Angelica too. She was good. And of course, Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes. Always good for a laugh.

I can't really recommend this film for anyone. I think even the tween market will be disappointed with it. Hey, they might enjoy the "awww" factor. Everyone else will just walk out and have forgotten it within 15 minutes.

Don't watch it.

[JesX · 1/10 · 29 August 2005]

This movie was ironically defined throughout by its memorable quotes. One of the first stomach turners was spoken while gazing dreamily at Tad ..."Do you think he is that wonderful in real life?" I waited desperately for a punchline but it never came, and it became increasingly clear that the filmmaker actually expected someone to identify with this celebrity obsession as a way of life.

I wish I could say "Win" improved, and there was a glimmer of hope right in the middle when the father of Kate Bosworth's character, played by Gary Cole (Office Space) states, "Sometimes, Goliath just kicks the s*** out of David." He implied that life, unlike the movies, can't have the perfect, canned, HAS-to-work-out because they-LOVE-each other ending. However, the line must have been a misprint, because the ending was a carefully executed piece of Hollywood fluff.

Especially disappointing was Topher Grace -who's sarcastic underdog persona is likable on "That 70's Show"- just appears whiny, and I found it impossible to believe his attraction to the narcissistic Kate, should have been anything more than a boyhood crush. Watch this if you like predictable dialogue or just enjoy emotional beatings.

Chick Flick Within a Chick Flick

[JackRJosie · 6/10 · 7 July 2020]

Yeah it's a good enough show to get a 7. A 7 for me is above average. It's a cutesy story with some hidden good messages. Not as textbook as i thought it'd be.

Tofer Grace is kind of annoying though. Not a Tofer Grace fan. He always gives me A-hole vibes. He works in Spider-Man but yeah... not a fan of him as a love interest. He's far too sarcastic to be likable. And that's coming from someone who is very sarcastic. But yeah... i like this movie... SUE ME!!

Typical romantic comedy

[rigovega · 5/10 · 11 August 2020]

Win a date with Tad Hamilton is one of many romantic comedies where everything is predictable and unoriginal. I really wanted to be surprised at some point during the film with some twist or turn in the plot and that never happened. It was as though the writers just got every cliche and went with what works and avoided any kind of risk. If you really want to have an idea what this is about before seeing it, just think in terms of guy wants girl, girl wants other guy plotlines and there you have it. Seriously, there is nothing special here. To make matters worse, even the soundtrack was stereotypical.

Run of the Mill Teen Rom-Com

[ed_two_o_nine · 6/10 · 26 December 2007]

I came to this movie without much hope bit being a fan of romantic comedies in general. However I was pleasantly surprised by this movie without thoroughly enjoying it. Given the choice I would not watch this film again (as regular readers know is my barometer for judging a film) but I would watch it with my wife.

The film runs to the tried and tested formula of teen romantic comedies and the ending is obvious from the outset. But there is still plenty to enjoy here.

The cast all perform well without anybody standing out, though the chemistry between the three major characters could have been better.

Fans of the genre could do a lot worse than check out this film.

Playing a date

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 22 September 2014]

A chick flick romantic comedy although the laughs are mainly provided by Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane.

Tad Hamilton is an actor known for wholesome roles but when he is caught drinking and driving, leering with a floozy, his agents decide to get him some positive publicity by raising money for charity via a lottery. The lucky winner getting a date with him.

Kate Bosworth plays the likable blonde from a small town who adores him and wins the date. For some reason even though the film is set in the modern day, she and her best friend thinks Tad is wholesome just like his film persona. Such lack of cynicism.

Topher Grace plays Bosworth's friend who has always yearned for her but has been afraid to tell her. Tad has a good time in LA with Bosworth and follows her down to their small town, making Grace jealous.

This is light, inoffensive, frothy film but with little substance. All the leads are likable enough, even Josh Duhamel gives Tad some likability and sincerity but it never amounts to much.

Rent This And Win A Date With Hollywood's Newfound Cultural Correctness

[Hick_N_Hixville · 7/10 · 31 May 2004]

I rented this movie one dateless night along with 'Big Fish.' I had been waiting for 'Big Fish' on DVD ever since I learned Billy Redden was in it. He was the banjo boy in 'Deliverance.' 'Big Fish' and 'Win a Date' make a great combo because each represents a different kind of Hollywood 'flyover country' mythmaking. 'Big Fish,' a sort of 'anti-Forrest Gump,' gives you 1950s Alabama as a velvia-toned 'Pleasantville' where black and white kids play together and go to the same churches. No lynchings, no George Wallace.

This deception is part of a sly joke, part of the mythical life story of the lead character exposed as myth. Grownup Billy Redden was in the movie, for about fifteen seconds, sitting on the porch of a picket-fenced little house facing the village green in an immaculately whitewashed New England looking Brigadoon of a town lost in the Alabama swamps. He was, of course again playing dueling banjos, placed there just to remind you that what you otherwise see is all just a big fish tale.

'Win a Date's' deception is not sly understatement, but glaring overcompensation. The movie is set in Frazier's Bottom, a real town in West Virginia, but don't get out a map and plan a trip. Country roads won't ever take you back to this movie's West Virginia, no matter how many 'wrong turns' you make driving them in vain looking for it.

Not all West Virginians are inbred pot growing cannibals, but these folks are too clean, too sober, too blandly prosperous, and completely devoid of the diphthongally challenged. Not the slightest hint of nasal twang by the actors, not one sodomy joke, everyone wears shoes, no one wears overalls, and nary a 4x4 anywhere. In the local bar hangout, men don't wear cowboy hats, or John Deere caps. There is a dart board like in 'Cheers,' but no pool table. And the music, well it ain't ever country. The biker chick 'bartendress' (the lone local with a semi-authentic, but discreet Appalachian accent) might gladly serve you a latte or a bottle of Samuel Adams, if you ask. This is not moonshine, or meth lab America.

The story, of course, is total cliché. A checker at the overly modern Piggly Wiggly named Rosalee (don't expect total cultural correctness) surfs across an internet contest to 'win a date' with a second-rate bubble gum 'bad boy' matinée idol named Tad Hamilton. After being egged on by fellow checker and gal pal Cathy, she enters, wins, flies to LA, has the date, refuses to compromise her Heartland chastity, and flies back nonetheless satisfied to Red State America. Tad follows her home because he is smitten with her virtue, and of course he wants to seduce her eventually. Standing in his way, if reluctantly, is Pete, Rosalee's not so down home childhood friend and her dorky, precocious boss at the Piggly Wiggly. He of course is also smitten with her interminable chastity, but stereotypically too shy and unsure of himself to make any moves that might threaten it, or their friendship should she (likely) reject him as a lover. In the end, you know who gets the girl, with her 'carnal treasure' still buried for him to dig up off camera when 'X' marks the right time. The dialogue is hopelessly sappy, featuring groaners like the difference between 'big love' and 'great love,' and how to win the heart of your true love by telling her she has six different types of smiles.

Midwesterner Josh Duhamel surprising plays Tad as lonely and confused in his fame and wealth, rather than as a simple predatory Lothario. LA born Kate Bosworth is out of place as a Piggly Wiggly checker, but Tennessean Gennifer Goodwin seems convincing as Cathy, right down to her Pringles enhanced figure, good ole girl hairdos, and bubbly, slightly trashy personae.

The real star is New Yorker Topher Grace, a blend of young James Stewart and Alan Alda: vulnerable, sympathetic, yet obnoxious. He plays insecure Pete as a sort of straight 'gay' guy constantly engaged in witless Wildean banter when around Rosalee. His entire social life, when not sitting home alone reading Flannery O'Connor, is spent as a 'third girl friend' to Rosalee and Cathy, tagging along to see all the new Tad Hamilton movies at the local theater, etc. The classic scene in this movie is when Pete, thoroughly frustrated at his looming loss of Rosalee as gal pal and fantasy lover, confronts Tad in, of all places, the men's restroom at the local bar. "You win," the skinny Pete tells Tad, "but if you break her heart, I'll tear you to pieces with my bare hands, or … (with eyes rolling while reconsidering)… with VICIOUS RHETORIC!" Do West Virginians act and live like the people in 'Win A Date' any more than they do in a movie like 'Wrong Turn?' Certainly not, but seeing Hollywood get it wrong to the other extreme is good. The original ending in the deleted scenes on the DVD, however, hint that the original concept was more condescending.

One of the reasons 'Win A Date' probably didn't end up a 'Sweet Home Alabama' type putdown (something like 'Jessica Lynch, after the nude photos, Wins a Date With Colin Farrell, playing himself') can likely be traced directly to the outcry over CBS's stupid idea to do a 'Real Beverly Hillbillies.' reality show. This idea certainly would have become reality but for Robert Byrd, a certain Senator from….West Virginia, who railed loudly against it right on the Senate floor. His reasoning was that if Hollywood would rightfully shudder at the idea of doing a modern minstrel show (by anyone other than Spike Lee), or a new pidgin English version of Charlie Chan, why were hillbillies still ripe for vicious ridicule? Maybe they aren't so much anymore, given what you see in this movie. As far as this hillbilly is concerned, that's a good thing.

Everyone is Tad Hamilton to someone Win a Date with Tad Hamilton

[jaredmobarak · 4/10 · 9 February 2008]

Unobtrusive would be a good word to use when describing the film Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. Is it obvious? Yes. Is it clichéd? Yes. Is it horrible? Not quite. With a few good laughs, some fun performances, and a decent soundtrack, the movie ends up being nice filler on an evening with nothing else to do. I even think it was better than Robert Luketic's previous "chick flick" effort Legally Blonde, but then, I hated that one. With no expectations at all, mocking my sister for her taste in films, I will say I had a smile throughout. Sure most of it was due to the sheer absurdity and banality of it all, but it was a genuine smile nonetheless.

The premise is something that could be written by any marginally gifted screenwriter and pits two best friends (with the obvious sexual tension of the boy being in love with the girl) caught up in the fact that she wins said date with said movie star. Being the good Virginia girl she is, she does not allow Tad to take advantage of her in Hollywood and ends up leaving town to go home with his heart. He follows, trying to better his life full of materialism and debauchery, much to the chagrin of his manager and agent (a funny twosome of Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane). Just at the moment when our lead is about to pour his heart out to the love of his life, after she finished her story of Hollywood escapades, in comes Tad to turn his life upside-down. Rather than finally tell her how he feels, he attempts to sabotage Tad's advances, but of course, like in all these types of films, his tries end up backfiring, bringing the two lovebirds closer together.

There are no misconceptions on how the movie will end up, who will get the girl, who will do the right thing at the right time, but despite these misgivings the journey is entertaining. Topher Grace as the lead hero, trying to win the girl of his dreams, plays the geeky good guy to perfection. When he goes to Tad's farm, portrayed great by Josh Duhamel, (he's really just playing himself isn't he?), and the two go head to head chopping lumber, you can't help but laugh. Especially when Duhamel smacks Grace at the end, and Topher feels the sting…priceless. As for the girl at the center of it all, Kate Bosworth does a good job. She has never impressed me too much, but here she plays the country-bumpkin to a T. All the innocuous language and catch phrases can definitely induce some eye rolling, but it works for the part. Even Ginnifer Goodwin and Gary Cole bring in some laughs with small roles. Cole's attempts to talk the west coast movie biz lingo is great because you can see someone in his situation totally doing just that.

It is paint-by-numbers through and through yet finds some moments of creativity. With lines such as Grace saying he'd tear Duhamel apart with his bare hands, or vicious rhetoric, I had to chuckle. The director and screenwriter treat the townspeople nicely with their star-goggles on, unbelieving that a movie star is in their home. I guess they even throw in an homage to An Officer and a Gentlemen—I'll take the parents' word for that being as I have not seen the film. Would I go out of the way to check the film out again? No. However, if it is on TV or someone suggests watching it, I will have to refrain from laughing at them obscenely, walking out and never talking to them again, because in the end, I'd probably stick around and watch.

Much funnier than the typical chick flick!!

[hel410 · 9/10 · 26 May 2004]

This movie had much more going for it than I had anticipated. Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes as the agent and manager Richard Levy (both of them had the same name!) were hilarious, as was the hotel clerk - a small part played by Sam Pancake who I at first mistook for Martin Short. Topher Grace had tons of great one-liners, and Ginnifer Goodwin and Kathryn Hahn also really good in supporting roles. I liked Josh Duhamel too, and was interested to find that he really wasn't the stereotypical movie star trying to manipulate Kate Bosworth. His character was really sincere, giving you no one to really dislike and making the plot much more interesting. Overall, I was laughing out loud through a good deal of this movie when I had expected it to be a little lame - a really nice surprise!

The Pigly Wigly girl

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 17 July 2005]

Even before the film started, one realizes where this film is going, so without any expectations, and nothing else good showing at the time this movie came on, we decided to take a chance. The film has some mildly funny moments. As directed by Robert Luketic, the movie shows no surprises, but it's amusing for a laugh, or two.

The premise is ridiculous, at best. In fact, the movie makers have taken pains to present the people of West Virginia in a dignified way, contrary to what some comments here indicate. In fact, the cashier, Rosalee, has a lot going for her. The premise is completely false, but again, this is an attempt to make a romantic comedy.

Rosalee finds out in the worst way, there's no place like home and real love is the one Pete feels for her. After all, he really knows what makes Rosalee tick, contrary to Tad Hamilton, the Hollywood "hunk", who is only playing a role, which proves to be the case when his agents come calling him for the new picture where he will be the star.

Kate Bosworth, as Rosalee, has some good moments. Topher Grace, who is a good actor, plays second fiddle to Josh Duhamel, the star of movies who thinks he might be in love. Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes have some funny moments too.

This is a film that will seem better when the viewer realizes what it is, pure escape, formula entertainment, and sits back, relaxes and have a few laughs while watching it.

"Celebrity Date Game"

[Kamurai25 · 5/10 · 17 August 2020]

Decent watch, could watch again, but can't recommend.

If you're just into romantic comedies, this might work for you, and it's not a bad movie, but it's not a very strong movie. It's a "two guys are going to fight over a guy" trope that tries to stand out by the guy who isn't obvious being a "dream celebrity".

The chemistry between that actors isn't great, and the scenarios are very contrived. While it a fun movie, it feels like acting when good acting feels very natural.

In a world where we have so many options, it's just hard to tell anyone to prioritize this one.