What Do The Critics Say?

"Patrick Dempsey is making a stab at becoming the Cary Grant of our era with his recent appearance as the romantic lead in "Enchanted" and now with his role in Made Of Honour. This film is pure nonsense, it’s a classic romantic comedy with maybe a couple of funny scenes and a lot of nonsensical ones." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "This is an enjoyable romcom enlivened by strong performances from Dempsey and Monaghan. Patrick Dempsey is enjoying something of a revitalised career thanks to his role on Grey's Anatomy and he's superb here, managing to make Tom both likeable and funny, despite his womanising ways. He also has decent chemistry with Michelle Monaghan." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "The Scottish locations, with its imposing castles, verdant pastures and mountain ranges that form a mystical blue outline on the far horizon are truly stunning. I laughed a few times, but overall was disappointed because nothing felt real. It's a no brainer of course." Louise Keller UEBANCINEFILE "Made of Honor is a nice cookie-cutter comedy, no more and no less, but Dempsey, with his relaxed charm, and Monaghan, with her soft and peachy sensual spark, rise to the challenge of making friendship look like the wellspring of true love." Owen Gleiberman ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY "An amusing, smartly cast romantic comedy told from a guy's perspective. Even more refreshing is the fact that there's a tangible chemistry between Dempsey and Monaghan that makes it easy to root for them as the meant to be couple. Meanwhile, the always welcome Sydney Pollack makes the most of his few scenes as Dempsey's serial-marrying dad. Kathleen Quinlan does likewise as Monaghan's perceptive mom." Michael Rechtshaffen HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"Take My Best Friend's Wedding, replace Julia Roberts with Patrick Dempsey, fast forward by a decade or so, and voila! You have a 2008 replica of one of the best romantic comedies of all time. Despite its formulaic storyline and the unashamed parallels with its '90s forerunner My Best Friend's Wedding, Made of Honour has all the ingredients of a good chick flick. It's funny without being cheesy, romantic without being soppy, and entertaining in spite of one too many slapstick moments." Amy McIntosh OUR BRISBANE "Michelle Monaghan and Patrick 'McDreamy' Dempsey spark off each other immediately as a smart-talking platonic pair clearly destined for each other. When the classic love obstacle strides into the picture in the strapping shape of Kevin McKidd, the wit keeps coming." Anna Smith EMPIRE MAGAZINE "While it's slickly made and just about charming enough to keep us engaged, there's not much that's fresh or new in this formulaic rom-com, besides finding another way to recycle virtually every cliché of the genre." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "There's no sing-along scene a la My Best Friend's Wedding, but everything else goes according to the traditions of Hollywood-styled romance, with not one but three weddings. You don't have to wonder whether Tom and Hannah will get together, just how the movie's three writers will organise it after they've knocked off some laboured jokes about men in kilts." Des Partridge THE COURIER MAIL "A paper-thin plot does yield enjoyable moments, mostly thanks to the rosy-cheeked charms of Monaghan, whose girl next door good looks and charming sincerity make her the fitting heir to Sandra Bullock’s rom-com crown. A cameo from Sydney Pollack as Tom’s Hefner-esque father also adds much needed bite. Better than some, worse than many, this is a comedy as contrived as its title, and ultimately as limp as Patrick Dempsey’s (perfect coiffed) locks." Alexandra Coghlan FILMINK

The Inside Story From the very beginning, producer Neil Moritz ("Cruel Intentions" & "I Am Legend") wanted to make the film with Patrick Dempsey. He recalls: "When this script came to us, we loved the concept. We thought it was a great idea for a romantic comedy. I had been a fan of Patrick Dempsey’s ever since "Can’t Buy Me Love", and then he was in a film I made, "Sweet Home Alabama". Since then, he’s come to represent something; not just anyone could play Dr McDreamy. Patrick can play romance and he can play the rogue, and you still end up rooting for him. Of course, he was the first person we talked to about the role of Tom." With 1989 Young Artist Award winner Dempsey (Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy for "Can't Buy Me Love") onboard, the next step was to find the right director. A colleague suggested Moritz see a movie called "Sixty Six", directed by Paul Weiland. Moritz did, loved it, met with Weiland, and hired the director. "Paul has a great comedic sensibility and he also knows the subtlety of relationships and romance," Moritz notes. "He is really able to bring a truthfulness to a story." "I’m a bit of a romantic at heart myself," says Weiland, "so making a romantic comedy is something I’ve always wanted to do. Tom is an emotional cripple in the beginning of the story but by the end he is able to confess his true love. I liked that this is from a male perspective, because most of the time in movies, it’s the girl getting her heart broken. It’s nice to see it happening to the opposite sex!" So what is at the heart of the movie? "At its heart, "Made of Honour" is the age-old idea that you don’t see love when it’s right in front of you," says Weiland ("City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold"). "Tom is a very good-looking man who gets women easily, but won’t commit. When Hannah meets someone else, he realizes that not only is he going to lose his best friend, but he’s really in love with this girl and just hadn’t realized it. All along, he’s had his cake and been able to eat it too, and suddenly, someone has taken his cake away." "Unfortunately for Tom, he discovers too late that Hannah really is his true love," says two time People's Choice Favorite Male TV Star Award winner Patrick Dempsey (2007 & 2008). "Tom has been a ladies man with serious issues about marriage. Tom has many opportunities, missed moments, but Hannah’s been there the entire time. Now she’s been taken away from him, and his only recourse is to go to Scotland as her maid of honour and try to win her over." "Patrick was absolutely perfect for this role," Weiland says. "I’ve always been incredibly impressed by his ability to do so many different things." Dempsey obviously enjoyed working with Weiland who directed Rowan Atkinson in four episodes of "Mr Bean" and the 1999 feature film, "Blackadder Back & Forth". "One of the things that made this project so satisfying was working with Paul. Several times things have come up at the last minute that we’ve been able to flesh out with a little improvisation. It’s challenging and fun to go through that process and discover where the humour is, and at the same time, Paul always keeps it grounded." A perfect example of this is a scene where Tom, in his best 'maid of honour' mode, accompanies Hannah to choose her china and silverware patterns. Weiland remembers reading somewhere or other "that Patrick knew how to juggle, so I suggested that he juggle the huge china plates. He was astonishing during several rehearsals. As luck would have it, he dropped all the plates on the first take: but he was perfect on the others." "That idea came up the morning we were filming that scene," says Dempsey. "Paul asked if I juggled and when I said yes." Weiland asked, "Why don’t we try it with the plates?" Dempsey recalls telling his director that he hadn't "juggled in a while, but we just sort of built the scene around that notion. It changed the dynamic of the entire scene." Michelle Monaghan, who recently appeared alongside Ben Stiller in the romantic-comedy "The Heartbreak Kid" was cast as Tom's best firend and the films love interest, Hannah. She revealed that in real life, her 'maid of honour', was in fact a man! "I really wanted to be a part of this project because I loved the story and everyone that was involved. The odd coincidence was it was a situation I had lived through: when I was married, my maid of honour was a man who is still my best friend." Dempsey thoroughly enjoyed acting opposite Monaghan. "We laughed a lot. What makes her so fun is that she’s a very brave actress: she is game for anything." How does Monaghan see the releationship between her character and Dempsey's? "Hannah doesn’t really take Tom seriously. She has a sense of humour and gets a kick out all of his stories about his adventures. The truth is, she really does have a thing for Tom, but she never acts on it. She doesn’t see the potential for a long-term relationship because he doesn’t believe in marriage and she, with her whole heart, does. It’s the age-old experience of people not appreciating one another until they’re no longer a part of your life." And what was her experience of working with Weiland. "I absolutely adore Paul," she said with an enormous smile. "He made me smile and giggle every single day; I just enjoyed being around him and being directed by him. He has a wonderful sensibility you don’t find in your typical romantic comedy director; he brings something unique, a European vision and tone to the film." Executive producer Callum Greene ("Vantage Point" & "Lost in Translation") was full of praise for the films two stars. "Both Patrick and Michelle are such gifted actors and they bonded so well together. They make you laugh and they’re completely engaging." Kevin McKidd was cast as the man with all the right intentions who gets caught up in a love triangle, Scottish Lord, Colin McMurray. "I was looking for someone who wasn’t obvious for the role of Colin. I wanted a serious bloke," Weiland recalls, "strong and passionate. It couldn’t be someone that the audience would immediately hate, because he needed to be an equal foe for Tom." But is he the right man for Hannah? "On first impression, Colin is the perfect man," McKidd ("Dog Soldiers" & "De-Lovely") says. "He owns a fantastic castle. He’s the lord of a fantastic plot of land in Scotland. His family has owned a famous distillery of Scottish whiskey for generations and is very distinguished. He’s almost a nobleman: it’s a very posh, old-money family." Taking on the character of McMurray represented a break from the types of roles Golden FIPA Award winner McKidd usually plays. "I was a little nervous at first, because I’ve always done serious, intense films," he says. "I would be working opposite Patrick, a great actor who has been in lots of comedies and lots of romantic movies. He has such a wonderful gift for coming up with stuff on the spot and being funny. I was nervous, but he really made me feel very comfortable." Monaghan says that falling into her role as Hannah was a piece of cake. "It was very easy to become besotted with these two men. Both Patrick Dempsey and Kevin McKidd are extremely, extremely charming. How bad could that be for an actress to play against?" And is it true that McKidd, who received the International Fantasy Film Award for "16 Years of Alcohol", knocked the socks off everyone when he sung on the set? It is! In a scene originally scripted to have Colin, during a grand dinner party at the family castle recite a Robert Burns poem to his bride to be, McKidd instead sang a traditional Scottish song, "Love is Like a Rose", to nary a dry eye in the house: both cast and crew! "Colin just really wows Hannah," Monaghan notes. "She’s been waiting for her Prince Charming, and she thinks she’s found him in Colin. He’s new and fresh and unexpected and lovely. I swear, when Kevin sang "Love is Like a Rose", he melted my heart during each take. He is just so loving, and that accent! Cupid has caught her right between these two men." Two veteran actors with familiar faces appear in the film as parents of Tom and Hannah. 1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Award winning actress Kathleen Quinlan ("Breakdown") was cast as Hannah's mum, Joan. David di Donatello and two time Academy Award winner Sydney Pollack (best director & best film "Out of Africa") plays the much married, Tom Snr. "It was a great decision on Paul’s part to cast actors who would be able to lift those scenes tremendously," Moritz states. "I’ve known Sydney for a while," says Weiland, "and actually, I have another project that his company is producing." Did he feel under any pressure working with Pollack? "I have to admit, having him in the film brought a lot of fear to the project because basically I had to direct one of the most famous directors in the world! But he was very, very supportive and incredible fun." From the very beginning, the filmmakers intended to film the climax of "Made of Honour" in Scotland, where it is set. "There is simply no way that you could build sets or find locations to match the reality of where we filmed on location," Moritz notes. "It lends an air of credibility to it, and it makes the magic happen." The company filmed at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye for five days. Dunvegan Castle, a fortress stronghold in an idyllic loch-side setting, is said to be the oldest inhabited castle in northern Scotland and has been occupied continuously by the chiefs of MacLeod for over seven centuries. It is currently the home for the clans 30th Chief, Hugh MacLeod. The tiny ferry in "Made Of Honour", is The Glenachulish. It traverses the Sound of Sleat, connecting Kylerhea to Glenelg. The ferry is the earliest recorded service in Skye’s history, dating back at least to 1695. The film was shot by 1992 British Society of Cinematographers Award winner, Tony Pierce-Roberts B.S.C. ("Howards End"). Synopsis

It's ten years since Tom and Hannah met on that fateful night in 1998. For Tom, life is good: he’s sexy, successful, has great luck with the ladies, and thanks to his special rules, has managed to keep each of them very happy. Of course, he knows he can always rely on Hannah, his delightful best friend and the one constant in his life. That is, until Hannah goes overseas to Scotland on a six week business trip. Tom is stunned to realize how empty his life is without her. After so long in the friendship zone, he's suddenly discovered how much he loves her. Tom decides that when she gets returns, he’ll ask her to marry him. Tom is floored when he learns that she has become engaged to a handsome and wealthy Scotish Lord named Colin McMurray. When she asks Tom to be her 'maid' of honour, he reluctantly agrees, but only so he can attempt to woo her back and stop the planned wedding.

The Verdict "With the huge following Patrick Dempsey has you'd expect that under normal circumstances "Made Of Honour" would be a big hit at the box-office. Unfortunately its release coincides with that of "Irom Man" and there's no prize for guessing which film is going to take the biggest proportion of cinemagoers dollars. Of course, if you're not into comic book super heroes, you're probably looking for something that's: easy on the eye; has a good storyline; plenty of good natured humour and, guarantees a feel-good finale`. Well you've found it. Monaghan and Dempsey produce the right chemistry as the two 'best friends' Hannah and Tom. While there's a couple of tacky moments in the film, it's a good fun. Despite the work of Dempsey, McKidd and the 'guys' who feature in the film, it is in the main a 'chick flick'. Well worth a look at. Should make an ideal date flick. Win a heart or get in the partners good books with this one guys. 3 1/2 STARS." Crew Bytes "MADE OF HONOUR" was .......
directed by Paul Weiland ["Keep Off the Grass", "Roseanna's Grave" and "Sixty Six"]; costume design by Penny Rose ["Wild Hogs", "POTC: 1, 2 & 3" and "St Trinian's"]; co-costume designer Rebecca Hale ["Strapless", "Sixty Six" and "St Trinian's"]; production design by Kalina Ivanov ["The Big Kahuna", "Swimfan" and "Little Miss Sunshine"]; edited by Richard Marks ["St Elmo's Fire ", "As Good As It Gets", "You've Got Mail" and "Riding in Cars with Boys"]; cinematography by Tony Pierce-Roberts ["The Importance of Being Earnest", "De-Lovely" and "Doom"]; original music by Rupert Gregson-Williams ["Click", "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" and "Bee Movie"]. Who's Who?

Patrick Dempsey Michelle Monaghan Kevin McKidd Kadeem Hardison Chris Messina Richmond Arquette Busy Philipps Whitney Cummings Emily Nelson Kathleen Quinlan Selma Stern Sydney Pollack James Sikking Kevin Sussman Beau Garrett

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Tom Hannah Colin McMurray Felix Dennis Gary Melissa Stephanie Hilary Joan Grandma Pearl Thomas Snr Reverend Foote Tiny Shorts Guy Gloria

Run Time 101 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Sony Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.