Writer(s): Maya Boudreau and Evan D. Watkins
Starring: Jesse Bradford, Katie Lowes, Nathaniel Fuller, and Benny Elledge
I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to notice these sappy chronicles follow a rather distinct formula: Two people meet; usually hate each other in the beginning; are forced to spend time together; fight over something that displays a clear lack of communication; then discover they are actually meant to be together. There are slight variations, of course, but virtually every one of them contain at least four of the five elements listed above.
Finding ways to subvert the genre’s expectations while adhering to the above “checklist” can be a daunting task. But there are ways that it can be tinkered with so that it feels different. Those are the ones we generally hold in high regard. And Merry Kiss Cam comes awfully close to reaching the lofty heights of very few hol-coms before it.
To be clear, the base idea is even stupider than most: Bartender Danny and widowed artist Jess go on a first date to a college hockey game. Danny is a huge fan of the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs; unfortunately, they’re in the midst of a huge losing streak that’s threatening to put them out of playoff contention. The duo are mortified when they end up on the “kiss cam”, a live segment on sports arena Jumbotrons everywhere that urge the pictured duo to kiss. After some urging from fellow fans, they lock lips…and then a miraculous thing happens. The Bulldogs score immediately thereafter, securing a much-needed victory!
Due to the close proximity between said smooch and the game-winning goal, the fans believe they are the team’s good luck charm. This superstition seems to carry some weight after they continue to kiss during every game…and the team continues to win.
But as we all know things can’t just go that smoothly. Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of extra baggage between them. Well, mainly because of Jess, who refuses to tell Danny about her dead ex-husband, something Danny somehow finds out on his own. Figuring she isn’t ready to talk about it, he politely keeps this information secret, which is clearly the right thing to do in this situation. Or so one would think. Her career as an artist is also beginning to take off, adding to her stress - and obstacles that threaten her relationship with Danny - as she tries to meet important deadlines.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but the obligatory “fight” is frustrating; it’s about the only thing that bogs an otherwise wonderful movie down. I have mentioned this many times before, but why do these features always feel the need to drive a (temporary) chasm between the two protagonists, anyway? I know, I know, it’s part of the “hol-com checklist”, but it’s an aspect that feels outdated. I guess maybe it’s to show that their relationships can withstand the challenges of daily life, but in many movies, they just feel forced. That’s the situation here, where a small misunderstanding is blown way out of proportion.
One unfortunate aspect of critiquing holiday romantic comedies - hell, rom-coms in general - is that, in order to do a thorough job, one must be shallow. I mean, isn’t it a huge selling point that the two leads are attractive? I’ve said this before, but the perfect casting features young-ish characters - generally in their late twenties or early thirties - who are cute, but not overly hot. It’s not just me, though: Clearly casting departments put this criteria over everything else. Disagree with me? Then why are there so many holiday movies without an ounce of chemistry between the two main characters? You know, the ones that we’re supposed to be cheering on to find true love?
Refreshingly, Merry Kiss Cam bucks that trend, proving just how shallow we all are in the process. Katie Lowes, who you might know from her stint on the TV show “Scandal”, doesn’t have the typical looks of a romantic lead. That’s not to say she’s ugly, she just has a different look about her that’s well outside the norm. She has robust features that are atypical of the “young and skinny” requirements of most hol-coms. Again, that’s not to say she’s fat; anyone above a size 2 seems to be considered “too big” for most of these roles. (I feel like there’s no way to explain this without drawing the ire of fans, or being considered “sexist”, but let’s be real here: it’s a thing.)
Even Jesse Bradford, who you might recall as Kirsten Dunst’s younger brother in the cheerleading comedy Bring It On, has a look that I believe will have to grow on most viewers. He is given a slouchy, uncaring look that is “perfect” for the stereotypical bar owner, which movies typically seem to consider a “slum” job for slackers and ne’er-do-wells. This is a far cry from the clean-shaven good guy who tends to dominate these types of roles. Hell, it’s even more “extreme” than the typical “rugged outdoorsman” who are predominantly featured in the movies that feature country boys as the lead. It’s something that might take some getting used to for Christmas romance traditionalists.
And yet the movie manages to work, thanks in large part to their dynamic chemistry. No, I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s a lot of sexual tension between them, but these types of movies don’t need that. The two leads genuinely give off the aura of a couple falling in innocent, PG-rated love. There feels like there’s a pull between them; like they’re fated to be together. The two actors seem very comfortable in each others’ presence, and their relationship flows naturally. That might sound like something that should be a given, but there are more than a fair share of rom-coms that make it hard to cheer for the two protagonists to find their “happily ever after” thanks to wooden acting or non-existent appeal.
But, just like the Bulldogs at the center of the movie, chances are you won’t find it hard to cheer for these two fated lovers to take their romance beyond the confines of a public video screen, and into the real world that exists outside of it.
STRAY OBSERVATIONS
- As a hockey fan - and former beer league goaltender - I must say a majority of the hockey scenes are rather below average. Why can’t movies that feature sports also focus on getting the “action” sequences right? The goalies move way too slow to “sell” most of the goals. That might sound nitpicky, but there’s enough hockey footage to be a strong supporting part of the story.
- Benny Elledge is perfect as Bulldogs’ super-fan Derrick Dubonnet, who sits behind Jess and Danny at the games. He’s great at being somewhat obnoxious (again, in a PG-rated way), yet likable at the same time.
- Another refreshing change of pace: They don’t wait until the end of the movie to kiss. Sure, it might not be romantic seeing them do it on a big screen surrounded by thousands of fans, but I like how they get it “out of the way” early. This allows the focus to be on their relationship, rather than their first kiss.
RATING: 6.5/10
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