27 Dresses (2008)

41% of critics liked it
(147 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(396,193 ratings)

A single woman who has served as a bridesmaid a shocking 27 times wrestles with the prospect of supporting her sister at the altar on number 28, despite having fallen helplessly in love with her smitten sibling's handsome husband-to-be. Jane (Katherine Heigl) has the kind of altruistic traits that… More A single woman who has served as a bridesmaid a shocking 27 times wrestles with the prospect of supporting her sister at the altar on number 28, despite having fallen helplessly in love with her smitten sibling's handsome husband-to-be. Jane (Katherine Heigl) has the kind of altruistic traits that everyone looks for in a friend, yet lately the perennial bridesmaid has begun to feel as if something is missing in her life. One night, local newspaper reporter Kevin (James Marsden) spots the devoted bridal attendant racing between receptions in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and quickly surmises that her quirky tale may be just the story to get him off the bridal beat and into the big time. Immediately suspicious of the cynical reporter's motivations, Jane butts heads with Kevin just as her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) shows up in town. While Jane has always put the needs of friends and family before her own wants and desires, she's suddenly prompted to reevaluate her priorities when her boss -- with whom she is secretly in love -- falls for her younger sister Tess. When Tess and Jane's boss George (Edward Burns) make plans to marry, the smitten younger sibling mistakenly assumes that her lovelorn older sibling will be happy to take part in the wedding. For as far back as Jane can remember, she has sacrificed her own happiness for the sake of those she holds dearest, but now that her heart has been broken, she's finally found the courage to be honest with herself. Now, as Jane finally comes to terms with her true feelings, her life begins to change in ways she never expected. Judy Greer and Melora Hardin co-star in a romantic comedy scripted by The Devil Wears Prada screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and directed by Anne Fletcher (Step Up). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 47 min.
Directed By: Anne Fletcher
Written By: Aline Brosh McKenna
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Jan 9, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Apr 29, 2008
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
27 Dresses is so flimsy it gives froth a bad name.
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
Katherine Heigl carries 27 Dresses when all else fails, which it does with great regularity.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
Talk about setting the woman's movement back by about a half-century.
Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon.com
The biggest disappointment of 27 Dresses is that it inhabits a Harlequin romance New York City, one remarkably short on homosexuals and divorce.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
Certainly Heigl fares better in less formulaic fare, such as Judd Apatow's irreverent Knocked Up, but she does raise the level of this chick flick from bland to mildly entertaining.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Anyone who has the slightest doubt about where this movie is heading probably leads a full and rich life that doesn't include watching romantic comedies like My Best Friend's Wedding, which covered this same ground with a lot more verve and humour.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
there's a desire to see their characters displaced into a better film with more on its mind than to be better than it should be because of its casting director.
Brent Simon, Screen International
Well cast, slickly produced and performed with enough spirit to somewhat counterbalance its frequently stupendous lack of originality and plausibility. Still not quite good enough, though...
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Hugely enjoyable, frequently funny romantic comedy with a superb script and a terrific central performance from Katherine Heigl.
Heather Huntington, ReelzChannel.com
An insult to the romantic comedy.
Jeff Bayer, The Scorecard Review
There are only a few moments that feel genuine and allow Katherine Heigel to smile. 27 Dresses is chock-full of cheese and eventually runs out of material.
Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine
This movie isn't anything special, but it's well done and generally pleasing. It's a nice, subtle and safe romantic comedy that will please fans of the genre.
Kevin McCarthy, WJFK-FM (CBS Radio)
27 Dresses can be worked out just like a long division problem. The story offers up the problem and then it just works its way out to the perfect mathematical solution in the end.
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
enohlitika problepsimi ki aniara kalogyalismeni romantiki komenti toy kiloy
Alonso Duralde, MSNBC
Writer Aline Brosh McKenna's latest effort instructs women to be doormats for men who treat them like crap, because heaven forbid they wind up never getting married.

Read all 15 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel P

Two and a half stars is not a great rating, by any stretch, but I should note that I enjoyed this movie more than expected. I credit a lot of it to James Marsden. What was hard for me was believing in Katherine Heigl. The hardest part of acting is acting naturally, and I don't… More
Two and a half stars is not a great rating, by any stretch, but I should note that I enjoyed this movie more than expected. I credit a lot of it to James Marsden. What was hard for me was believing in Katherine Heigl. The hardest part of acting is acting naturally, and I don't think there's anything natural about her whatsoever. I felt the same way about Malin Akerman. I could see them both acting. The story, however, is strong and the dialogue isn't too corny, and aside from the irrecoverable time spent on a Benny and the Jets singalong, it's a watchable movie. Not one I'll see again, but something guys can deal with when it's their girlfriends' turn to choose...
Manu G

She's about to find the perfect fit. Saw it again! It was fun and entertaining. I'm one of the few guys in this world that like chick flicks so that's why I liked it. Nice cast Two things about Jane: she never says no to her friends (she's been a bridesmaid 27… More
She's about to find the perfect fit. Saw it again! It was fun and entertaining. I'm one of the few guys in this world that like chick flicks so that's why I liked it. Nice cast Two things about Jane: she never says no to her friends (she's been a bridesmaid 27 times and selflessly plans friends' weddings), and she's in love with her boss, George, nurturing dreams of a lovely, romantic wedding of her own. She meets Kevin, a cynical writer who finds her attractive, and that same week her flirtatious younger sister Tess comes to town. Jane silently watches George fall for Tess, a manipulative pretender. Worse, Jane may be called upon to plan their wedding. Meanwhile, Kevin tries to get Jane's attention and has an idea that may advance his career. Can Jane uncork her feelings?
Bethany M

Really funny film and a great romantic comedy!
Jennifer X

I definitely liked this better the first time I saw it, but I've gotta admit that the supporting cast was pretty darn good - particularly Judy Greer. James Marsden, while ridiculously, ridiculously goodlookin, can't pull off the jerkface thing very well. And the whole… More
I definitely liked this better the first time I saw it, but I've gotta admit that the supporting cast was pretty darn good - particularly Judy Greer. James Marsden, while ridiculously, ridiculously goodlookin, can't pull off the jerkface thing very well. And the whole romance kind of rides on that.
Cassie H

This movie is the cutest romantic comedy you'll ever see!!!!! I just love it!!! :) Katherine & James are tooo cute! :) Just a great movie :) One of my favorite chick flicks :) :) :)
Anthony L

Inane, predictable and unoriginal. The script writer should have his/her fingers cut off and their tongue removed, it's full of stereotypes, awful acting, it's completely void of any redeeming features basically. Pure torture! The fact I'm trying to organise my own… More
Inane, predictable and unoriginal. The script writer should have his/her fingers cut off and their tongue removed, it's full of stereotypes, awful acting, it's completely void of any redeeming features basically. Pure torture! The fact I'm trying to organise my own wedding probably made it worse but what is worse than 'Worst movie ever'?
Matt G

Funny, light-hearted, and romantic. 27 Dresses serves as a solid comedy starring Katherine Heigl. Grade: B
Dean !

A decent Rom-com about a girl who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride scenario. Featuring a familiar Rom-com cast. It's ok while not really being laugh out loud funny. Probably one more for the girls but it's not bad overall.
Richard C

this movie sucked, very few good things about the movie. D+
♥Robyn

love katherine heigl this is a predictable romantic funny chick flick
Candy R

Rom com with similar threads as 'The Wedding Date' and 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'. A single woman Jane has been bridesmaid 27 times. She is in love with her boss who falls in love with her younger sister Tess. The guy she admires writes the wedding column but… More
Rom com with similar threads as 'The Wedding Date' and 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'. A single woman Jane has been bridesmaid 27 times. She is in love with her boss who falls in love with her younger sister Tess. The guy she admires writes the wedding column but turns out to be anti-romantic. Funny but predictable.
Kellie M

I could watch this one over and over and over again! They're just too cute, and I like how towards the end she gives a big speech, so cute :)
Stuart B

Another load of chick flick fluff.
Thomas B

katherine heigl is one of the most exciting new actresses of the decade and this film will only help her along.
Veronique K

as those who has an interest to read my reviews from time to time would sense that i'm far from fans of chic flicks, but ironically i'm writing about it now. perhaps i'm so much in a serious crisis with my jaded life of stillwater that i would grasp anything to cheer me… More
as those who has an interest to read my reviews from time to time would sense that i'm far from fans of chic flicks, but ironically i'm writing about it now. perhaps i'm so much in a serious crisis with my jaded life of stillwater that i would grasp anything to cheer me with a liveliness. like most movie buffs who are destined to have a sibling as a cheesy blockbuster fan, "27 dresses" reminds me of my adolescence, the forcefully confined time of sisterhood when your older sibling possessed the previledge to determine what songs to tune in the household radio and what movies to play in the living-room dvd machine, somehow when you fledge into a certain age to claim some amount of individuality, you go thru everything subversive to rinse off that timid agony of your always repressed self...i hate to admit "pretty woman" and "my best friend's wedding" were the mostly watched together movies in my family with my mom and sis...and "27 dresses" just conjures up such sort of memories within me so i could have an illusion to feel accompanied in my loneliest moment... there's nothing too surprising about "27 dresses", it's exactly that sort of story you could predict who's going to be with whom around 5 seconds while the protagonist is in the dillemma 99% of women would sympathesize with an "awww"....so it's about a woman who's been 27 times of bridesmaids of her friends's weddings until her secret crush is swooned away by her trampish sister who's rotten and spoilt...but the saving grace is the story has a basic ground of believabiility and humanness which wouldn't give you an impulse to slap those characters who seem to wander around a wonderland of their own luxurious lifestyle in the fine clothes and fancy dresses most people have an issue to afford. but personally i think the most creative idea of this movie is its poster of a woman with a cardboard dress awaiting to be filled in.
Film C

i liked this movie its an easy going film to follow and enjoy its light hearted and entertaining worth a watch
Wildaly M

Typical romantic comedy I guess. I always like them though. Such a sucker for 'em.
E.J. B

As a girly flick, it's bearable if not cliched and conventional. Judy Greer is always playing supporting roles, and she steals every scene she's in. Katherine Heigl is great here, but she's way too talented an actress to be doing stuff like this too often.
Alexander W

Quite a sappy and really wet film about some really poor guys who gets pawned and then married by a girl who knows about weddings. Just my perspective of it. The main character was really revolting at the end and I kind of said I would never marry a woman like that. gross chick flick.
Luke B

27 Dresses has some excellent talent behind it. Especially in the form of the actors. Heigl is a brilliant actress and above average comedies such as these. Her emotional outbursts all feel genuine. The film also does well in avoiding the typical slimy antagonist characters.… More
27 Dresses has some excellent talent behind it. Especially in the form of the actors. Heigl is a brilliant actress and above average comedies such as these. Her emotional outbursts all feel genuine. The film also does well in avoiding the typical slimy antagonist characters. Heigl's biggest challenge is her sister, who hurts Heigl without even knowing it. Also gone are the deceptively twisted male interests. Both Marsden and Burns are perfect candidates for Heigl to end up with. Unfortunately in other areas the film sneaks back into safer territory and the comedy is light and often ineffective. More jokes, shorter running time and this could have been more than just mediocre.