Jane is a hopeless romantic—a hopeless romantic who loves weddings. In fact, she often gets asked to help friends organize their weddings and be in the wedding party. This explains the 27 bridesmaid dresses hanging in her closet. It’s clear case of “always the bridesmaid and never the bride.” Not that Jane wouldn’t mind changing her situation. She’s got a mad crush on her hunky boss George and has almost mustered the courage to let him know. Things spin out of control, though, when Jane’s younger, more outgoing sister Tess blows into town and draws George’s eye. This is the setup for 27 Dresses, the new romantic comedy from director Anne Fletcher and writer Aline Brosh McKenna.

The cast is headed up by Katherine Heigl as Jane. Probably best known as Izzie on television’s Grey’s Anatomy, Heigl is hardly a newcomer to film but this may prove to be her most successful outing on the big screen to date. I’d be hard pressed to come up with a better actor for the role; Heigl brings a combination of wit and charm that’s tough to beat. Her sister Tess is played by Malin Akerman, and the love triangle at the heart of this film is completed by veteran Edward Burns as George.

Showing his chops as leading man material is James Marsden, turning in an impressive performance as wedding reporter Kevin. I also thought that Judy Greer was fantastic as Jane’s sassy sidekick Casey.

At this point, perhaps depending on your gender, you’re either thinking “This could be interesting!” or “Humph, another chick flick!” I was solidly in the latter camp filing into the theater. Fortunately, my misgivings were quickly proven wrong. 27 Dresses is indeed something of a formulaic “chick flick,” but the smart writing and outstanding acting broaden its appeal and produce a film that’s a cut above the normal fare in this genre.

Oh, 27 Dresses isn’t perfect, but what flaws do exist didn’t detract much from my overall enjoyment. An opening bit that has Jane sneaking back and forth between two weddings that she’s in on the same night drags on a little long, and the ending is a little too “fairy tale” perfect for me. Given the intelligent humor and genuine heart-warming moments on tap here—especially compared to some of the rude, crude entries in this genre last year—I’m willing to cut them some slack. Ultimately, I enjoyed this movie and wouldn’t hesitate to see it with a date.

27 Dresses is rated PG-13 for “language, some innuendo and sexuality.” Overall, this one seemed pretty tame and the rating reflects the content accurately, in my opinion.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Michael attended a promotional screening of 27 Dresses.