Makeover!

You should know that I do not have highbrow taste in movies.  Or did you get that from my discussion of 17 Again?

So, as part of August Movie Month, I was watching House Bunny.  It’s the story of a Playboy bunny who gets kicked out of the mansion.  With no money or home, she talks her way into the job of house mother for a sorority of misfits who are about to lose their house because they have no pledges.  In order to keep her job, she has to help the girls get 30 new pledges.  They start with makeovers, of course.

I used to hate that cliche plot point where everything is turned around once the girl gets a makeover.  You know, She’s All That style.  New look equals new personality.  But, as I was watching this movie, I found myself thinking, “please don’t be too good for the makeover scene.  I really want to see some makeovers.”  I don’t know what’s changed.  Maybe it’s because I have an interest in makeup I didn’t have before.  Maybe I’m finally willing to admit that the way you look changes the way you feel about yourself, which changes the way you act.  Or, maybe I was just up for some movie fun.

This movie doesn’t have the best of reviews, but I think everyone can agree that Anna Farris is amazing.  She plays a super hot, ditzy girl with a heart of gold.  The other characters are similarly unrealistic, but still fun.  Even Rumer Willis was good in her back brace.  Then there was adorable Colin Hanks.

My favorite part of this movie is what other people probably disliked about it: you think it’s going to make a certain point, but then it kind of makes the opposite point, but not really.   The girls get their makeovers and everything is better and they get to experience being popular, but then they turn into snobs, so they check themselves and reject their house mother who turned them that way.  Then they realize they were wrong for blaming her and they try to find some balance between their old and new selves.   And then Anna Farris tries to impress Colin Hanks, but all of her old tricks (playing dumb and hard to get) don’t work on him, so she has the girls help her look smart, but that doesn’t work either.  So then she goes back to her old life at the mansion, but she’s not happy being a centerfold, so she goes back to the girls at the sorority and Colin Hanks forgives her.  So, it’s like the message is to be yourself, but with a makeover? Or, different strokes for different folks?  I don’t know.  But, I like that messy kind of point that doesn’t try to make a comedy profound.

Did I mention that the bitchy, villain girl’s name is Ashley?  Of course it is.  Anyway, if you like this kind of movie, then you’ll probably enjoy House Bunny.  If you don’t like this kind of movie, then you’ll probably think less of me.