Ghost of Girlfriend's Past

**Shaun** · 05-07-2009, 03:46 PM

Well the movie came out like a weekend or two ago. Has any one seen it yet? Unfortunately I almost never make it out to the movies anymore unless it's something my finacee wants to see... (Like Twilight.... twice *sadface*)
I was hoping she'd want to see this because it's all chick flicky and crap, but I guess not lol

Anyway, I've seen some rather mixed reviews come in via google news (keyword: Lacey Chabert). I was just curious if anyone here got to watch it yet.

mwonch · 05-10-2009, 03:34 AM

Yeah, Shaun, I saw it. Wish I could give it a stellar review...but can't. I'll try to keep this short.

The premise is, of course, yet another rip-off/adjustment of another classic film... It might have been a good film but for three things:

1. They cut too many scenes, and

2. The writing was pretty juvenile, and

3. The writers obviously do not have a creative bone in their bodies because they didn't change much other than the subject (love v. Christmas)

Fact is, overall, it sucks. Romantic Comedies are generally predictable, but what makes a GOOD one is getting to the obvious end. This was not a fun journey.

There were a few places where I laughed or chuckled, sure. The thing has a few bright spots (both funny and serious). However, once the "ghost guides" started appear it turned ludicrous.

The first Ghost was Michael Douglas' character. now HE was good...and funny. The second was the first "guide." Those scenes were so campy it was painful to watch. The second "guide" was better, for obvious reasons (if you see it, then you will know). But the third was hilarious. She didn't say a dang thing, and McC's first words to her were one of the brighter moments.

As I said, Douglas was superb in his role. Wish they'd had him in there a bit more. McC's seemed lackluster, actually. Garner seemed bored - I didn't feel a thing for her character, even when her heart was broken. The other characters were shallow and could have been cardboard cutouts.

I must admit to getting a kick out of the bride's parents, though.

But now we get to Chabert. Her roles when she plays crazy or nutty are USUALLY good. This time, in my opinion, not good. Her best moments were near the end...when her character stopped being a loon and just became a bride-to-be. Sad to say, until the end, she really didn't pull it off. She COULD have, I think, but there must have been extreme time or financial constraints for filming. I hate to say it...but...it sure looked as if she did this film for money and fame rather than for the love of her art. That could be a good thing in the long run, however, so if true I'm not dissing that (yet). If she doesn;t become a narcissist in the process, then I think we can tolerate one or two marginal or even bad films from major studios. Overall, in this film, she was okay and could have been better.

It made no sense that the film was set in Winter. Really, it could have been set in the deserts of Africa (any of them) and it would have made no difference. If the setting itself was supposed to make some kind of point...I missed it - or maybe those scenes were cut. Who knows?

My prediction? This film will quickly drop out of the top 10, or even the top 50, new releases. It will probably make a profit, but not much if so. It will not be remembered as one of the greats...or even one of those good enough for "date nights." The film is totally forgettable, and I'd love to personally smack the back of the head of the executive who green-lighted it as it was on paper. I'd smack the board members doubly hard for authorizing a release as it is now.

No wonder Sundance is going gangbusters these last several years...

Whatever Chabert has been doing with her time this past year of seeming non-existence... I hope it was worth it. If this is where the majors will stick her, then perhaps it is best that she remain in television. Sucks, but still...

Anyway, that's my take. If anyone disagrees, please...by all means...say so and provide a different perspective.

mikey4 · 05-10-2009, 01:35 PM

Agree with most of what u said!!!!
The film wasn't terrible in my opinion if u r looking for an uplifting fantasy ending...but thats just it...way too predictable that this film choked on its own premises. I thought McC could have been a really good dramatic actor after i went and saw A Time To Kill back in 1995...it seems he sold out his profession too make chick flicks with all the same storylines and endings and is satisfied with just filling the theatres having all the females in attendance swoon over his looks. His life...his choice obviously...but this is a good example of why most movies (not all) these days just plain old suck!!!!
Reminds me even more why the passing of Paul Newman recently should remind us of how much better the arts used to be and how much more they were respected by the actors who made them seem real.
And for ur info, i am only 31 yrs old, not some old timer just complaining about modern entertainment...LOL
As far as Lacey...yea...she wasn't great but i am not here to judge anybodys acting skills b/c i can't do any better myself. With that said i still think she is terriffic and await the future of her career. Hope we see more of her to come.

**Shaun** · 05-10-2009, 05:30 PM

Hmm too bad it doesn't seem that great. I mean, I'll admit I wasn't expecting to enjoy it too much lol

mwonch · 05-10-2009, 06:16 PM

See it for Chabert, Shaun. She may have a smaller part, but she's in it pretty much from the get go. Just don't expect a great storyline.

**Shaun** · 05-12-2009, 11:33 PM

I will see it eventually. But around here I pretty much only get to rent stuff anymore.

quicksilver · 06-02-2009, 12:46 AM

So I finally got to see GOGP. I'm going to have to disagree with the ones who panned it. First off, the movie never tried running from its Christmas Carol inspiration but remained unique in that it used one familiar story to tell a new story.

Secondly, I think Lacey's performance wasn't too bad but it reenforced my opinion she should play to her strengths in dramatic acting (the post cake scene vs. the post punched her dad scene) with her roles.

Lastly, my 'cringe' moments in the movie inluded the 'this is how many condoms you used' scene and when Lacey's dad said 'HUAA' instead of 'oorah.' Marines aren't awesome enough to say HUAA and it only showed me how ignorant of military culture Hollywood is... which always makes me cringe.

GOGP was a nice change from movies like Black Christmas and wasn't bad as far as romantic comedies go. Speaking of which, I think looking for unique themes in a romantic comedies is a fool's errand. So I give it 3/4 stars.

wannabe · 06-05-2009, 11:07 PM

Who says HUAA? I thought the Army said HOOHAH, the Marines said OORAH, the Navy on the gator-freighters also say that, and the rest of the Navy and the Airforce said "whatever".

quicksilver · 06-06-2009, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wannabe

Who says HUAA? I thought the Army said HOOHAH, the Marines said OORAH, the Navy on the gator-freighters also say that, and the rest of the Navy and the Airforce said "whatever".

The Army says HUAA. They actually got that part right that it stands for "Heard Understood and Acknowleged." HOOAH is all marketing since I guess makes for a better phonetic spelling.

05-07-2009, 03:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
Shaun Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,573 My Profile	Ghost of Girlfriend's Past Well the movie came out like a weekend or two ago. Has any one seen it yet? Unfortunately I almost never make it out to the movies anymore unless it's something my finacee wants to see... (Like Twilight.... twice sadface) I was hoping she'd want to see this because it's all chick flicky and crap, but I guess not lol Anyway, I've seen some rather mixed reviews come in via google news (keyword: Lacey Chabert). I was just curious if anyone here got to watch it yet.

05-10-2009, 03:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
mwonch Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 18 My Profile	Yeah, Shaun, I saw it. Wish I could give it a stellar review...but can't. I'll try to keep this short. The premise is, of course, yet another rip-off/adjustment of another classic film... It might have been a good film but for three things: 1. They cut too many scenes, and 2. The writing was pretty juvenile, and 3. The writers obviously do not have a creative bone in their bodies because they didn't change much other than the subject (love v. Christmas) Fact is, overall, it sucks. Romantic Comedies are generally predictable, but what makes a GOOD one is getting to the obvious end. This was not a fun journey. There were a few places where I laughed or chuckled, sure. The thing has a few bright spots (both funny and serious). However, once the "ghost guides" started appear it turned ludicrous. The first Ghost was Michael Douglas' character. now HE was good...and funny. The second was the first "guide." Those scenes were so campy it was painful to watch. The second "guide" was better, for obvious reasons (if you see it, then you will know). But the third was hilarious. She didn't say a dang thing, and McC's first words to her were one of the brighter moments. As I said, Douglas was superb in his role. Wish they'd had him in there a bit more. McC's seemed lackluster, actually. Garner seemed bored - I didn't feel a thing for her character, even when her heart was broken. The other characters were shallow and could have been cardboard cutouts. I must admit to getting a kick out of the bride's parents, though. But now we get to Chabert. Her roles when she plays crazy or nutty are USUALLY good. This time, in my opinion, not good. Her best moments were near the end...when her character stopped being a loon and just became a bride-to-be. Sad to say, until the end, she really didn't pull it off. She COULD have, I think, but there must have been extreme time or financial constraints for filming. I hate to say it...but...it sure looked as if she did this film for money and fame rather than for the love of her art. That could be a good thing in the long run, however, so if true I'm not dissing that (yet). If she doesn;t become a narcissist in the process, then I think we can tolerate one or two marginal or even bad films from major studios. Overall, in this film, she was okay and could have been better. It made no sense that the film was set in Winter. Really, it could have been set in the deserts of Africa (any of them) and it would have made no difference. If the setting itself was supposed to make some kind of point...I missed it - or maybe those scenes were cut. Who knows? My prediction? This film will quickly drop out of the top 10, or even the top 50, new releases. It will probably make a profit, but not much if so. It will not be remembered as one of the greats...or even one of those good enough for "date nights." The film is totally forgettable, and I'd love to personally smack the back of the head of the executive who green-lighted it as it was on paper. I'd smack the board members doubly hard for authorizing a release as it is now. No wonder Sundance is going gangbusters these last several years... Whatever Chabert has been doing with her time this past year of seeming non-existence... I hope it was worth it. If this is where the majors will stick her, then perhaps it is best that she remain in television. Sucks, but still... Anyway, that's my take. If anyone disagrees, please...by all means...say so and provide a different perspective. Last edited by mwonch; 05-10-2009 at 03:41 AM..

05-10-2009, 06:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
mwonch Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 18 My Profile	See it for Chabert, Shaun. She may have a smaller part, but she's in it pretty much from the get go. Just don't expect a great storyline. Last edited by mwonch; 05-11-2009 at 12:34 AM..

05-10-2009, 01:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
mikey4 Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 130 My Profile	Agree with most of what u said!!!! The film wasn't terrible in my opinion if u r looking for an uplifting fantasy ending...but thats just it...way too predictable that this film choked on its own premises. I thought McC could have been a really good dramatic actor after i went and saw A Time To Kill back in 1995...it seems he sold out his profession too make chick flicks with all the same storylines and endings and is satisfied with just filling the theatres having all the females in attendance swoon over his looks. His life...his choice obviously...but this is a good example of why most movies (not all) these days just plain old suck!!!! Reminds me even more why the passing of Paul Newman recently should remind us of how much better the arts used to be and how much more they were respected by the actors who made them seem real. And for ur info, i am only 31 yrs old, not some old timer just complaining about modern entertainment...LOL As far as Lacey...yea...she wasn't great but i am not here to judge anybodys acting skills b/c i can't do any better myself. With that said i still think she is terriffic and await the future of her career. Hope we see more of her to come.

05-10-2009, 05:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
Shaun Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,573 My Profile	Hmm too bad it doesn't seem that great. I mean, I'll admit I wasn't expecting to enjoy it too much lol

05-12-2009, 11:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
Shaun Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,573 My Profile	I will see it eventually. But around here I pretty much only get to rent stuff anymore.

06-02-2009, 12:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
quicksilver Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 180 My Profile	So I finally got to see GOGP. I'm going to have to disagree with the ones who panned it. First off, the movie never tried running from its Christmas Carol inspiration but remained unique in that it used one familiar story to tell a new story. Secondly, I think Lacey's performance wasn't too bad but it reenforced my opinion she should play to her strengths in dramatic acting (the post cake scene vs. the post punched her dad scene) with her roles. Lastly, my 'cringe' moments in the movie inluded the 'this is how many condoms you used' scene and when Lacey's dad said 'HUAA' instead of 'oorah.' Marines aren't awesome enough to say HUAA and it only showed me how ignorant of military culture Hollywood is... which always makes me cringe. GOGP was a nice change from movies like Black Christmas and wasn't bad as far as romantic comedies go. Speaking of which, I think looking for unique themes in a romantic comedies is a fool's errand. So I give it 3/4 stars.

06-05-2009, 11:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
wannabe Lacey's Man Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 266 My Profile	Who says HUAA? I thought the Army said HOOHAH, the Marines said OORAH, the Navy on the gator-freighters also say that, and the rest of the Navy and the Airforce said "whatever".

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