‘Win a Date’ wins over the audience

Evan Marmol

“Win a Date with Tad Hamilton” is by no means original, but it has

intangible qualities that can appeal to any age group.

The performances are nearly superb and the plot, though it is

bundled with cliches, is heartwarming. In the theater that I sat, the

audience felt compelled to give a rousing round of applause; a clear

indication that it was a crowd pleaser. And the crowd was comprised

of all age groups, primarily couples seeking a wholesome film, the

type Hollywood has been neglected for some time.

The premise is quite simple: a Hollywood heartthrob manipulates

the media to regain his sterling reputation and salvage his career.

His manager and agent concoct a plan to win a date with the star in

an attempt to prove that he is still a desirable asset to the movie

industry.

His date is with a middle-American, breathtaking, innocent young

lady. Her innocence beguiles him and he is quickly smitten. In

moments of contrived humor, he uses lines from his own movies to win

her over, along with other schemes to swoon his date. Unbeknownst to

either is that one of her long-time friends has secretly yearned for

her love and now must overcome the indomitable task of competing with

every woman’s dream. To overcome this challenge he must use his

sardonic wit, rapier comments and the virtue of true love.

The film does keep you guessing, while being truly entertaining.

The movie mingles humor and suspense and the infirmities of a

Hollywood lifestyle to produce a charming and inoffensive flick. The

love story is imaginative and has the potential to inspire emotions

from the even the most cynical of moviegoers.

* EVAN MARMOL is Laguna Beach resident. He graduated from UC

Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior.