Plot: What’s it about?
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that the more I see Renee Zelwegger, or however you spell her name, the more annoying she gets. I gotta say that right off the bat…it’s the voice! Yes, we all liked her in Jerry Maguire, but we had really not been that exposed to her (unless you didn’t blink in Dazed and Confused and then you saw her or you were one of the three people to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Revenge). And Chris O’Donnell, who I’m a big fan of, just is not right for this part either. While it’s true that he’s getting or already is too old to play the New England prep school kid (School Ties, Scent of a Woman), he was good at it. I never really bought him as Robin and I haven’t really seen him in Circle of Friends and Mad Love. So…I guess my opinion is totally unfounded. Anyway, The Bachelor starts off innocent enough in sort of the fasion as “My Best Friend’s Wedding”. Jimmie (O’Donnell), whose father has died and his grandfather wants him to marry and “procreate”! He makes his point, as he speaks half of his lines with a megaphone! Jimmie has had a string of girlfriends, but none were right for him…until he met Anne (Zellweger). It’s coming up to their third anniversary of their first date and all he has to do is pop the question. How can he mess that up? Well, as you can imagine, he does and all hell breaks loose. Word gets back to everyone in town about how awful the proposal is and it ends up literally killing his grandfather. Now this is where the story takes a turn. His grandfather was wanting his family name to live on so badly, that he is offering his grandson $100 million from his estate if he marries a girl, they “procreate” within 5 years and stay happily married for another five, only allowing to be apart from each other 1 night a month. True love, right? Jimmie pops the question again, but Anne isn’t ready. Oh yeah, Jimmie only has until 6:05 PM on his 30th birthday to do this or all bets are off. That is the next day, by the way. So now it’s a mad rush, literally at some points, to see if Jimmie can find a wife and live happily ever after. The Bachelor may not be for everyone, I personally think that the cast is all wrong, but some good moments come from Hal Holbrook and Ed Asner, who are very comfortable in their roles. Either way, it’s entertaining, but I’d rent it first unless you’re a big fan of the movie.
Video: How does it look?
Another gem from New Line, the 1.85:1 image is stunning, as is the case with most of their new films. Edges are sharp and colors are dead on target. I saw no hinting of artifacting at all. Reference quality.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is used, and it sounds pretty good. Usually romantic comedies are not known for their sound, but this seems to be an exception. Dialogue is clear and not muffled at all, and channel seperation is good with a very active .1 channel.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A standard issue from New Line, there are cast and crew profiles, a trailer and production notes. I’m sure that a commentary or some outtakes would have added to the value of this film, but maybe it’s just fine the way it is. Still, it’s worth checking out.
