The Truth Is Truly Ugly

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2009)

I chose to view The Ugly Truth for two reasons.
First, I had last seen the star, Katherine Heigl, in a remarkable 2002 Twilight Zone episode, Cradle of Darkness. She's from the future sent on a one way trip back in time to the year of Hitler's birth where she's to try killing the baby. She gives a riveting performance, ending with a shocking twist. I naturally wondered how she'd do in a comedy.
Second, the title of her new movie intrigued me. The truth is seldom told precisely because it is ugly, hence unpopular. Many people prefer comforting lies from movies, politicians, and dates. It would be refreshing to have a film uphold a principle regardless of its consequences.
Paradoxically, while discovering the movie rewarding on both counts, the truth was so ugly that I don't wish to see it again, and can better appreciate Katherine's fine acting skills in her earlier performance.
Here's a succinct summary: The male lead portrays a sexist pig believing that men want only one thing, and women who romanticize for something more are losers. Katherine plays a modern woman with old fashioned virtues, finally meeting a nice guy. The sexist pig, confident she'll fail, offers to help her get a date with the guy. However, when she appears to be heading towards a relationship, the pig gets jealous, so he makes an R rated pass at her in an elevator. The result? She coldly dumps the nice guy because she found the sexist pig sexier. The movie concludes with an even stronger R rated scene of our heroine in bed with the pig.
Disgusting, yes, but true to life, isn't it? Just look in your own mirror. If you're a nice guy, you've probably finished last. If you're a romantically inclined woman, you're probably pining away. And if you're a happy couple, well, please spare your lonely neighbors your X rated chatter, and watch out, 'cause the sexual excitement will diminish and you'll cheat on each other seeking fresh conquests!