What does it say about me that in recent years I am more drawn to romantic comedies than any other film genre?  Does it matter what kind of movies I watch in terms of how they impact how others perceive me?  The answer to that second question has two opposing answers, though with one factor linking them.  On the one hand, I should not mind such things because I have a (self-imposed) duty to see every motion picture (with some exceptions) and give you a Catholic take on them.  On the other, I have my own soul to think about, which has me agonizing over what to pick for The Legionnaire.  Then again, no category is completely safe.  Action features violence, horror often gets into the demonic, and comedies of all ilk have their moments of lewdness.  You may argue that I left out drama and/or musicals, though the three I touched on can all have their elements in a drama.  After all, they do not call them the dramatic arts for nothing.  I say all this because sometimes I worry that I am bringing you too many of one kind, and not enough of another.  Nonetheless, I landed on Win a Date with Tad Hamilton (2004) today, and I will discuss later why it was a personal choice.

As Cathy Feely (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Rosalee Futch (Kate Bosworth) sit in the cinema, they can only dream of what it would be like to Win a Date with Tad Hamilton.  They are seeing a movie starring the title character (Josh Duhamel).  As the two women swoon, their friend and manager at the local Piggly-Wiggly, Pete Monash (Topher Grace), scoffs at their dewy-eyed worship.  Later they picture the leading man sitting quietly in church.  What a nice sentiment.  Instead, he is out boozing and driving around with a random woman, the kind of behavior that ends up on the front page of the tabloids.  According to Richard Levy (Sean Hayes) and Richard Levy (Nathan Lane), his agent and manager with the same name, this happens often when Tad is between jobs.  Wanting to keep their premier client busy, particular as they wait for a long-sought after role, and to clean up Tad’s image, they create a nation-wide sweepstakes based on the title.  What helps with his image is that the proceeds for purchasing entries into the contest to win a night with him will be donated to charity.  Cathy and Rosalee enter on a whim, with Pete not taking their chances of winning seriously.  He has a personal reason for incredulity, and that is because he has had a crush on Rosalee for years.  The problem is that he has never shared those feelings, always thinking he had the time to formulate his thoughts before he eventually went off to school to make something more of his life.  It should probably come as no surprise that Rosalee is the winner of the Tad prize.  Upon receiving the news, the most a horrified Pete can muster is vague advice on how to avoid immediately jumping into bed with the movie star.  His words prove prophetic as both of the things he predicts Tad will say that indicates his carnal intentions are spoken.  In a broader sense, though, her small-town West Virginia attitude and earnestness have an impact on Tad.  As their night is coming to a conclusion, he invites her to his place.  Thinking the inevitable is about to happen, she instead requests that he take her back to her hotel room.  Then, with a kiss, they say good night.  Upon her returning to work, Pete realizes he should act.  He is about to finally confess his love for Rosalee when Tad walks into their break room.  Tad has crossed the country, feeling like he needs to be around Rosalee in order to straighten out his priorities.  Pete tries to convince her that Tad has come simply for matters of the flesh, but she ignores the warning.  To Tad’s credit, he appears to be genuine in wanting to maintain, as he puts it, a platonic relationship with her.  Despite this stated commitment, they begin making out following their first night on the town.  Given that Pete knows about the local “lover’s lane,” he calls the police on Rosalee and Tad before they can get carried away.  Some might refer to this as being a chastity partner, others would call it stalking.  You can decide for yourself.  At any rate, so convinced is Tad that Rosalee is right for him that he decides to buy a farm outside of town.  Cathy, Pete, and Rosalee visit Tad’s new spread, and later end up going out together to a bar for some drinks.  As Tad attempts to relieve himself, Pete takes this opportunity to confront the A-lister.  Though Pete is coming around to the notion that Tad’s intentions are honorable, he has some stern warnings for anyone who would take the woman he loves.  Pete then goes on to list a number of specific things he notices about Rosalee that display the depth of feeling he has for her.  Back in Tad’s hotel room, things are once again getting steamy with Rosalee when they are interrupted, this time by the Richards.  They have come with news that the part Tad has been wanting for so long has finally been offered to him.  Suddenly, it is time to return to Los Angeles.  Yet, seeing Rosalee’s reaction, he believes that maybe he needs to stay.  She encourages him to go, but he will only depart with her.  To convince her, he quotes some of the lines Pete said about her.  Heart melted, she agrees to accompany him.  While she is packing, though, Pete comes to once and for all tell her that he loves her.  It seems too little too late.  It is not until she is on the plane with Tad, with him not remembering the words he had borrowed, that she realizes she made a mistake.  Tad, too, confesses that he stole the quote from Pete.  Thus, upon landing back in West Virginia, Rosalee tracks down Pete and they presumably live happily ever after.

I chose Win a Date with Tad Hamilton because I have been Pete, except no Rosalee ever found me.  Indeed, they have gone metaphorically (and in one case, actually) to Los Angeles and have never looked back despite my evident pining.  Put more succinctly, I identified with Pete.  I could give you all kinds of clichés with a Catholic twist as to why this has not worked out for me.  The wonderful thing about Faith in these cases is that it turns the common phrase into one of authority.  God’s timing is what it is, and it is always perfect.  At the same time, we have a part to play in this story.  Because we have free will, Faith is about being a willing participant in His timing.  He can take us right up to the moment, but it is up to us to take that proverbial leap of faith.  Those last few words are actually used in the film.  As Pete is feeling down about seemingly missing his chance to be with Rosalee, he receives these words in the form of encouragement from Angelica (Kathryn Hahn), the bartender who has had a crush on him for some time.  As a side note, her name is apropos since, despite her own feelings, Angelica says to Pete what he needs to hear regarding Rosalee.  She is selfless, providing the kind of service an angel would give.  This comes in the form counsel, urging him to follow his instinct no matter how crazy it might seem.  This is a wonderful way of looking at saying yes to God’s promptings.  It is not always easy to discern what He wants of us, be in pursuing a person we have always loved or helping one in need that we see on a daily basis, and everything in between, we can get close.  Many times he asks of us what seems to be impossible, and we give up as Pete seemingly did before Rosalee returns to him.  What we cannot understand in those moments when it looks like we are being drawn into the terrifying unknown is that God has a plan for us.  Trust in Him and the rest will take care of itself.

As with many of the romantic comedies I have seen of late, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton was better than I expected. Since God speaks to us in all forms, maybe He is trying to tell me something by bringing me good examples from the genre.  Who knows?  In the meantime, you can safely watch this movie.