“The power of love lies in the one who cares less.” This phrase signifies bachelor Connor Mead’s (Matthew McConaughey) sole motto toward love and relationships in the romantic comedy, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls, Just Like Heaven), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past examines Mead’s heartless attitude toward women and the love he overlooks in a modern rendition of A Christmas Carol.
Throughout his childhood and college years, Mead was in love with his long-time friend, Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner). However, after the death of his parents in a car accident as a young child, Mead’s uncle, Wayne Mead (Michael Douglas), raises Connor and his younger brother. As his only role model, Connor begins to admire his Hugh Hefner-like uncle and his bachelorhood. Wayne teaches Connor his tricks for getting women to love him, and this results in the loss of Perotti.
However, as a self-centered and uncaring Vanity Fair photographer, Connor forgets about the love he lost and cares only about how many women he can fool. He desires a power in relationships that will allow him to trick women to fall in love with him and then dump them, not caring about their feelings or pain.
When Connor heads back to his hometown for his younger brother’s wedding, he encounters Perotti with disinterest. But as he tries to convince his brother that love is an archaic myth, the ghost of his dead uncle Wayne reappears and tells him that he will meet three ghosts that will show him the feelings he has ignored.
During the rest of the night, the ghost of girlfriends past, present and future take him on a journey where he must acknowledge the hurt he has caused others, especially to Perotti. After many glimpses of others’ pain, the love his brother has for him and the lonely death that lies ahead of him, Connor wakes up to find himself a changed person and seeks to show others his true heart in hopes of saving his brother’s wedding and winning back Perotti.
Although the film mirrored a twist on A Christmas Carol, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past includes many comedic sequences and references to the old film which generated humor, unlike a common remake. Waters made the main character relevant to present day circumstances of love, instead of an old British scrooge.
However, unlike the family film, A Christmas Carol, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past includes many sexual innuendos that may be uncomfortable for a family movie night. The beginning of the film shows women dressed in lingerie and made me question if I would like the movie. However, the appearance of underwear lessened throughout the film and transformed into more of a love story rather than a comedy.
With the comedic aspect placed aside, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past centers around the message: “You can’t run from your past.” While this message is subtle, viewers can infer that the choices one makes can affect the future and cannot be easily fixed. The movie includes romance, comedy and also the hint of a lesson, which is enjoyable since it doesn’t focus on one particular topic.
Although the use of ghosts invokes an unbelievable circumstance, Waters’ employment of well-known actors produces a convincing love interest between Connor and Perotti.
Also, the plot of the 90-minute film is easy to follow, yet it isn’t boring. The ghost of girlfriends past, Allison Vandermeersh (Emma Stone), was an ’80s flashback of frizzy hair, braces and bubblegum that transferred Connor to different areas of his life in unexpected ways, including using a bed as a motor vehicle. Any questions a viewer might have were quickly answered by the humorous ghost. The combined acting of Stone, McConaughey, and Garner generated an enjoyable twist on a Christmas story.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is still playing at most local theaters. For show times and tickets, visit Fandango.
For more movie reviews, visit the May 12 article, Star Trek twists produce innovative film.
