A teenager's elaborate scheme to fix her mother's love life backfires in this romantic comedy.
In short: In the 2005 film The Perfect Man, a teenage girl tired of moving every time her mother suffers a heartbreak decides to intervene. She creates a fictitious secret admirer for her mother, using advice from a real man she mistakes for the ideal partner, leading to a series of chaotic complications.
Directed by Mark Rosman and written by Gina Wendkos, The Perfect Man centers on Holly Hamilton, played by Hilary Duff, and her mother Jean, portrayed by Heather Locklear. Jean is a baker who habitually relocates whenever a relationship ends, a cycle that frustrates her daughter. Upon moving to Brooklyn, Holly attempts to break this pattern by inventing a virtual suitor for her mother. She draws inspiration from Ben Cooper, the uncle of her friend Amy, whom she secretly interviews under the guise of needing help for a school project.
The ruse involves sending Jean orchids, love notes, and emails from the fake admirer, whom Holly also names Ben. To maintain the illusion, Holly uses a photograph of the real Ben and claims he is working in China to avoid an in-person meeting. As the scheme unfolds, Holly finds herself attracted to a classmate named Adam, yet she remains guarded due to her history of constantly uprooting her life. The plot thickens when Holly’s mother becomes genuinely interested in the fictitious man, leading to a climax where the truth is revealed, causing significant tension between mother and daughter.
Critics largely panned the film upon its June 17, 2005, theatrical release. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that only 6% of 128 critics provided positive reviews, while Metacritic assigned it a score of 27 out of 100. Despite the negative reception, the film grossed $19.8 million worldwide against a production budget of $10 million. The story itself was inspired by the life of screenwriter Heather Robinson, with filming taking place between May and July 2004. Ultimately, the narrative concludes with Jean deciding to stop running from her problems, and Holly finally embracing her own feelings for Adam.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Perfect Man (2005 film)
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