MADE OF HONOR
Charming romantic comedy best saved for discerning adults at home.
Should You Watch It?
Made of Honor is a pleasant, quickly moving romantic comedy with delightful performances from Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan. There are many smiles, and the movie is charming. But there are no big laughs, and the story feels familiar from beginning to end.
The more serious problem is the content. The movie discusses Tom’s multiple girlfriends, includes a sex toy scene, and features near nudity throughout. It also presents a world with no spiritual aspect, where romantic love is the highest ideal. Tom’s eventual decision to grow up, believe in marriage, and communicate his love gives the story positive moral elements, but his earlier selfishness makes that growth difficult to embrace.
You can enjoy its charm, but this is best watched at home by discerning adults, not with children or young teens.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESTom is a womanizer who believes he has the best of both worlds: friendship with Hannah and sexual encounters with multiple women. When Hannah travels to Scotland, Tom discovers that his feelings for his best friend go beyond friendship.
Hannah returns with a new fiancé, Colin, whom Tom sees as the perfect guy. She then asks Tom to serve as her Maid of Honor. Tom accepts, hoping that being close to the wedding will give him a chance to convince Hannah to marry him instead.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a charming, enjoyable movie with noticeable limitations. Dempsey and Monaghan are delightful, the movie moves quickly, and the unusual situation of Tom blending in with the other bridesmaids provides some humor. The scene involving Tom’s basketball friends preparing for the bridal shower is also amusing.
Still, the story brings little that feels new. It resembles earlier romantic comedies and even an episode of Friends. There are many smiles but no big laughs, and the ending is telegraphed early. Tom’s immaturity also makes it difficult to root for him later, even as he learns to communicate his love and believe in marriage.
The Worldview
The movie’s worldview is strongly romantic, with humanist and moral elements. It treats romantic love as the highest ideal the characters accomplish, while God is never mentioned either positively or negatively. The characters live without a spiritual dimension, so the story’s idea of fulfillment remains centered on finding the right romantic relationship.
The film does offer some positive moral movement. Tom begins as a man who uses Hannah for emotional support while pursuing multiple women. He eventually decides to grow up, admit that he loves Hannah, believe in marriage, and communicate what he feels. Yet the movie’s treatment of love is incomplete because it does not connect marriage or human longing to God.
The central longing is for romantic love and commitment. Scripture places love within a larger, God-centered calling: “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong Romantic worldview mixed with humanist and moral elements; eight obscenities and six profanities along with sexually vulgar name-calling and man giving friend “the finger”; man hit in face, man slapped by woman, man thrown from horse; implied fornication, much deep kissing, and sex toys discussed and on display; upper male nudity, man’s genitals discussed while in public shower, magazine cover with barely covered upper female nudity, and females in short skirts, low tops, bare midriffs and lingerie; much use of alcohol and drunkenness; no smoking or drug use; and, negative father figure who has multiple marriages and divorces.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Tom begins by using Hannah for emotional support while pursuing other women. What does loving someone look like when it costs you something?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Philippians 2:3–4Tom eventually comes to believe in marriage. What makes marriage more than simply finding someone you love?
Genesis 2:24 · Ephesians 5:25Tom must learn to communicate his love instead of hiding behind friendship. When is honesty loving, and when should we speak with wisdom and patience?
Ephesians 4:15 · Proverbs 15:1The characters live without any spiritual aspect, and romantic love becomes their highest ideal. What good things can romance offer, and why can it never take God’s place?
Matthew 22:37–39 · Psalm 16:11The Final Word
Made of Honor is charming and enjoyable, but its familiar story offers few big laughs and carries content too strong for children or young teens. Its positive movement toward maturity and marriage is not enough to overcome the sexual material and spiritually empty worldview. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For other choices, see.
