"Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" review
by Mike DiGiorgio, Writer

            It’s got to be hard to write a romantic comedy that’s original – whatever twists in life you hand your leads, the audience pretty much knows how it’s going to turn out.  Ghosts of Girlfriends Past gives itself an inventive twist, although it makes the writer’s dilemma worse.  It’s the umpteenth movie to employ the theme of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  That’s clever for a romantic comedy, especially since it’s not a Christmas movie.  But again, the audience pretty much knows how the movie about a bitter individual visited by three ghosts who want him to change his ways is going to turn out.

            So I give Ghosts of Girlfriends Past credit:  it’s actually pretty enjoyable.

            Matthew McConaughey is Connor Mead, a womanizing cad who has the audacity to break up with women in a conference call – he puts them all on the line at once to save himself time.  Connor is a rich and successful fashion photographer who has women throw themselves at him wherever he goes.  He has convinced himself he’s happy in his life without love, and he flaunts it when he travels to his boyhood home to be the best man at his brother’s wedding.  Among the bridesmaids is Jenny (Jennifer Garner), a girl from his youth who is “the one that got away.”

            There are reasons A Christmas Carol has been adapted over and over.  It’s a wonderful story that makes you feel good at the end.  Having a man stand there and watch his past unfold – and want to reach out and stop himself from making mistakes – can be very touching if done by the right actors.  McConaughey drops Connor’s guard just enough at the right moments to make the scenes work.

            While touching at the right times, Ghosts is not heavy at all.  Another reason A Christmas Carol has been adapted so many times is that writers probably love seeing what they can do with the four ghosts (including Jacob Marley, of course).  Marley in this case is Connor’s Uncle Wayne, played by Michael Douglas, who is having all kinds of fun as a swinging older version of Connor.  He foretells the arrival of three ghosts, all represented by girls in Connor’s life. 

            The first is the funniest, a representative of Connor’s teenage years – the 80s teen he was “with” first.  She’s played by Emma Stone, who while in real life is older than 16 does an entertaining job with all kinds of 80s teenage girl stereotypes.  Just like in A Christmas Carol, the bitter man’s past is the most compelling part (and in Connor’s case, the funniest) as we see how he came to be what he is, his relationship with Jenny unfold, his bonding with his hero Uncle Wayne and his many different lifestyles.  My favorite part – a clever way to fit in what could have been a clichéd montage featuring Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.”  

            For the character of Connor to work onscreen, whether you’re a man or a woman, you have to like him.  McConaughey is a charming guy who above all makes you laugh.  Yes, he’s a cad and deep down you know he’s bitter – but for the most part, he’s having fun, which lets you have fun with him.  The women he beds are mostly stereotypical bimbos, so while you feel a little sorry for them, it’s not enough to make you hate Connor.  You’re not supposed to think of Jenny as a stereotypical bimbo, and Garner plays her well.  She’s actually something of a Plain Jane here – if you ever thought of her as “hot” before, you might even question yourself.  She’s not glamorous but isn’t supposed to be.