The Perfect Man

Fed up with moving home every time her mother Jean (Heather Locklear) splits up with another boyfriend, teenager Holly (Hilary Duff) takes matters into her own hands by posing via email as a handsome admirer. She hopes that a captivated Jean will stay away from unsuitable men – but no-hopers still come a-knocking and Holly has to step up her game. She draws inspiration from her friend’s uncle Ben (Chris Noth) by grilling him on romance, and composes saccharine emails designed to make poor, insecure Jean feel loved – never mind that a bright, pleasant woman who looks like Heather Locklear could have bagged a millionaire with a heart of gold by now. One supposes that the prospect of Jean and Ben’s eventual meeting is designed to create tension, but Holly’s attempts to prevent this from happening (as it would expose her deception) merely irritate. Unfunny set-pieces are punctuated by quasi-romantic interludes as Ben spouts clichés and Holly ignores the perfect man right under her nose. None of the leads convince or engage, and supporting characters are either gay stereotypes, routine little sisters or functional best friends. Rather than a romantic comedy, this prim PG is a saccharine family drama which overpowers any prospect of genuine sweetness with its dull, deceitful characters. And let’s face it, there was never anything particularly appealing about a girl trying to seduce her own mother in the first place.