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Movies / Upcoming / Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

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Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)

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Reviews Counted:133

Fresh:36

Rotten:97

Average Rating:4.2/10

Consensus: A retread of A Christmas Carol, featuring Matthew McConaughey in a retread of his Dazed and Confused role, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past lacks originality, humor, and any semblance of charm.

Australian Rating: TBC

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Comedies

Australian Theatrical Release:
May 7, 2009 Wide

US Box Office: $55,179,308

Synopsis: Celebrity photographer Connor Mead (MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY) loves freedom, fun and women...in that order. A committed bachelor with a no-strings policy, he thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple... Celebrity photographer Connor Mead (MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY) loves freedom, fun and women...in that order. A committed bachelor with a no-strings policy, he thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call while prepping his next date.

Connor's brother Paul is more the romantic type. In fact, he's about to be married. Unfortunately, on the eve of the big event, Connor's mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for Paul, the wedding party and a houseful of well wishers -- including Connor's childhood friend Jenny (JENNIFER GARNER), the one woman in his life who has always seemed immune to his considerable charm.

Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he gets a wake-up call from the ghost of his late Uncle Wayne (MICHAEL DOUGLAS), the hard-partying, legendary ladies man upon whose exploits Connor has modeled his lifestyle. Uncle Wayne has an urgent message for his protege, which he delivers through the ghosts of Connor's jilted girlfriends -- past, present and future -- who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through a lifetime of failed relationships.

Together, they will discover what turned Connor into such a shameless player and whether he has a second chance to find -- and this time, keep -- the love of his life.

New Line Cinema presents a Jon Shestack/Panther Production of a Mark Waters Film: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner in the romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. The film also stars Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, Anne Archer, Emma Stone and Michael Douglas.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is directed by Mark Waters from a script by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, and produced by Jon Shestack and Brad Epstein. Executive producers are Marcus Viscidi, Mark Waters, Jessica Tuchinsky, Toby Emmerich, Cale Boyter and Samuel J. Brown, with Ginny Brewer as co-producer. The creative team includes director of photography Daryn Okada, production designer Cary White, editor Bruce Green and costume designer Denise Wingate. Music is by Rolfe Kent. Executive music producer is Ralph Sall.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. --© Warner Bros [More]

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Breckin Meyer

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, Robert Forster, Amanda Walsh

Director: Mark Waters

Director: Mark Waters
Screenwriter: Scott Moore, John Lucas
Producer: Jon Shestack, Brad Epstein
Composer: Rolfe Kent
Studio: New Line Cinema

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1 - 4 of 9

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Reviews for Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Quirky supporting characters enliven this by-the-numbers romcom.

Full Review Source: Time Out Sydney | comment Comment
05/15/09
Lisa Varano
Lisa Varano
Time Out Sydney
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

McConaughey too once showed promise, but here he seems to be auditioning for a bad sitcom, while Garner misuses her gawky sincerity.

Full Review Source: The Age (Australia) | comment Comment
05/15/09
Jake Wilson
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I suppose your reaction to the film will depend to some extent on whether or not you find Matthew McConaughey a charmer. I don’t, so I found Connor repulsive with no redeeming features.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment Comment
05/15/09
David Stratton
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It actually has a couple of qualities few modern romantic comedies possess: it's romantic and quite funny.

Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | comment Comment
05/08/09
Annette Basile
Annette Basile
FILMINK (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There are more problems than ghosts in this charmless romantic comedy in which Matthew McConaughey's Lothario gets a lesson in the love stakes.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
05/04/09
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There are more problems than ghosts in this charmless romantic comedy in which Matthew McConaughey's Lothario gets a lesson in the love stakes.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
05/04/09
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A deluge of dim jokes and rote romantic interludes between Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner that are intended to recall Charle's Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." God help us all.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
09/27/09
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Matthew McConaughey proves better than the material put before him in the intermittently intriguing Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Full Review Source: What Would Toto Watch? | comment Comment
09/18/09
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
What Would Toto Watch?

Ideally, you want to see the male and female leads end up together in a romantic comedy; if not, it all starts to become kind of creepy.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
09/17/09
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

Although there are some sweetly sentimental moments, they are not nearly enough to redeem what is otherwise a fairly mean-spirited film.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
09/12/09
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

A watchable pastiche of A Christmas Carol, this rom-com resorts to corny slapstick a bit too often but also manages to find moments of real resonance

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
05/28/09
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

The comedy is reduced to pratfalls and embarrassing situations, and much of it comes across as just mean-spirited.

Full Review Source: Sean the Movie Guy | comment Comment
05/25/09
Sean McBride
Sean McBride
Sean the Movie Guy

Director Mark Waters finds the movie's laughs in the supporting players: Michael Douglas, Emma Stone and Lacey Chabert.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
05/22/09
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

The only thing of note is that its star, Matthew McConaughey, doesn't remove his shirt

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment 1 Comment
05/18/09
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

A slick, standard Hollywood studio produced romantic comedy that utilizes a clever conceit and some expert supporting comedic performances to help it squeak by.

Full Review Source: Windy City Times | comment Comment
05/15/09
Richard Knight
Richard Knight
Windy City Times

Let's be clear: this is trash, not very funny and sometimes jaw-droppingly insulting.

Full Review Source: SFX Magazine | comment Comment
05/12/09
Andrew Osmond
Andrew Osmond
SFX Magazine

The ending does a big flip flop, but if you go in with low expectations, you'll have a hard not laughing in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Full Review Source: ReviewExpress.com | comment Comment
05/11/09
Diana Saenger
Diana Saenger
ReviewExpress.com

Good romantic comedies are harder and harder to find these days, but for the diehard romantic, it proves there's still some life left in the genre.

Full Review Source: Gazette (MD) | comment Comment
05/11/09
Jeffrey Lyles
Jeffrey Lyles
Gazette (MD)

'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' lacks energy and originality, plus the characters are too shallow to care about. But Michael Douglas is delightful.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
05/10/09
Frank Wilkins
Frank Wilkins
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Not as bad as you might think, but...

Full Review Source: Illinois Times | comment Comment
05/09/09
Charles Koplinski
Charles Koplinski
Illinois Times
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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