'Blind Dating' loses sight of original dialogue, plot

By: Kady Smith

Posted: 4/5/07

"Blind Dating," one of the films shown last weekend at the first annual AFI Dallas International Film Festival, was not what it claimed to be.
Don't be fooled by the charming previews you may see for this movie. Like so many films, the trailer is utterly deceiving and features only the few tolerable moments present in the film.
"Blind Dating" tells the story of pretty-boy blind virgin "Danny," played by Chris Pine, who is convinced by his sex-crazed brother Larry (Eddie Kaye Thomas) to find a girl he can lose it to, and someone to fall in love with while he's at it.
Determined to help his brother lose his V-card, Larry sets up a series of annoyingly predictable dates, ranging from the hysterical crybaby, to dirty hooker, to she-man. I suppose the fact that he rents out the limo that he drives to hookers to make extra cash could have given Danny a tip that his big bro isn't to be trusted, but sadly it's not so.
Luckily for Danny, there's the cute normal Indian girl who works in the eye doctor's office to the rescue. But wait, she's Indian and promised to another man. Seems like poor Danny just can't get a break.
However, the film consciously exerts an effort not to make victims out of the blind. Danny is one of the most popular guys in town and doesn't let his disability keep him from anything.
Jane Seymour makes an appearance in the film as Danny's psychologist who can't seem to keep her clothes on when they are in session. The film only serves as further proof that all those years of playing Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman really got to her. First it was her role in "Wedding Crashers" as the sexually maniacal mother and now this. Her husband, James Keach, directed the film and she was executive producer.
Keach was one of the producers of the film "Walk the Line." One has to ask why directly following "Walk the Line" and being a team member of such a great movie, he has to regress to such a formulaic project.
Chris Pine does a relatively good job at being generally likable throughout the entirety of the film, but his likability is just not enough to support the bad dialogue, predictable plots and an all-around lacking cast.
Heed my warning: don't let the trailer fool you. I was surprised at its capacity to take a truly horrendous movie and make it look like something people need to see.
The film festival ran from March 22 to April 1 and featured more than 190 documentaries, shorts, panels, parties and family events. "Blind Dating" was shown Sunday evening.