The Ugly Truth

A romantically challenged morning show producer is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.

Critics were nearly uniform in dismissing The Ugly Truth as a formulaic, laugh-free exercise in romantic comedy conventions, with the script drawing the most fire. The notable exception is the audience response, which was enthusiastically warm — a gap that suggests the film delivers on genre pleasures that critics refused to credit. The few positive notices tended to focus on the Heigl-Butler dynamic rather than the writing around it.