A television lead crossing into film at the right moment
Katherine Heigl arrived from a network drama into a run of studio comedies while the form was still reliably profitable.
Section 02
Two leads at the top of a market
Heigl, Butler, and the supporting bench.
Three pieces
In this section
An action lead cast against what he was known for
Gerard Butler had come off historical action, and the casting works on the difference rather than in spite of it.
The supporting cast is where the jokes actually sit
John Michael Higgins and Cheryl Hines carry the running comic frame around the two leads, which is standard construction for the form.
On screen
The four performances the film is built on
Katherine Heigl
Abby Richter
Arrived from Grey's Anatomy, with a 2007 Emmy behind her, into a run of studio comedies that included 27 Dresses (2008). She carries the producer half of the film.
Gerard Butler
Mike Chadway
Came to the part after 300 (2006). The casting works on the distance between that profile and a cable relationship pundit.
Photo: Gerard Butler · Wikimedia Commons
John Michael Higgins
Larry Freeman
One half of the anchor desk. The running frame around the leads, and where most of the jokes actually sit.
Cheryl Hines
Georgia Bordeaux
The other half of the desk. The pair operate as a second comedy with its own rhythm, independent of the plot.