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Holly, understandably, is not enthusiastic about her mom's new prospect. Desperate to divert yet another doomed relationship, Holly decides to concoct a secret admirer—the Perfect Man. She finds an unsuspecting consultant—asking her sidekick Amy's worldly-wise Uncle Ben (Chris Noth, Law and Order, Sex in the City) to answer some questions about romantic relationships for a "school project." It all seems innocent enough—she'll send a few flowers, write a few e-mails, whatever it takes to distract her mom long enough to alleviate the Lenny Threat. Ah, but in a bit of Super Obvious Foreshadowing, Holly develops her whispered plan with Amy in English while Potential Boyfriend Adam is asked to explain to the class the meaning of the lines: "What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

'I art right here!' says Chris Noth, playing, yes, the Perfect Man

The rest of the film unfolds pretty much the way you'd expect, complete with Three's Company-esque mistaken identities and mishaps. From a plot perspective, The Perfect Man's web could stand a bit more tangling. But underneath all the banal predictability is a premise that is entirely too twisted and tangled. Holly's mom behaves in ways that are needy and selfish to the point of pathology. It would be one thing if The Perfect Man offered a mature and developed exploration into the psychological factors that have made Jean who she is, but of course it doesn't. The Perfect Man is a movie aimed squarely at young teens and even pre-teens, and all the relationships—especially the adult ones—are explored and resolved at that level. There are plenty of successful teen movies out there that leave me rolling my eyes. True, I'm hardly in the target demographic, but The Perfect Man also left me with a queasy feeling in my stomach—because, despite some half-hearted attempts to deliver a Good Message at the end, it seems likely that the average impressionable young girl will take away the notion that (a) life is not worth living without a mate, and (b) once you find that mate, you can expect all other problems to neatly resolve in a manner consistent with the last 5 minutes of your favorite sit-com.

Hilary Duff has every right to continue making movies for tweens and teens, and, if the money keeps coming in, Hollywood will make sure she does. She won't make those films for adults, nor should she. But I think it's only fair for the adults to make one teeny, tiny request: Leave us out of it. I'm not saying there should not be adult mentors or parents or even adult nemeses in teen movies. Nor am I saying that there aren't plenty of thoughtful teens out there ready to take on more challenging subject matter. But if I may generalize about the genre of teen/tween movies, I think it's fair to say they should not attempt to explore adult relationships—particularly deeply troubled ones—with any level of seriousness. Let cotton candy be cotton candy. There will be plenty of time to talk turkey later.

Talk About It

1. Holly deceives her mom, partly out of a desire to help her. When (if ever) is it OK to deceive someone?
   
   
2. Jean's desire to find a mate is so strong she will sacrifice almost anything in the pursuit. Has there ever been anything in your life you wanted that badly? Did you break its hold on you? How?
   
   
3. Do you believe there is one romantic soul mate (the "perfect" man or woman) for each person?
   
   
4. Both Jean and Holly have a tendency to want to run away when relationships get difficult. When should you stick out a problematic relationship? When should you walk away?
   
   
5. Although Jean is somewhat of a caricature, there are plenty of women (and men) whose insecurities leave them trying to find their worth in relationships or accomplishments. What is the key to self-worth? How do you help someone find it?

The Family Corner

The Perfect Man is rated PG for "some mildly suggestive content." There is a stereotyped gay character who uses flirtatious and suggestive innuendo, most of which will go over the heads of younger teens. There is very little inappropriate language, and the characters' wardrobes and behavior are modest. It is only the underlying message inherent in one main character's obsession with finding a mate that some viewers may find objectionable.

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