Ugly Betty At The Movies
June 3, 2008 by Tom
This past weekend, something in the cosmos was telling me that it’s time to write a new post about Ugly Betty connections to the movies. Well, actually, something very particular was telling me. Two movies I saw over the weekend had Ugly Betty connections.
First is the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In a past movies post, I told you that former cast member Alan Dale would be in the film. I’ll be honest with you: I forgot about it. So, here I am enjoying the movie, and early on, out walks Dale in full military dress. My wife and I both exclaimed “It’s Bradford Meade!”, before getting shushed by others who did not share our Ugly Betty infatuation. I told you Dale would land on his feet. Good for him.
Next, we rented 27 Dresses. I remember that during the live blog for episode 2.16, Betty’s Baby Bump, some of you commented that the yoga scene was right out of 27 Dresses. My goodness, you were right! I’ll say this to Silvio Horta: there’s a fine line between paying tribute to another artistic work and outright bootlegging. Yes, I realize that the movie had some serious product placement in Ugly Betty episodes after the strike, but…wow.
I wouldn’t feel so bad about it, except the whole time I was watching the love triangle in 27 Dresses, I kept thinking, “I’ve seen this before. George and Kevin are slightly better looking versions of Henry and Gio. Jane and Betty have some pretty striking personality similarities.”
I don’t want to make it sound like I think the post-strike version of Ugly Betty was an absolute rip-off; I don’t. I think there were many brilliant, original moments late this season. But there can be absolutely no doubt that Silvio Horta has seen 27 Dresses, and doing so influenced his writing this season.
Once again, I still think Ugly Betty is the most enjoyable, original show on television today. I was just taken aback by seeing many UB elements on the big screen in an unrelated film.
More Ugly Betty movie news is upcoming (Don’t forget America Ferrera!). I just had to share my Ugly Betty movie thoughts from this weekend.
Illustration: Newscom
Two things –
1) My sister & I did the same thing when we saw Bradford Meade in Indiana Jones!
2) I actually saw 27 Dresses after the Ugly Betty episodes and didn’t think it was that funny because it was stuff I’d already seen in UB.
LOL! Yeah, I saw Bradford during Indy 4 and like a dork squealed “He’s alive!” I’ve never seen 27 Dresses before (seemed too chick flickish for me, and I’m not that type a gal) but if what you say is true that’s pretty interesting. I almost want to watch it now just to see.
I also found it interesting that the two males guys were considered better looking versions of Henry and Gio. I know that’s Hollywood’s standards, but Gorham and Rodriguez actually suit my taste way more than Marsden and Burns. But maybe I should be comparing the characters, not the actors!
In all fairness, 27 Dresses came out in January after all the pre-strike episodes were already completed. So, while the post-strike yoga scene probably was “borrowed” from the movie, the Henry/Gio dynamic had already been set up by then. Same with Jane having Betty-ish personality traits; Betty clearly existed way before 27 Dresses did.
Hollywood borrows from itself so often almost nothing is really original anymore. So it goes in the film/tv business. Haha.
One question- Who’s Gio and who’s Henry?
. I don’t see the connection, personally. Man, I love James Marsden…… ok back to UB. I didn’t notice any 27D/UB similarities till you mentioned it and now… I sorta get it.
Hey. I found this site not so long ago but I’m a fan now
About Ugly Betty movie connections look what i’ve noticed in “The Other Boleyn Girl”:
TOBG: http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bscap000xn1.jpg
TOBG: http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bscap001ji4.jpg
UB: http://img71.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bscap004dw5.jpg
UB: http://img71.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bscap007dk2.jpg
I was quite excited with seeing Alan Dale as well in the new Indiana Jones movie! I kept myself from blurting anything out and annoying those around me.
I thought there were a few minor personality times where Jane coincided with Betty, in her super assistant mode, but Betty is a lot more awesome of a character and has a lot more personality…and we saw Betty as super assistant long before we saw Jane. If anything, I would wonder if “27 Dresses” hadn’t been influenced by “Ugly Betty” vs. the opposite way around.
I’m really puzzled at you trying to say either Kevin or George are Henry or Gio–I didn’t really see either Kevin or George having anything in common with either “Ugly Betty” character. And personally I think both of them are equally handsome men to those in the movie, if not better looking. However, I did think when I was watching it that George, the handsome boss, reminded me of the original concept of Daniel in previous entities of the Betty show…and Jane and George’s lack of physical chemistry struck me as how it is with our Daniel and Betty–good friends, good coworkers, but not a good romantic match.
It’s a very inexact analogy, what I’m going for. I was thinking more general – you had the straight arrow that the heroine was in love with, and the slightly roguish stranger appears and confuses her heart.
(By the way, this is the romantic plot of 90% of romance novels – nothing wrong with it; the formula works!)