There’s the old saying the love is blind, and many filmmakers have taken that to heart. Many films have been made about someone who is blind finding love, overcoming everything, and finally finding true happiness for themselves. Taking the general concept and making a romantic-comedy out of it was something that was to be expected, and now it has come to pass, though I’m sure it’s been done a time or two before this film.

Blind Dating, if that’s not a play on words I don’t know what is and it’s quite literal in this film. Danny (Chris Pine) has been blind since birth and like most he’s managed to overcome his disability and make the best of this life with the support of his family, even when his brother Larry (Eddie Kaye Thomas) did cruel things. The thing however that has been a problem is finding a relationship and now at 22, Danny still has to find love, or lose his virginity, though his therapist Dr. Evans (Jane Seymour) would be willing to make him a man.

Danny, with Larry’s help, tries going on a few blind dates, but none of them are the right match for him. He’s also been accepted into an experimental program that might give him sight, though very primitive. During his visits to the doctor, he meets receptionist Leeza (Anjali Jay) and they soon start casually seeing each other and love begins to blossom. Leeza however is engaged to be married, though through an arranged marriage and has to call of their relationship and Danny is faced with either letting go or finally confessing his love to her.

Like most romantic-comedies, Blind Dating has a number of predictable scenes, all of which are set up in the standard way, with the usual results, but there are definitely some mildly humorous parts to the film. Blind Dating reminds me, though just slightly, of 40 Year Old Virgin, though the humor here isn’t quite as crude. This is meant to be more of an innocent comedy that isn’t trying to be outright offensive. It does have its moments, but it never really pushes the envelope in the way that other films do and it definitely doesn’t lower itself to being filled with jokes that are beneath lowbrow.

I do like how the film balances thing quite a bit. It’s not just about Danny trying to find love, but it’s also about his desire to see, even if just slightly. The surgery will allow him to see black and white images, but it’s experimental. We do see though that even though he’s blind, Danny really has managed to overcome it the best as he can. He rarely uses a cane, he doesn’t have a Seeing Eye dog, and much of his mobility is simply based on having memorized how many steps he’s taken, much like Ray Charles often did. He even woos Leeza with some sweet talk about what she looks like based simply on what he’s heard from her, like how her hair moves; the sound of her voice, but his vision is quite accurate.

The final act of the film however is where it falls short and quickly becomes a victim of mediocrity and commonality. After the “big break up” between Leeza and Danny, we all really can see exactly what direction the movie is heading. How many times have we seen one lover in a position where it seems they must give up the best thing that ever happened to them only to finally come forward and admit their true feelings? Far too many, and the unfortunate thing here is the Blind Dating feels that it must do exactly the same thing. Just about every genre in cinema however is formulaic, but even so, there are those rare times when a writer decides that it’s time to spread their wings a little and do something a little different, but Blind Dating isn’t one of those movies. Despite what it wants to accomplish, in the end its exactly what we’ve seen before and it may as well have “and they lived happily ever after” tossed in at the end for good measure.

There isn’t anything really special with the bonus features found on this release. Blind Dating includes some deleted scenes, bloopers, a behind-the-scenes feature and interviews with the cast, though I’m not above watching more of the luscious Anjali Jay. Even so, much like the final act in the film, the extra features also fall just a little short and are typical.

Blind Dating, while not a horrible movie, isn’t anything special. Instead just a rather run-of-the-mill romantic comedy that only tries to differ itself by adding in a few minor elements to set itself apart. There are some laughable parts, but they aren’t memorable and romantic comedies, much like horror films, are becoming a dime a dozen with the same things seen over and over again and for all the ones that come along, very few that rise above the rest, and Blind Dating doesn’t manager to make it far enough along to make you see it any differently.
 

-mike-
 

Directed by: James Keach   Written by: Christopher Theo   Cast: Chris Pine Anjali Jay Frank Gerrish Eddie Kaye Thomas Jane Seymour Jodi Russell Stephen Tobolowsky Jayma Mays Jennifer Alden Pooch Hall Judith Benezra

DVD Features: Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Surround & English for the Visually Impaired English, French & Spanish Subtitles Behind the Scenes of Blind Dating Deleted Scenes Theatrical Trailer