Worth Winning (1989)

Bland 80s romantic comedy about weatherman Make Harmon betting his friend that he can get three different women to accept his proposal of marriage, on camera no less. That's not really all that funny or clever of a plot set-up, but I suppose it's serviceable enough. The women Harmon pursues include Madeleine Stowe, Lesley Ann Warren, Andrea Martin, and Maria Holvoe, so three of the four actresses are quite respectable, well known, and certainly better than this very unoriginal of material. I think seeing the usually serious Stowe in such a light film was the most amusing part of the film. Overall, "Worth Winning" would be completely unwatchable if it wasn't for the cast and 80s nostalgia value.

The summary title alliteration is intended. Yes, this is a boy meets girl formula story, which starts off stereotypically in many respects. However, as the main characters start to develop and take shape, they become quite charming and actually fairly well rounded. There are several witty scenes and for an essentially fluffy romantic comedy it is better than most. I give it the highest rating for excellent casting, 1st class ensemble work and top-notch entertainment. All the ladies look gorgeous and Mark Harmon does, too. Eye candy and art, aren't these the main components of any and every outstanding film achievement? This engaging confection is beautifully rendered, skillfully performed and although not of hard hitting significance a classic of the light "feel good" genre.

Mark Harmon in a ridiculous comedy about a swinging TV weather guy who bets with 3 friends that he can get engaged to 3 girls within a 3 month period.The lucky people in this inane foolishness are 2 of the 3 friends. After the wager is made, they are rarely if ever seen for the rest of this dismal flick.You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the three girls will eventually find out and plot revenge. Madeleine Stowe is a concert pianist. Moody, she appears the most difficult for Harmon to conquer. There's also a female sports player and a bored housewife married to a millionaire. The latter played by the reliable Lesley Ann Warren.The basic problem with this film is really who cares?There is of course the wedding scene where the intended lady says no at the last minute and you can readily guess who her bridesmaids are. Then, Harmon will have to win her back in a raffle!Predictable nonsense. One of the bettors was a psychiatrist. He should have ordered therapy for all involved in this flick.

Taylor Worth is a TV weatherman in Philadelphia whose male friends are married, while he is still single. His friend Ned bets Taylor that he can't get three women to say yes to a marriage proposal (the acceptance must be on videotape). If Ned loses, he must give up an original Picasso which his wife inherited. The first woman is Erin, a beautiful blonde receptionist for the Eagles football team, who seems to have an attraction to Tarry Childs, one of the players. There is also Veronica, a pianist who doesn't like the term 'new age', and Eleanor, who is unhappily married.All three women go with Taylor to see the movie 'Snow White', and each has a different reaction. I suppose the usher (Arthur Malet) was supposed to be amazed at Taylor's love for that movie, but it was hard to tell. I kept expecting some classic line from him.Taylor talked to the audience a lot, and occasionally other characters did the same. That might have worked, but I didn't like him that well. I liked Erin but not the other women, and found myself wishing he would settle for Erin. Unfortunately, Taylor had to find a way out of each engagement, and his excuse for not marrying Erin made for some good (if off-color) laughs. The best part of the movie at first was seeing Ned's dismay as he came ever closer to losing the bet. And, of course, Taylor nearly gets caught a few times, which is good for a few laughs. The women don't seem to mind being videotaped, though not all of them are aware of it. Toward the end, something happens that comes close to making the movie hilarious, but the events don't quite come together to make this satisfying. It was funny, but not a classic. SPOILER: If you must know why this movie got better, the three women found out about the bet, and they set out for revenge, which was quite funny, especially at the engagement party with one of the women, and at the wedding with another.