MEMPHIS cutie Ginnifer Goodwin was the perfect choice for Bill Henrickson's third and youngest wife - doe-eyed “Margie” Heffman - on HBO's hit TV drama Big Love, which delved into the multi-faceted world of suburban polygamy in modern-day Utah.
With a rare talent for effortlessly slipping between vulnerable and wise beyond her years (and a smile that rivals any Hollywood starlet's), she skilfully captured the complexities of the misguided trailer park teen looking for love in the strangest places - the arms of Mormon fundamentalists.
With all her ability and on-screen charm, it's a shame to see the 32-year-old cast in run-of-the-mill romantic comedies like Hollywood's latest offering Something Borrowed, based on the 2005 international chick-lit bestseller by US author Emily Griffin.
She plays 30-year-old good-girl Rachel, who struggles with her morals as she falls in love with her best friend Darcy's (Kate Hudson) fiancé Dex (Colin Egglesfield).
Perhaps a notch higher than your average modern rom-com - the acting is very good (apart from Egglesfield who is trapped inside a Ralph Lauren catalogue) and a dance routine to Salt-N-Pepa's 1987 hit Push It is most enjoyable - it is nevertheless the same story served with a slightly smaller side of cheese.
While Goodwin steals the show, Hudson comes in a close second as her narcissistic foul-mouthed bestie. Much like her golden-girl mum, the pregnant and newly engaged star is a pleasure to watch (although you wonder whether she is simply playing herself).
Sadly, Big Love ended earlier this year after five gripping seasons, leaving Goodwin in need of a decent script.
Let's hope uninspiring rom-coms are off the agenda.
SOMETHING Borrowed (M)
Directed by: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski
Rating: Two and a half stars
Screening: Now
Reviewed by: Sara Fitzpatrick