Production

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! was based on a script by Victor Levin. The character's name of Tad Hamilton has been seen as a cross between the names of screen idols Tab Hunter and George Hamilton.

It was the second U.S. film by Australian director Robert Luketic, who found success in 2001 with his American directorial debut Legally Blonde. The film was shot between May and July 2003. However, by the time the film was released, DreamWorks Records was no longer part of the same corporate umbrella, as Universal Music Group announced they were purchasing it for $100 million in November 2003, eventually closing it down in 2005. In the credits of the film, Moss's song is listed as being under license from Universal Music, since the rights to her album had already been transferred to Universal Music Group by that point.

Filming took place in both West Virginia and California. The film intended to evoke a small town feeling, and the town in the movie, Fraziers Bottom, was inspired by the real-life West Virginia community of the same name. Other West Virginia shooting locations included Fayetteville and Grandview, with some additional filming at the London Locks on the Kanawha River. The film's Hollywood scenes were shot in California. These locations included the Los Angeles Convention Center, which was used to portray Los Angeles International Airport, as well as several sites in Malibu and West Hollywood.

Reception

Box office

The film opened in 2,711 venues on January 23, 2004, and earned $7,320,066 in its opening weekend, ranking third in the North American box office and second among the week's new releases. The film ultimately grossed $17,071,962 in North America and $4,206,494 internationally for a worldwide total of $21,278,456. Based on a $22 million budget, the film was a box-office bomb.

Critical response

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 55% approval rating based on 149 reviews, with an average of 5.60/10. The site's consensus states: "Formulaic romantic comedy works better than it should thanks to a charming cast." Metacritic reports a score of 52 out of 100 based on 35 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Roger Ebert criticized the film, noting that Duhamel's character always seems more likeable than Grace's, and that the film spends more time building a romance between Rosalee and Tad rather than between Rosalee and Pete. Bosworth's acting was praised for holding the film together.

Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle regarded the film as tonally inconsistent in its attempt to be both an old-fashioned romantic comedy and modern (albeit gentle) satire.

Writing in The New York Times, Stephen Holden regarded the film's plot as resembling those of the 1950s, "dressed up just enough to seem contemporary." Holden regarded Bosworth's role as the toughest, as she showed Rosalee's "feet-on-the-ground optimism and innate wisdom" easily.

Home media

The film was released on VHS and DVD by DreamWorks Home Entertainment on April 20, 2004. The DVD features 16 deleted scenes. It was later made available on Paramount's streaming service Paramount+, and on April 22, 2022, Paramount Home Entertainment released it on Blu-ray.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack album was released on January 20, 2004. The release was handled by Columbia Records rather than DreamWorks' own record label DreamWorks Records, which had recently been sold to Universal Music Group. Columbia also handled the soundtrack for 2005's Just like Heaven, another DreamWorks film released following UMG's takeover of DreamWorks Records.

Album track listing

  1. "Superfabulous (Scott Humphrey Remix)" - BT
  2. "Special" - Wilshire
  3. "Some Days" - Wheat
  4. "More Bounce in California" - Soul Kid #1
  5. "Why Can't I?" - Liz Phair
  6. "Back to You" - John Mayer
  7. "Something About You" - Five for Fighting
  8. "Days Go By" - Jason Wade
  9. "Leading with My Heart" - Alice Peacock
  10. "Blue" - The Thorns
  11. "Waiting" - Kyle Riabko
  12. "I Won't Go Hollywood" - Bleu
  13. "Somebody" - Bonnie McKee
  14. "Shining" - Kristian Leontiou
  15. "Once Again" - Frankie Jordan

Other songs

The following songs are featured within the film, but weren't included for Columbia's soundtrack album:

  • "Once Again" - Lina
  • "Whatever Happened to My Rock N' Roll" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
  • "MMMnn" - Grandadbob
  • "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" - Barry White
  • "Telling You Now" - Jessy Moss
  • "All I Ever Ask" - Colin Blades
  • "Going Back to Cali" - Anti-Matter
  • "California Sun" - Jem
  • "Song for Pete" - Jason Wade

References