Baggage Claim

Thirty days and 30,000 miles-that’s how long Montana (Paula Patton), an unlucky in love flight attendant, has to find a potential husband. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride, Montana cannot bear the thought of attending her youngest sister’s wedding without a man of her own in tow. Montana’s loyal flight attendant friends, Gail (Jill Scott) and Sam (Adam Brody) rally around their friend and hatch a crazy plan to use their airline connections to “accidentally” reunite Montana with her ex-boyfriends in hopes of rekindling a romance.

At the heart of this movie’s contrived and often silly plot lies a refreshingly traditional message about marriage that aligns itself with the Christian worldview. “The magic is not in getting married but in staying married,” explains Montana’s lifelong friend, William (Derek Luke), while offering her some advice about love that he learned from his parent’s marriage of over 40 years.

The eventual romance that develops between Montana and William upholds the positive ideal that a successful marriage is predicated on more than just physical appearance and sex, but an emotional connection that is built out of true friendship. Montana’s desire for commitment is another positive theme that underlies the film’s plot. Montana tells her friends that she wants “a husband not a man.”

Cinematically, “Baggage Claim” doesn’t attempt to be anything more than a formulaic romantic comedy, whose plot relies on the usual clichés of its genre. But these tried and true plot devices play out in a rather endearing way that delivers a handful of good laughs, as we watch Montana get herself into various capers on her quest for true love. While Patton’s performance feels forced at times, she still makes for a likable lead with whom many of the female viewers will be able to identify.

Negative Elements

While Baggage Claim’s central message that marriage is for life should be lauded, the film’s ethos is not without its problems. The secular culture’s views on relationships creep their way into the story. Montana has slept with all of her boyfriends, and Gail happily tells her that she can “have great sex” while she’s looking for her husband. Montana is seen in her bra and panties in several scenes. The overly flirty character of Gail is the source of much of the film’s offensive content from her many cleavage-baring outfits to the sexual double entendres that comprise much of her dialog. In one scene, Gail offers Montana cranberry flavored condoms for the Thanksgiving holiday. The character of Sam is openly gay and we also see one of Montana’s former suitors exchange a kiss with another man.

A moderate amount of foul language litters the dialog. There are approximately 3 uses of the s-word, 2 uses of b***h, and several uses of a**, d**n, and h**l. Other offensive language includes the use of words like whore, and God’s name is taken in vain approximately 10 times.

“Baggage Claim”’s refreshing message that marriage is for life makes it a better choice for a movie night than most Hollywood fare, but it’s certainly not without its baggage.

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