| Movie DescriptionConnor Mead (Matthew McConaughey), a professional photographer and womanizing bachelor, returns to his family's estate for the wedding of his brother Paul (Breckin Meyer) to Sandra Volkom (Lacey Chabert). There he encounters Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner), a former girlfriend and childhood sweetheart who is serving as wedding planner. Connor offends most of the guests by declaring his disdain for romance and marriage and attempting to convince Paul not to go through with the wedding. That evening he is visited by the ghost of his late uncle Wayne Mead (Michael Douglas), who raised him after his parents' death in a car accident and mentored him in the ways of womanizing. Wayne tells Connor that he will be visited by three ghosts that night and will learn something important about himself.
The first ghost to visit Connor is the "Ghost of Girlfriends Past" in the form of Allison Vandermeersh (Emma Stone), one of his high school girlfriends. Together they revisit scenes from his past, focusing on his relationship with Jenny. Connor and Jenny were very close as children; she gave him his first instant camera which he used to take her picture, promising to keep it forever. By middle school the two were on the verge of romance, but Connor's hesitation at a dance caused Jenny to dance with and kiss another boy. Heartbroken, Connor was told by Wayne that he must avoid romance at all costs in order not to feel such emotional pain again. For the next two years Wayne schooled Connor in the art of seduction. When he next saw Jenny, at a high school party, Connor ignored her and had sex with Allison. Several years later, as adults, Connor and Jenny rekindled their romance, but Jenny forced him to woo her for several weeks in an attempt to rid him of his womanizing ways. After they finally did have sex, Connor panicked and left while Jenny was asleep, leaving her heartbroken. His relationships thereafter consisted of a series of meaningless flings.
Awakening back in the Mead mansion in the present, Connor accidentally destroys Paul and Sandra's wedding cake and unsuccessfully attempts to reconcile with Jenny. Storming out of the house, he is confronted by the "Ghost of Girlfriends Present" in the form of his assistant Melanie (Noureen DeWulf), the only constant female figure in his life. With her he sees that in his absence the other wedding guests make fun of him and his shallow lifestyle. Paul stands up for his brother, recalling that Connor helped to raise him after their parents' death, and expresses his hope that Connor will someday change for the better. Connor also sees that Jenny is being comforted by Brad (Daniel Sunjata), and is upset that his own actions and attitude are bringing the two closer. He is further upset to discover that three women who he previously broke up with via conference call are bonding with Melanie and each other over his disregard for their feelings.
Returning to the house, Connor finds Sandra furious at learning that Paul had slept with one of her bridesmaids very early in their relationship, information that Connor had let slip earlier in the evening. Connor attempts to mend the situation but only succeeds in making things worse, and Paul tells him to leave. On his way out he is confronted by the "Ghost of Girlfriends Future" (Olga Maliouk), who takes him forward in time to see that Jenny marries Brad while Paul remains unwed. Further in the future, Paul is the only mourner at Connor's funeral. Wayne appears and tells Connor that these are the consequences of his ways, pushing him into the grave to be buried by his many ex-girlfriends.
Connor awakens in the Mead home and learns that Sandra has called off the wedding and is on her way to the airport. He intercepts the bridal party by driving Wayne's classic car down the snow-covered hill and into a lake, and convinces Sandra to forgive Paul by sharing lessons learned from his own mistakes, particularly that emotional pain is outweighed by the regret of never risking one's heart to love. Connor helps Jenny to pull the wedding back together and reconciles with her afterward by showing her the picture he still carries of her as a child, and promises to always be there when she wakes up. The two kiss and dance in the snow as Wayne and the other ghosts look on in approval. |
