Review of Six Days Seven Nights (1998) by David A — 06 May 2010

(from The Watermark, 06/21/98).

In this sassy romantic comedy, Heche and Schwimmer are fiancées-to-be on vacation in Hawaii. Heche's boss calls on her to do a special assignment in Tahiti. Her only mode of transportation: a dinky charter plane and its scruffy and outspoken pilot (Ford). A storm causes them to crash on an uncharted island, and with little hope of rescue, the bickering, wise-cracking twosome eventually fall for each other. A perfect formula for romance? More like a perfect formula for a bad Hollywood buddy comedy. Yet Six Days, Seven Nights (which owes more than a nod to The Blue Lagoon, The African Queen, From Here to Eternity, and any of the Tracy-Hepburn films) is actually a lot of fun in spite of its fluff factor. What makes it work? Ford and Heche. Returning to his laid back Han Solo persona, Ford reminds us that for a "serious" actor, he is still sexy and has razor-sharp comic timing. Heche is his perfect foil, and the chemistry between the two is excellent. Director Ivan Reitman also does his share of work, painting the frames with lush, beautiful landscapes of the utopian islands, and pacing the film to move us through the story at just the right speed. Queer Quotient: Heche is so naturally sexy (and mostly braless) she'll rev up the motors of both the guys and the womyn in the audience. Talk about cross-over appeal!