TomKat: L’amour with
a box-office punch

I’m trying to give these two kids the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe that their union is genuine and not staged to promote their movies. After all, “War of the Worlds,” directed by Steven Spielberg, probably needs little in the way of a nudge at the box office. It would be the event of the summer even without a lovesick matinee idol in the lead. The audience for “Batman Begins” is also reliable; comic book geeks have been twitching in their flood pants since it was announced. So these films don’t really need the added benefit of two toothy actors sucking face for every shutterbug they can attract.

Still, Tom and Katie did get engaged while in Europe to promote their films. If they wanted to avoid chatter from nattering nabobs of negativity that this kissy fest was fabricated, they could have waited until both pictures came out on DVD in a few months. Then again, Tom said the couple has not set a wedding date — “We haven’t discussed that — one step at a time” — so maybe that announcement will coincide with the video releases. The two-disk special editions could each contain a making-of featurette on the planning of the wedding.

The Eiffel Tower was a nice touch, but it could go either way. The romantic in me wants to believe Tom selected that particular landmark because it is the most famous symbol in the world’s No. 1 city for lovers. He could have chosen the Louvre, but I don’t think they allow flashbulbs in there. He could have picked Notre Dame, but then you have the image of two beautiful humans tempered by that of the hunchback. And I doubt very much if he considered the Moulin Rouge, for obvious reasons.

While they met reporters Friday, Tom reportedly leaned over to Katie and whispered, “Are you O.K.?” She didn’t reply, perhaps because the answer is obvious to everyone. She’s engaged to a superstar actor. She has an iceberg on her finger. She has a blockbuster movie out in theaters. She’s gallivanting around Europe in luxury. In retrospect, it was a silly question, but Tom’s been a silly boy lately.

The two then left for a promotional event in Marseilles. It will probably involve more posing for photos, more flashing of the ring, more questions about their relationship and more denials about this being a charade.

I hope it’s not fake. I pray that Tom and Katie find happiness. In fact, I wish them the same everlasting love that Brad and Angelina found. After all, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” could gross more than $100 million worldwide after this weekend.

Now that’s a marriage with legs.

Michael Ventre lives in Los Angeles and is a regular contributor to MSNBC.com.

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