My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

Alternative Review Title: "It's a sculpture of the David"

At the time of its release, this was one of the freshest, funniest screwball comedies in a long time. Having watched it on video a few years later, I find it unfortunate that some of the luster has worn off. Perhaps seeing it in a theater with a good crowd was the difference; perhaps it's actually noticing how much larger the cellphones in 1997 were than the ones today. (And what about in five more years . . . ?)

This is not to say that it's not a good movie. It is, and the director and writer are to be commended for so many different, wonderful touches (the shadowed boat scene and smoking bellhop scene come to mind). Julia Roberts, beautiful and vibrant as always, shines as a New York food critic summoned on short notice by her best (male) friend, a former lover and possible soulmate (Dermot Mulrooney), to provide moral support at his wedding in Chicago. The plot revolves around Roberts' often backfiring efforts to break up the wedding and claim the groom for herself, usurping his rich, blonde, "perfect" fiancee Kimmie (Cameron Diaz), who may be more than she seems. Rupert Everett virtually steals the show as Roberts' gay friend George, who alternates between mildly assisting in the scheme and functioning as her counselor and conscience. A variety of characters, from the normal to the bizarre, round out the wedding party. (Note: the Amazon.com Essential Review is incorrect when it names Roberts' character as a Chicago food critic. It's clearly stated at one point that she's from NY, and she has to fly to the wedding. I mean, Chicago's big, but still . . .)

A solid 3-1/2 to 4 star effort. Recommended for fans of Roberts and those looking for a film that incorporates both comedy and romance without quite being a romantic comedy--in other words, an energetic, bittersweet blend with a beautiful anti-heroine whose actions and motivations provoke sympathy and concern in equal measure. With music, dancing, singing, a chase in a bread truck and an ice sculpture of Michelangelo's David, this one just about has it all. A trustworthy rental or bargain purchase.

I have always been a fan of Julia Roberts and the movies she stars in her smile is infectious, it lights up the screen. In 1997, she made a comeback with a starring role in the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding. The film went on to become one of the most successful girly movies of the whole decade, and after watching it earlier tonight on TV, it's not hard to see why. It still holds up seven years later. The comedy is fresh, funky and slick. The plot is nothing original, but it holds up brilliantly because of the film's four main stars. You have Julia Roberts, of course, who is no doubt a future Hollywood legend. Then there's Cameron Diaz in one of her best film roles not quite topping her sexual cameo in The Mask three years earlier, but still bringing much humour to her role. Rupert Everett and Dermot Mulroney are the two main male actors and also do their roles justice.

Julia Roberts plays Julianne Potter, a fast-talking confident Chicago food critic who used to date Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney) in their college days. They since broke up after nine years and moved apart. They made a pact, however, that if by the age of 28 they both were not married, then they would marry each other. When Julianne receives a call from Michael three weeks before that pact deadline, she assumes he is ringing to get back with her. However, Michael is calling to introduce Julianne to his seemingly wonderful, irritatingly perfect fiancee Kimberly Wallace (Cameron Diaz) and announce their wedding which is taking place in just three days. That leaves Julianne three short days to break up the marriage and win back the man she has only just realised she loved all along. She will either win or lose that's the conclusion. Ronald Bass' perfectly-constructed screenplay keeps the viewer on the edge, forever guessing if she will win her battle. Julianne's gay friend George Downes (Rupert Everett) agrees to help her, but only to a certain extent, and he is a hilarious asset to the comedic intentions put forth by the writers of the film.

The film's plot seems at times far-fetched, and it is, but this is a light-hearted, romantic comedy with many clichés built in for good measure! The comedy is spot-on there aren't many laugh out loud moments, but more of a continual giggle-fest that will have you smiling for most of the film. Julia Roberts is a certain crowd-puller. People from all over the world will flock to see her movies, and this one was exception. Cameron Diaz was half the superstar in this film that she is today, and her glowing smile and charasmatic confidence shines through in her ditzy role. Rupert Everett reminds me of Hugh Grant in this film, which can be no bad thing!

The film has many memobrable scenes, including Kimberely's hilarious karoke nightclub performance of "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself." The restaurant hilarity of the group's performance of Dianne Warwick's "I Say A Little Prayer" is also perfectly executed, with only professional directors pulling it off amateurs could have easily messed it up big time. The big city bread truck chase is hilarious, and the film has many touching moments. Julianne's constantly foiled attempts to sabotage the impending wedding are brilliant too: most notably the e-mail/falling off the chair scene. This film is pure comedic brilliance. It could have easily fallen flat on its face, but it didn't because of the right balance between fresh actors and excellent dialogue.

Buy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) Now

MY BEST FRIENDS WEDDING is a fun romantic comedy that stars Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Evert and Dermot Mulroney. The story involves Juliette (Julia Roberts), a food critic who realizes she loves her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney). Juliette finds out that Michael is getting married and decides to go to stop the wedding from happening, and to try to win him back. From the get go, Juliette is scheming to put a wedge between Michael and his fiancé Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). Her plans are often foiled and ultimately in the end, in a poignant moment, her friend George (Rupert Everett) asks her if she is chasing Michael and he is chasing Kimmy, who is chasing her? There are some real fun moments in the movie, like when Juliette pretends she is engaged to her gay friend in order to make Michael jealous. They end up singing "Say A Little Prayer" at breakfast. The movie is enriched by a great cast who have chemistry. Julia Roberts convincingly plays Juliette, who should be the enemy, but you end up rooting for her even through her hatched plans. Overall a fun romantic comedy fans of the genre should love.

Read Best Reviews of My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) Here

I absolutely love this video. Not only does it offer Julia Roberts the opportunity to play the sort of off-the-wall romantic heroine she's best at (Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride), it also provides us with perspective on two things: being careful what we ask for, and what constitutes real friendship. I contend that her real best friend all the way through this film is Everett. If you watch closely, every scene he's in with her contains the sort of sincere caring and genuine love we all wish we could have from friends...and lovers, for that matter. Not only does he steal every scene he's in with his great comic timing, he manages to imbue his character with great dimensionality and tenderness. Very appealing! I found myself wishing I had a friend like him: one who would say "There may not be marriage; there may not be sex; but, by God, there will be dancing!"

Want My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) Discount?

First off, this film should have just went ahead and been a full on, singing at the drop of a hat, high kicking musical. I mean, it wanted to be a musical, it kept hinting that it was going to turn into a musical. And it has a very, very, very 1950s charm to it from the references to Rock Hudson and Doris Day flicks to its funny, albiet a little sexist premise.

After multiple viewings of this film, I realize that I only watch it for two reasons, the songs and Rupert Evert, hence my longing for it to be a musical. I'm not a big Julia Roberts fan and the notion of her being a food critic is laughable ... she's borderline aneorexic.

I also couldn't figure out for the life of me why this guy both Julia and Cameron are fighting over in the movie is such a great catch. Once Julia shows up he treats Cameron like she's transparent. He expects his future wife to drop out of school and move miles and miles away for him, live a life of poverty and what he gives up in return is diddly squat. He never acknowledges the fact that an old flame/best friend that looks and acts like Julia Roberts may be difficult for Cameron to deal with but invites the woman to the wedding anyway. And Cameron plays the ultimate doormat. As soon as her fiance says boo, she's babbling and crying and doing anything to patch things up ... like give up her entire life. But she playing a naieve and 20-year-old. Her character will come to her senses when she divorces him two years later.

Needless to say, if we're just going on the sheer psychology of the thing, this marriage is doomed from jump. In the real world he'd end up cheating on her with Julia anyway and Cameron would grow to hate and loathe her husband because she gave up so much to get so little in return.

Perhaps I've watched this movie one too many times, but it's notion that women should just give up everything, and I mean everything, in the name of love while a man just gives up having sex with other women is rather dated. Everyone just keeps trying to pass it off that loverboy is just old fashioned but he's really just a huge prick. Personally, I think I would have enjoyed this farce more if they'd made him less a schmuck, her less a doormat and make Julia actually have to think of something more devious that phoney emails to break up an engagement. She didn't have to do much to make them fight after all, which they would do rather quickly with little provocation.

But I know that from my review you're wondering why I gave it four stars and once again, the music and Rupert Evert. If there had been more music or more Rupert I wouldn't have noticed the sexism until the 100th viewing, rather than the second. I was sad everytime the songs or Rupert had to go away and I was just left with the aneorexic and the Neadertal.