My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

P.J. Hogan

Writer (WGA):

Ronald Bass (written by)

Release Date:

20 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Julianne fell in love with her best friend the day he decided to marry someone else.

Plot:

When a woman's long-time friend says he's engaged, she realizes she loves him herself... and sets out to get him, with only days before the wedding.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Wedding | Promise | Ménage À Trois | Heir

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 11 wins & 14 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 12

3:00 AM

TBS

Cast

Julia Roberts	...	Julianne Potter
Dermot Mulroney	...	Michael O'Neal
Cameron Diaz	...	Kimberly Wallace
Rupert Everett	...	George Downes
Philip Bosco	...	Walter Wallace
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Joe O'Neal
Rachel Griffiths	...	Samantha Newhouse
Carrie Preston	...	Mandy Newhouse
Susan Sullivan	...	Isabelle Wallace
Christopher Masterson	...	Scotty O'Neal (as Chris Masterson)
Raci Alexander	...	Title Sequence Performer #1
Jennifer Garrett	...	Title Sequence Performer #2
Kelly Sheerin	...	Title Sequence Performer #3
Bree Turner	...	Title Sequence Performer #4
Cassie Creasy	...	Flower Girl

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for one use of strong language and brief sex-related humor.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | France:U | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:15 (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Italy:T | Norway:A | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Rupert Everett's line "sniffing the wind like a dappled deer... " is from Julian Mitchell's "Another Country," the play that brought Everett rapid West End fame in 1981.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Kimmy is stated to be 20, yet orders an Amstel Light in the karaoke scene.

Quotes:

Julianne Potter: You're going to humiliate me, aren't you?
George Downes: Only if I can.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Tracey Fragments (2007)

Soundtrack:

If You Wanna Be Happy

The "Wedding" zingers....

For a while, I was getting concerned about the direction Julia Roberts' career was taking, after misfiring in such dismal duds as "Mary Reilly" and "Michael Collins" where she seemed so shell-shocked that her radiant smile was nowhere in sight.

Thank God she rebounded for "My Best Friend's Wedding". This film, while not perfect, is a shining example of what makes Julia so radiant and desirable in the right role. And she sure gets it here.

As Julianne Potter, Julia gives the same sweet, radiant glow she offered us in "Pretty Woman". Seems she's fallen in love with her best friend for ages Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney) - unfortunately, it's on the eve of his wedding to an effervescent, perky girl (Cameron Diaz) who does her darndest to make Julianne her best friend...as well as her maid-of-honor. Of course, Julianne does what any right-thinking young lady would do: everything in her power to break up the wedding of the title.

This is not as melodramatic as it sounds: this is, in fact, one of the brightest, smartest and all-around funniest comedies of the decade. All the lead characters make the absolute most of their parts and revel in the glory of love, double-dealing and flat-out lying. Along with being extremely romantic, this has to be the most cleverly-plotted love story ever: for every plot thought up by Julianne, there's a twist or foul-up that has everything to do with true love and/or blind devotion.

There are great faces in the background, too. Susan Sullivan, Philip Bosco, the great M. Emmet Walsh all lend able support and offer their own fine support. But how can I mention them in the same paragraph without adding Rupert Everett into the fray? As Julianne's gay editor/friend, he adds great color to all his scenes, especially at the dinner with the wedding party at the seafood restaurant (you've seen it, you know what I mean).

I won't spoil anything by saying that true love wins out in the end; face it, would you WANT to see Julia Roberts as a BAD GUY? Maybe you would, but not in a romantic comedy. In fact, the main surprises lie in the twists and turns that lie throughout this film. Every twist makes the story all the more interesting and (incidentally) funny. Of course, the music makes the proceedings all the better (with a heavy assist from Dionne Warwick on two occasions).

So to recap, what else can I say: if you love Julia Roberts, love stories, comedies and weddings, here's your movie.

Ten stars and a copy of "Dionne Warwick's Greatest Hits" on CD for "My Best Friend's Wedding", where true love wins but true friendship comes in a close second.

Keep up the good work, Julia.