Wedding of A Lifetime

This was a really fun film. Bennett is allowed to show his impressive physical comedic talents with a director who knows how to use it. It was fun to watch his great chemistry with co-star Brooke D'Orsay, who is wonderfully appealing and fun in her performance as well. They have both been allowed to bring comedy to their previous films separately, and are great here. I WISH Hallmark would do more comedic material. They have such a great company of regulars that are capable of it. But very few of their "rom-coms" have much "com" in them. Kudos to the writers as well. "Wedding of a lifetime" had both and I look forward to more from all of them!!

I won't regurgitate the plot, but this one really shines on several fronts. First it was an unusual plot for Hallmark. Not pulled out of the usual grab-bag of tricks. The acting was top notch from the leads. Brooke D'Orsay always adds a certain sweetness and authenticity to her roles, but this one gave her more comedy and drama to work with. Her heartbreak at the beginning of the film was very touching. I loved that they acted like mature adults despite some tense situations. Even when they had an argument, they were were still supportive of each other. The next day after the blow-up, they even apologized to each other.

Last but not least, instead of the "Big Misunderstanding" with 15-20 minutes to go, darned if they didn't have the exact opposite. The crisis actually brought them together even closer.

To add to the positives, the secondary cast was great, and didn't have the usual predictable reactions. The bickering host couple was very funny, and I loved that the publicity from the show saved their businesses.

I think that this is one of the best Hallmark movies I've seen in a long time. The two lead actors were perfectly cast they had such chemistry. The entire cast was wonderful. Hallmark must have hired new writers because it seems like they did not follow the standard formula with this movie. Brooke was wonderful as always. She is such a beautiful actress. The scenery was also beautiful. I hope that the writers and directors at Hallmark continue to think outside the box and produce more movies like this one. That is all I have to say about this movie and the actors and actresses in the movie....

It's a funny premise: A couple that's been engaged for ten years has lost the spark in their relationship, though they still care for each other as best friends. They mutually agree to split up. They go to tell their families, but receive the nationally televised surprise of being entered into a competition for engaged couples, with the prize of an all-expenses paid wedding. The two protagonists decide to go on and compete a few rounds, thereby having some fun while getting some much-needed publicity for their business dreams. You can guess what happens in the process.

Comedy is there, but I wish they had dialed it up to an eleven. Also, the first 13 minutes of the movie are depressing, showing the two unhappy protagonists. It should have been trimmed down to like 5 minutes. Finally, the scene of him yelling at her was base-breaking. An upset character can still use an indoor voice, and make at least some effort to not be a total jerk about it. His lame apology later didn't satisfy me.

As to the story not being original, you don't have to look far in Brooke D'Orsay's resume to find another movie with a wedding contest story. The two have some big differences, but both are based on circumstances being out of control for the bride and groom.

I expected that and a story that was out of control as well. This story does push the envelope of silly situations, which are a negative for me, but it manages not to go so far as to lose me altogether. Just when things are going crazy, there are some sweet moments to pull it back.

Given that silliness is frequently intentional, the acting is good. The dialogue is good. I thought there was great chemistry between D'Orsay and Jonathan Bennett. The story follows one of the more obvious paths but then takes a turn that surprised me.