The Wedding Planner (2001) Directed by Adam Shankman. Written by Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras. Running Time: 100 minutes. PG-13
Ah romance! They meet. They fall in love. They are kept apart by circumstances of the plot. And finally, by the time we reach the bottom of our popcorn boxes, they get back together again. Whether it's Gable and Colbert in 1934, or Lopez and McConaughey in 2001, we love romantic comedies. But let's face it, some are better than others (and few are better than Frank Capra's Oscar-winning classic, "It Happened One Night").
Mary Fiore (Lopez) is a whiz of a wedding planner who seems to be leading the glamorous good life, until you learn that she spends her off hours watching "Antiques Road Show" or playing scrabble with her father (Alex Rocco), a first generation Italian. While hurrying across a San Francisco street one day, her Gucci pump gets caught in a grate just as a runaway dumpster hurtles towards her. The white-coated white knight who comes to her rescue is pediatrician Steve Edison (McConaughey), and thus the familiar cycle of the romantic comedy is set in motion. This "cute meet" is followed by a cute date, her first in four years (if you can believe that of a Lopez character!). Then, of course, come the complications: He is about to be married and she is the one who has been hired to plan it; and her own marriage is being arranged by her determined dad.
In the best romantic comedies, the filmmakers set up interesting and believable barriers for the characters to overcome on their way to the Big Kiss. In this film, the question is: Why they don't just get together right away? The answer: contrived plotting won't let them. One doubts, for example, that a character as smart as Mary would even consider consenting to her father's meddlesome matchmaking.
But rather than tell a compelling story, the filmmakers seem satisfied to simply provide an attractive vehicle for the two stars, and to furnish a few good laughs along the way. The attraction of the leads is unquestionable, and that alone has filled theaters with admiring fans. Supporting characters, though not fully developed, provide a full measure of amusement: Joanna Gleason and Charles Kimbrough, rescued from canceled TV shows, are hilarious as the newly rich, tipsy parents of McConaughey 's would-be bride (Wilson-Sampras). The direction of the film is snappy, with accomplished camera work, brisk editing and lively choreography during the forties-style dance scenes. The look of the film is also greatly enhanced by its San Francisco setting.
So, if you want to see two of today's good looking stars looking good, see this film. If you want to see an excellent romantic comedy, rent "It Happened One Night."
Rating: 2 stars out of 4
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