Wedding of a Lifetime

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.

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.

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.

5.4 stars.

What did I just see? Is there such a craze for reality tv these days that people fall for this kooky stuff? The first hour was ok, mainly a halfhearted attempt to provide a dose of reality. It's about two people who have been engaged for 10 years. First of all, they look to be in their mid 30s, and they never had kids, postponed due to injuries and family issues...I see no reason why they didn't just tie the knot years ago. The premise is too farfetched. Then they end up on a wedding reality show which is surreal and not fascinating. The contests are random and dumb, with no meaning, no point. I was thinking to myself: what is this juvenile garbage? And the acting was off plainly due to the odd dialogue. The actors don't know how to translate it onto the screen, and you can see they are struggling.

"Wedding of a Lifetime" was a wasted 2 hours of my life. So this is a joke, right? I'm waiting for the punchline. They attempted to bring order to the story in the last 15 minutes, but it was already too far gone.

First, let me qualify: 9/10 on The Scale of Hallmark. Haha! Wedding of a Lifetime has a different & fun premise. It's a refreshing change. It takes place during an intentionally cheesy reality tv show competition where a broken-up couple end up trying to win an all-expense paid wedding. Brook and Jonathan were super cute together-I found their chemistry and acting believable and was pulling for them. The plot and the many other characters of tv production staff, family members and other competitors held together well enough to keep my attention. The ridiculous competitions were kind of funny. And the musical montage of trying on of dresses and tuxes & the tasting cakes, etc was cute. This is a light-hearted movie yet the characters still do some heartfelt self-reflection and figure out what they want. No surprises. A fresh premise with that inevitable and always welcome Hallmark happy ending.