Runaway Bride (1999) 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Julia Roberts, Richard Gere and Joan Cusack. Directed by Garry Marshall.
"Runaway Bride" is nothing more than a cynical device to reteam Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and capitalize on the magic they created a decade ago with "Pretty Woman."
"Runaway Bride" is so contrived, so phony, that only the star power of Roberts and Gere manage to make it salvageable.
The story is preposterous, totally fluff. A young woman, Maggie (Roberts), continually leaves men at the altar. A columnist for "USA Today" (Gere) takes her to task and, because his column contained some inaccuracies, he is fired.
Gere's Ike then finagles a free-lance assignment to travel to Maggie's rural Maryland town and dig up some dirt on her by checking with residents who will talk with him, including the skittish bride, as well as her jilted grooms.
The movie is rather tame. The premise has all the makings of one of those classic screwball comedies from the 1930s. Irene Dunne, Barbara Stanwyck or Jean Arthur would have been perfect for the bride, while Henry Fonda, Jimmy Cagney or Jimmy Stewart would have fit snugly into the columnist's shoes.
Unfortunately, the "Runaway Bride" script does not utilize the outlandish possibilities of the situation to its comic potential. It tries to be more romance than comedy, and is too tame, too sedate.
Which is too bad, since it has the prime ingredient needed for a successful screwball comedy recipe - a cast of strong supporting actors. But director Garry Marshall doesn't seem to take advantage of many of these performers - except for the incomparable Joan Cusack as Maggie's best friend.
Cusack is a treasure, a talented performer who adds luster to any film in which she appears. She was the bright spot in the disappointing "Arlington Road," and here she helps elevate the humor above what seems indicated in the script.
Gere and Roberts are magical. The chemistry between them is still there. Yet it seems like such wasted potential because everything seems so predictable, so by-the-numbers.
True, the movie offers several laughs, but it seems "Runaway Bride" has to strain for them instead of allowing them to flow naturally.
"Runaway Bride" is a pastiche, a movie that seems cobbled together from bits and pieces of other works. Fans of Roberts and Gere probably will enjoy it - but even they are not enough to sustain this weighted effort.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at cbloom@iquest.net
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