RUNAWAY BRIDE RATING: 5.5 / 10 --> Not good enough to recommend
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Maybe I'm just a bigger fan of the original films that spawned the latest batch of romantic comedies, YOU'VE GOT MAIL (5.5/10)-see SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, NOTTING HILL (5.5/10)-see FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, and RUNAWAY BRIDE (5.5/10)-see PRETTY WOMAN, but ultimately, I just found the most recent crop of big-name star flicks to be too predictable and generally uninteresting.
PLOT: A cynical big city reporter finds a good story in a small town girl's penchant for dropping her soon-to-be hubbies at the altar.
CRITIQUE: This film never bored me, but never really entertained me either. It was just there. I can't truly recommend it because despite some good performances from Julia Roberts and Joan Cusack, the overall comedy in the film was lacking and the romance didn't truly ignite until the film's final fifteen minutes. Richard Gere also seemed bored to be there, and essentially walked through his role and directly to the bank to cash in his big-ass paycheck for this redundant part. Others seemed exaggerated and unbelievably ignorant to believe (Why on earth was husband #4 so chummy with the conniving reporter who was in town solely to disprove their real love for one another?).
The general lack of suspense or believability of this film also left me ho-humming past its overstated soundtrack, which featured easy-to-follow words associated to the specific scenes, and the overdone montage sequences which are generally used to pump up a weak script. I did enjoy Joan Cusack as the quirky friend and some of the lessons learned, but overall this film lacked the much needed charisma and chemistry that made PRETTY WOMAN what it was. This film is a much better choice as video fodder on a lazy summer afternoon, and might be enjoyed by most Gere and Roberts fans, but the rest of us movie-going folk who like to see movies with plenty of romance, comedy and charm, should certify this film as bride's maid, and check out the ultimate bride, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (10/10).
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Rumor has it that Julia Roberts was once a "runaway bride" of her own. Actor Kiefer Sutherland and her were engaged to be married back in the day, when she suddenly bolted on him, and left him for fellow actor and friend, Jason Patric. Richard Gere has been a Buddhist for over a decade, and was banned from the Oscars once after making anti-China comments on the air at the 1993 ceremony. He is also an accomplished pianist and music writer. He hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Alumni from PRETTY WOMAN include director Garry Marshall, actors Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Hector Elizondo and Larry Miller. Elizondo is considered by director/producer Garry Marshall to be his "good luck charm", and as such is offered a role in each of his movies. Director Marshall also makes a cameo in this film as the first baseman during the baseball game sequence. He would be the one catching the ball that is tossed over to first base. Actress Rita Wilson is married to super-star movie actor Tom Hanks. This film was originally titled PRETTY BRIDE.
Review Date: July 31, 1999
Director: Garry Marshall
Writers: Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon
Producers: Robert W. Cort, Ted Field, Scott Kroopf and Tom
Rosenberg
Actors: Julia Roberts as Maggie Carpenter
Richard Gere as Ike Graham
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Year of Release: 1999
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(c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
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