The Wedding Planner * *1/2 out of * * * * Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Bridgette Wilson, Justin Chambers, Judy Greer, Alex Rocco. Directed by: Adam Shankman Running Time: 102 Minutes Rated PG-13: sexual humor, language.
After 2000's visual feast "The Cell", Jennifer Lopez takes a complete 360 and makes a wonderfully flawed romantic comedy, that even with the predictability and cliched dialogue still captured me in my seat and kept me entertained throughout. Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey have such great formula as an onscreen couple, that it is impossible not to like them, if not the movie.
Maria "Mary" Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) is a young wedding planner who has been single for a while, and is married to her work. After getting her high heel shoe stuck in a sewage drain in the street, she is rescued from a menacing trash dumpster on it's way to smoosh her. Her rescuer is non-other than Dr. Steven James Edison, a pediatrician whom takes care of the bump on her head. Instantly she falls in love with him, and soon to find out...he is the groom of the next wedding she has planned, the same wedding that will make her go up in her business. Now she must try and figure out how to get through it, and how to fall out of love, with the one person that might truly be the one.
A light, fluffy romantic comedy "The Wedding Planner" is not a bad film at all. Through the opening credits and through the end credits I was entertained and had fun with the film. It does however have a few flaws, which come from the predicability and the cliched dialogue (how many times do we have to sit through the "How much I love you, but I'll never get you speech?). In the end however, you get that warm fuzzy feeling inside, and leave with a smile on your face, and your heart warm warmed up.
Adam Shankman, a choreographer of several movies including 2000's "Mission to Mars", 1999's "Inspector Gadget" and "She's All That", this is his first major motion picture as a director and he does do a good job at making a movie. Nothing special goes into a romantic comedy, so nothing special is expected and what is Adam Shankman gives it. The cleverly written dialogue by Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis is funny and fun to listen to.
For the acting, Jennifer Lopez in the title role is to me, the only person really cast for this role. After hitting it big in 1997's "Selena", Jennifer Lopez shows she can do any film, comedy, thriller, drama. She is great in the title role, and very funny as well. Matthew McConaughey is somewhat miscast in the role as Steve her love interest, and acts a bit like he doesn't want be in the movie. In too many scenes he is too plain and drained. Bridgette Wilson as the groom of the wedding is a beautiful and talented actress, and she gives a good performance as well.
"The Wedding Planner" is a nice, subtle romantic comedy that would make a great date movie. It's one of those movies you could watch a couple times, then leave it on the shelf, then watch it again. Its not even close to being a bad movie, but then again its not even close to being an excellent movie either.
Reviewed by Brandon Herring 3-2-01
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