My Best Friend's Wedding

Customer reviews:

A slew of great performances elevate this comedic hit..., 2008-10-09
Sharp-witted and genuinely engaging, `My Best Friend's Wedding' is a surefire hit for anyone interested in a crowd pleasing romantic comedy. It has a few missteps, that's a give in, but the charming performances and blissful ending (not one you might expect) make up for the few errors in judgment.

The film tells the story of Julianne Potter, a successful woman approaching thirty who is afraid of falling in love. Truth be told, she is in love, with Michael O'Neal, her best friend of over nine years. The two had once been together but quickly fell apart only to realize that they were too close to be lovers. When Michael calls to inform Julianne he is engaged she is suddenly thrown into panic mode as she realizes that she needs to be with Michael. She flies off for the wedding with one plan in mind; to break up the happy couple. She never expected Kim, Michael's fiancée, to be as sweet and perfect as she was, but her perfection was only more fuel to the fire.

Julianne does everything in her power to ruin the relationship between Michael and Kim, but everything she does only seems to bring them closer together. Her closest friend George comes to her aid, but even his help makes little impact. It isn't until Julianne goes too far that she realizes if she truly loves this man, she just may need to let him go.

The performances are all top notch, especially from Roberts, Diaz and Everett. Julia is always a delight, and her catty humor here is brilliantly sarcastic and genuine to say the least. The one fault I found with this film (aside from the corny opening sequences) is that the character of Julianne is almost so evil you forget that you are supposed to like her. Julia does her best to make this character relatable and likable, but the script doesn't help her out too much and we wind up hating her in parts. Sure, she turns around in the end and earns our love, but getting there can be rough. Diaz and Everett have our unwavering love and devotion throughout the entire film though, each of them delivering spunky, funny and honest performances. Diaz is a comedic gem who devours her `ditzy girl' character with warmth and Everett takes his `sidekick' character to another level with scene stealing wit and comedic timing (the whole `singing in the restaurant' and the last dance scene are prime examples of his brilliance).

I'm really not a fan of Mulroney. He's serviceable, but that's about it. He was really the other misstep. I just didn't find him interesting enough to be the object of these two women's affections. Both women, in their own ways, are real catches. Julianne is confident and successful and devoted, and Kim is beautiful and spontaneous and vibrant. Michael was kind of a dud. It's a good thing the film is less interested in him and more interested in the other characters.

I will say, I really enjoyed this movie. Sure, I hated Julianne in parts, but maybe that was the point (I don't think it was, but the minor misstep is forgivable in the end). The script is really funny, and that makes up for a lot ("I could be jello"). I recommend this movie to any fan of the genre or the star, for Roberts is at the top of her game.

Love at the Crossroads, 2008-09-01
Julia Roberts stars as the Commitment Phobic who finds that her best friend (Dermott Mulroney) is getting married. They had a pact that if neither of them had a partner they would marry each other. Julia is shocked to hear he is getting married and she is to be the "Best Man"!
She tries all means of underhandedness (if there is such a word) to derail the relationship. Cameron Diaz is the completely unsuitable (according to Julia) bride to be. She is everything Julia is not, ready to give up her career and all she loves for her man.
The addition of the gay other best friend(Rupert Everett) and sluttish members of the brides family make for great comedy. A light hearted easy to watch movie.