Film Scouts Reviews: My Best Friend's Wedding

"My Best Friend's Wedding"

by Leslie Rigoulot

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If "The First Wives' Club" is aimed at the hearts of divorcees, then "My Best Friend's Wedding" is aimed at all the single women of the nineties. Thing have changed and plenty of women have men friends, guys that are not marriage material. And so does Julia Roberts as Julianne, a food critic who is also highly critical of men. She also looks to be pretty wary of commitment for more than a weekend. So when her best friend and soul-mate, sports writer Michael O'Neal, announces that he is marrying a sweet college girl, Julianne suddenly decides she is the one who is love with Michael. And she sets out to correct the situation. Now, I admit that Dermot Mulroney as Michael is darn good-looking, but you have to wonder about Julianne's mental condition. She really needs to listen to her other best friend, portrayed by Rupert Everett, and just say 'good-bye'. But that would make for a quick movie. So instead, Julianne goes through all sorts of plotting to get Michael back, and at any expense.

Julia Roberts is back in "Pretty Woman" mode, after making one too many dismal failures. Her red hair is long again, she laughs and smiles, she acts frazzled and cute. Just the way the audience likes her. Mulroney and Cameron Diaz as his fiancé are likable, but it is Rupert Everett who steals the show every time he is on screen. I don't know if he just got all the best lines or if he just made the most of them, but the man is a delight. Director P.J. Hogan must have seen the chemistry between Everett and the camera and let it ride. Since Hogan's first film was "Muriel's Wedding", I suppose he was a natural choice to direct another wedding picture. And he has the right light touch without getting overly sentimental.

Now here's a thought. Dermot Mulroney started his career in "Young Guns" with Kiefer Sutherland. Kiefer and Julia Roberts were engaged and called off the wedding three days before the big event. And now Dermot has made a movie in which Julia Roberts is trying to get him to call off the big event. Just a thought - I didn't say it was very deep.

Anyway, if you are a Julia fan, you'll love her return to her old self. If you like wedding pictures, you love it. "My Best Friend's Wedding" is a well-paced fun flick that women will enjoy and men will too if they are on a date. Rated PG-13, from Tristar.

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