My Best Friend's Wedding
But don't drift away just yet. While not irresistible, this movie is a welcome alternative to the guns and bravado that Hollywood assumes we want during the dogfight days of summer. Julia Roberts returns to the comedic form she showed in Pretty Woman in this tale of petty jealousy and misguided affection.
A high-flying food critic afraid of emotion, Roberts is sly and endearing as Julianne, a woman who at 28 has not yet found the man of her dreams. At least, so she thinks. When she finds out that her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) is about to marry 20-year old debutante Kimmy (Cameron Diaz), she rushes to Chicago to stop the wedding, realizing she actually loves him.
Or does she? It's possible that Jules just hates the idea of losing, and her attempts to befriend Kimmy and drive a wedge between the two lovers makes her the least sympathetic character in the film. You'll root more for Diaz, whose naivete and weepy-eyed vulnerability makes Jules seem like a bitch on wheels.
Unable to confront Michael with her true feelings, Jules calls in her gay friend and editor George (Rupert Everett) for moral support and advice. He sensibly advises her to come clean and leave well enough alone, but she backs off; trying instead to incite jealousy in Michael, she pretends to be engaged to George, and that's when the fun really starts.
Everett is phenomenal as George, and his performance as the gay editor faking heterosexuality to help Jules is the funniest thing I've seen in the theatre in a long, long time. His witty, sarcastic portrayal is the definitive reason to see this movie, and this role will hopefully skyrocket his career as well - he was hilariously, brilliantly perfect. Wanting no part of Jules' underhanded tactics but inadvertently sucked into them anyway, he determines to make Jules as uncomfortable as he, playing the role of suave boyfriend to the hilt, grabbing her breasts in the taxi with a puzzled Michael looking on, leading the wedding party in a gut-busting chorus of "I Say A Little Prayer" and claiming their relationship is like Doris Day and Rock Hudson. His comedic timing is impeccable. He made this movie work although he only appears in a few shining scenes, and you'll be begging to see more of him. When he does return in the poignant ending, he adds a much-needed touch of humanity.
Of course, his razor-sharp performance also works because Roberts is a solid foil. She is sexy and desperate in equal measure, and although the film lags in spots, her natural appeal smooths it over. Mulroney's blue-collar appeal is also in fine form, and although their relationship is fuzzy and undefined, his obvious affection for her gives My Best Friend's Wedding the tension it needs.
Will Jules succeed in stealing Michael away? Will Kimmy finally see though Jules' despicable plans? Why is Jules being such a jerk? When is George coming back on-screen? These are the questions you'll have in mind while watching the film, particularly the last. The outcome is genuinely in question, opposed to most romantic comedies - that bold stroke, along with Everett's flawless performance, make it worthwhile.
- Jared O'Connor
MOVIES
All Content © 1997, 1998 Jared O'Connor and Michael Baker