Movie review: The Wedding Planner

San Francisco wedding planner Mary is the best there is and knows all the tricks including the number one rule for a wedding planner: don't fall in love with the groom. But that may be a rule she can't help but break.

Jennifer Lopez (Mary), Matthew McConaughey (Steve), Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (Fran), Justin Chambers (Massimo), Judy Greer (Penny), Joanna Gleason (Mrs. Donolly), Charles Kimbrough (Mr. Donolly), Kevin Pollak (Dr. John), Fred Willard (Basil).

The Wedding Planner begins well enough with a bit of action and drama before settling into the main plot. As the comedy shows up, so does the romance. The rest of the film is a romantic story peppered with laughs and contradictions. While reality takes a bit of a vacation in this one it supports the story and gives some depth that would otherwise be missing.

Acting was fun here with Lopez once again pulling off the pretty, slightly wounded, woman in search of true love. McConaughey was good and worked well with Lopez, though his performances since this film are much better. Wilson-Sampras fit he role well and delivered nicely, as did Chambers and Greer. Willard was hysterical, and the rest of the cast did a good job.

Camera work was solid as would be expected. Sets and backgrounds were wonderful and contributed quite well to the storyline. Action scenes were mild but enjoyable and fitting. Dialogue was fun with both good romance and comedy. Sound was good, and the soundtrack had some nice numbers.

Overall The Wedding Planner is an enjoyable romantic comedy with good technical work, acting, and a nice storyline. Those who enjoy the genre should enjoy this one quite a lot.

With some mild foul language and sexual humor, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2001
Reviewed: 9.14.16
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Comedy, Romantic comedy, romantic movies, Romance

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel