Plot
When a woman's long-time friend says he's engaged, she realizes she loves him herself... and sets out to get him, with only days before the wedding.

Release Year: 1997

Rating: 6.2/10 (50,182 voted)

Critic's Score: 50/100

Director: P.J. Hogan

Stars: Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz

Storyline
A woman who, by a promise made years earlier, is supposed to marry her best friend in three weeks, even though she doesn't want to. When she finds out that he's marrying someone else, she becomes jealous and tries to break off the wedding.

Cast:
Julia Roberts - Julianne Potter
Dermot Mulroney - Michael O'Neal
Cameron Diaz - Kimberly Wallace
Rupert Everett - George Downes
Philip Bosco - Walter Wallace
M. Emmet Walsh - Joe O'Neal
Rachel Griffiths - Samantha Newhouse
Carrie Preston - Mandy Newhouse
Susan Sullivan - Isabelle Wallace
Christopher Masterson - Scotty O'Neal (as Chris Masterson)
Raci Alexander - Title Sequence Performer #1
Jennifer Garrett - Title Sequence Performer #2
Kelly Sheerin - Title Sequence Performer #3
Bree Turner - Title Sequence Performer #4
Cassie Creasy - Flower Girl

Taglines: It's about finding the love of your life. And deciding what to do about it.

Release Date: 20 June 1997

Filming Locations: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $46,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $21,678,377 (USA) (22 June 1997) (2134 Screens)

Gross: $299,288,605 (Worldwide)

Runtime: 105 min

Trivia:
The scene where everyone gathers in a large room to watch Kimmy throw the bouquet was filmed at Cuneo Museum and Gardens in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The movie crew removed the large carpet from the floor and stored it someplace - it took the museum staff several months to find it again.

Goofs:
Errors in geography: After Michael and Kim pick up Julianne from O'Hare Airport, they're heading north on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive. Kimmy swerves wildly to her exit. The next time you see the car, it's heading south on Lake Shore Drive with the Drake Hotel in the distance.

Quotes:
George Downes: The misery, the exquisite tragedy. The Susan Hayward of it all. I can just picture you there, sitting alone at your table in your lavender gown.
Julianne Potter: Did I tell you my gown was lavender?
George Downes: Hair swept up. Haven't touched your cake. Probably drumming your fingernails on the white linen tablecloth, the way you do when you're really feeling down. Perhaps looking at those nails thinking: 'God, I should have stopped in all my evil plotting to have that manicure, but it's too late now.
Julianne Potter: George, I didn't tell you my dress was lavender.
[...]

The "Wedding" zingers....

Rating: 10/10

For a while, I was getting concerned about the direction Julia Roberts' career was taking, after misfiring in such dismal duds as "Mary Reilly" and "Michael Collins" where she seemed so shell-shocked that her radiant smile was nowhere in sight.

Thank God she rebounded for "My Best Friend's Wedding". This film, while not perfect, is a shining example of what makes Julia so radiant and desirable in the right role. And she sure gets it here.

As Julianne Potter, Julia gives the same sweet, radiant glow she offered us in "Pretty Woman". Seems she's fallen in love with her best friend for ages Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney) - unfortunately, it's on the eve of his wedding to an effervescent, perky girl (Cameron Diaz) who does her darndest to make Julianne her best friend...as well as her maid-of-honor. Of course, Julianne does what any right-thinking young lady would do: everything in her power to break up the wedding of the title.

This is not as melodramatic as it sounds: this is, in fact, one of the brightest, smartest and all-around funniest comedies of the decade. All the lead characters make the absolute most of their parts and revel in the glory of love, double-dealing and flat-out lying. Along with being extremely romantic, this has to be the most cleverly-plotted love story ever: for every plot thought up by Julianne, there's a twist or foul-up that has everything to do with true love and/or blind devotion.

There are great faces in the background, too. Susan Sullivan, Philip Bosco, the great M. Emmet Walsh all lend able support and offer their own fine support. But how can I mention them in the same paragraph without adding Rupert Everett into the fray? As Julianne's gay editor/friend, he adds great color to all his scenes, especially at the dinner with the wedding party at the seafood restaurant (you've seen it, you know what I mean).

I won't spoil anything by saying that true love wins out in the end; face it, would you WANT to see Julia Roberts as a BAD GUY? Maybe you would, but not in a romantic comedy. In fact, the main surprises lie in the twists and turns that lie throughout this film. Every twist makes the story all the more interesting and (incidentally) funny. Of course, the music makes the proceedings all the better (with a heavy assist from Dionne Warwick on two occasions).

So to recap, what else can I say: if you love Julia Roberts, love stories, comedies and weddings, here's your movie.

Ten stars and a copy of "Dionne Warwick's Greatest Hits" on CD for "My Best Friend's Wedding", where true love wins but true friendship comes in a close second.

Keep up the good work, Julia.

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