Happy 4th of July! Speaking of, what’s more American than Julia Roberts?
Today I’ll be reviewing the classic 1997 rom-com My Best Friend’s Wedding. I’ve been on a serious “chick flick” kick lately. Mainly 90s and 2000s rom-coms. And honestly I’m not ashamed to admit how much I love them. They make you happy, and that’s all that matters.
My Best Friend’s Wedding follows Jules (Julia Roberts), a food critic with a tough exterior, who learns her college boyfriend and close friend (Dermot Mulroney) is getting married. She realizes her strong feelings for him and decides to do everything in her power to derail the wedding.
My Best Friend’s Wedding is essentially the perfect rom-com. A little bit unrealistic, a little bit cheesy, but full of fun. The movie is also full of iconic scenes that no doubt have cemented it as one of the most memorable films of the 90s. The “Say a Little Prayer” singalong! George showing up at the wedding! One standout scene for me was when Michael talks about telling someone you love them before the moment passes you by. You can see Jules grapple with whether or not to declare her love for him. And then…their boat passes under a bridge, and you can actually sense the moment passing her by. Ok symbolism!
Of course, a major contributor to the success of this movie is its fantastic cast. Just amazing performances from every single actor. Rupert Everett, who played Jules’ best friend George, is my personal favorite. He stole every scene he was in. I need him to star in a spin-off. Julia Roberts is charming, as always, but she was actually a horrible person throughout the entire movie. The fact she was still invited to the wedding and then she has the nerve to play her and Michael’s “song”. I watched this with my mom, and we agreed she got away with too much, but it’s ok because she’s Julia Roberts. She somehow makes you root for her, despite her terrible judgement.
There was truly never a dull moment, and that’s all you’re really looking for when you sit down to watch a cheesy movie. Just something light-hearted that can entertain you for 90 minutes or so. I would argue that My Best Friend’s Wedding is a step above the average rom-com, though, and I’m looking forward to watching more Julia Roberts classics soon!
I will seriously defend chick flicks (which should NOT be an insulting term) until the day I die. This is the first review in my new chick flick series!
-Zoe
the sunday morning review 