Runaway Bride

Starring: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack, Hector Elizondo, Rita Wilson, Paul Dooley, Christopher Meloni, Donal Logue, Reg Rogers, Sela Ward, Larry Miller
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Romance
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary:A reporter (Richard Gere) investigates a woman (Julia Roberts) whom has left a number of men at the altar.

Review:

Tim: One of the most noteworthy points about Runaway Bride is it's the film that reunited Julia Roberts and Richard Gere nine years after Pretty Woman. That might be a minor selling point, but it is one nonetheless. This is a fairly typical romantic comedy, but a few positives help outweigh some of the flaws. This is ultimately a bit too lightweight, but it does enough for me to consider this film a success.

The idea is a bit far-fetched, but interesting. A woman has jilted three different husbands at the altar. Each time she's committed, but panics at the last minute, running from her would-be husband (hence, the "runaway" bride). A big city reporter comes to the small town for the story, and you can take it from here. The story is beyond predictable.

Now, the basics aren't anything special, so the movie needed something to save it from the typical rom com fate. It certainly helps that Julia Roberts and Richard Gere genuinely seem to be having fun together. I think they enjoyed the idea of working together again after creating one of the most influential films of the early 1990s. That enthusiasm shows up on screen. While there are a few moments throughout the film where the acting felt very forced, for the most part, the cast works well. Roberts and Gere definitely have chemistry. I thought both of their characters were interesting- Roberts' character in dealing with the aftermath of her three aborted wedding attempts, and Gere's character working through the ramifications of a failed marriage and what that has done to his worldview around women and relationships. There's certainly nothing especially new here, but the story at least tries to dig a bit deeper than the average romantic comedy.

The supporting cast is decent. Joan Cusack is always reliable as "the friend", and she had a couple of strong moments here. Hector Elizondo and Rita Wilson were both enjoyable, but had unfortunately small roles. I really enjoyed Christopher Meloni as Roberts' soon-to-be fourth attempt at marriage. There's not really any standouts among the cast, but there are a lot of solid performances that contribute to the film.

The story does have a few nice moments that elevate the quality of the film. There's some fun banter between Gere and Roberts, especially early on when he receives a cold welcome into town. The scene at the luau is memorable and the church rehearsal was a highlight. Chasing the Fedex truck was good. None of these scenes are iconic, but they are entertaining.

I wish I would have liked Runaway Bride even more, but that being said, I have to call this a successful, solid romantic comedy. Gere and Roberts' chemistry helps greatly and Garry Marshall does a nice job of leveraging the energy and humor from his cast and the script. In a genre that feels full of halfhearted attempts, it's refreshing to see a film like this that at least tries to be better than average.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Pretty Woman, Notting Hill