In recent times, a unique genre has emerged that intertwines lavish destination ‘I Do’s’ with romantic comedy. ‘Ticket to Paradise’, which features George Clooney and Julia Roberts came out two years ago, followed by ‘Shotgun Wedding’, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel. Lately, “Anyone But You,” featuring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell was slaughtered by the critics and, surprisingly grossed a fortune. So naturally, the trend of romantic comedies for the future will lean towards this sub genre. And hence together with the like of Netflix comes with “Mother of the Bride” that features Brooke Shields, Miranda Cosgrove, And Benjamin Bratt. It steals ideas from much better films and combines them with terrible characters, which is a synonym for a movie.
The films made by Brad Krever and Steve Stabler which are available on Netflix are the same ones that I like. I have seen Christmas and romance movies over and over again to the extent that I have lost count. This includes “The Knight Before Christmas” and “A Castle for Christmas,” which features Shields. In fact, I was favorable even to the Lindsay Lohan movies about Christmas and Ireland, which I had reviewed in the past on this site. There is Mark Waters who has a history of directing films of this sort, including several stars in the original Mean Girls, Freaky Friday, and Just Like Heaven. I admit, his two worst films, “Head over Heels” and “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” are also guilty pleasures for me.
Shields is game as Lana, a famous geneticist who has been married once but has never been in love for quite a long period. It is a strand of this slightly neurotic, screwball comedy which she has been typecast since her “Suddenly Susan” sitcom days. Cue screeching: Lana goes into a complete meltdown when she learns her daughter Emma (an unbelievably dull Miranda Cosgrove) is to marry RJ (Sean Teale), son of the same Will (Benjamin Bratt, now tragically bereft of his natural charisma) who was her first love at college. Rachael Harris enhances the film with her portrayal of Lana’s ultra climactic sex pot sister, Not surprisingly, an irked Rachael describe a fittest Chad Michael Murray as a “Harmsworth style boy.” Token of aggressive nests and a sloth-like lifestyle are brought by Michael McDonald and Wilson Cruz’s characters the only working painting parts of the golden shinny puzzle.
Emma is a lifestyle influencer who has signed a deal for a six-figure amount with a mega corps, wherein she has essentially sold her marriage to symbolize as an advertisement for their resort located in Phuket, Thailand.
There’s a lot of noise about the Instagram shoots and the fitting for the designer dresses, but this film does not look at the business aspects involved here. The potential barbs that could have been wielded in a sharp satire about the commercialization of our existence even to those ‘special’ days which are intended to be most special becomes a rather lame schooling of work life balance. This theme is rather well worn that it makes “27 Dresses” look positively didactic for want of a more appropriate word. The only cast member thought to be in possession of some intellectual humor is Tasneem Roc as a wholly bizarre brand manager named Camila who unfortunately brings to the film its scant few laughs.
Well, I hope you don’t think I am going to touch upon the groom just yet, because if you did, you were mistaken. There is no way to salvage the offending character. His role is so undeveloped that the audience is left with the feeling that his kind stands ‘behind the scenes’ next to the sociopathic Instagram wannabe models who overshadow their bland boyfriends but only use them as photographers. At least he doesn’t perform that! An introduction gives you some unclear dialogue about his profession and their opportunity to meet and fall in love with Emma. But by the time the wedding actually takes place, it is so far removed from relevance that the viewer not only forgets who the bride and groom are but also the reason behind the matrimony. What are their shared interests? What does he do for a living? Why would his father present them with a condo worth millions on New York Tribeca if they met while working in London and just fell in love with each other? To address any of these queries, the script would need to include something other than clichés.
It is disappointing to watch a great talent like Shields stoop so low as to engage in such junk. In the end, “Mother of the Bride” is the lowest point in the career of nearly everyone who took part in it.
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