My Best Friend's Wedding

Director: P.J. Hogan
Cast:
Julia Roberts
Dermot Mulroney
Cameron Diaz

Let me start off by defining what I consider a "caper"—any caper can be described as a "madcap romp," usually episodic in nature, and involving a "plot deadline" of some sort. Like a race, a bank heist, a marriage, stuff like that. Capers range from good (any of the Muppet movies, Scorcese's "After Hours") to unbearable (Madonna's abortive "Who's That Girl," Spielberg's screechingly bad "Goonies"). That said, keep in mind that "My Best Friend's Wedding" is sort of a low-grade caper, the kind of movie that rollicks along to a predetermined conclusion, and involves a couple of car chases, mistaken identities and yes, an eventual marriage.

The story idea is good enough—Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney make a pact that they will marry each other if they are both still single at the age of 28. Of course, he calls her three weeks before her 28th birthday and says that he's getting married to Cameron Diaz, a glittery blonde 20-year-old whose father owns the Chicago White Sox. Julia Roberts vows to stop the wedding, even if it's the last thing she does.

The problem is, that's exactly what happens. What her character does on her road to rock-bottom are among the last things ANY of us would do, which makes her eventual absolution unsatisfying and kinda pathetic. Her character flakes into someone who shouldn't get the guy no matter what, and by the end, you want her to get the hell out of the way. Dermot Mulroney is affable as the groom-to-be, and Cameron Diaz is pretty, to be sure, but something just isn't clicking here. In a perfect world, this caper would be a musical. Full of little references to songs (and even a full-on rendition of Dionne Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer For You," the movie's shining moment), director PJ Hogan brings the movie a musical palette that made "Muriel's Wedding" so much fun. If only Cameron Diaz could sing...

—Ian Williams

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