Plot: What’s it about?
Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) is a master of weddings, from the obvious issues to the smallest of details, she has it all down to a science. She is the hottest, most skilled wedding planner in the business, but in her personal life, her luck isn’t so good. Yes, she has had some dates now and again, but it has been a while now and in fact, she is starting to lose faith in the opposite sex and the concept of true love. But even so, her business still thrives and since she just landed a massive new account, she’s being made into a partner, which is good news. This new account is with Francine Donnoly (Bridgette Wilson) and since she is part of a wealthy family, that means Mary’s bank account and reputation will be given huge advances. She soon runs into an unexpected blip however, in the form of Eddie (Matthew McConaughey), a handsome man who saves Mary in a freak shoe accident. She thinks Eddie could be the man for her, but she discovers he is Dr. Steve Edison, the fiance of Francine, she is trapped in the middle of a romantic and professional nightmare. Can she keep her work and private life separate, or will this ruin her business, as well as her already bottomed out outlook on love?
This is as sappy and predictable as most romantic comedies, but I ended up really liking it, which shocked me. I went to see this at the theaters with minimal expectations and in the end, I had a lot of fun and the flick had won me over. I often dislike Jennifer Lopez and her performances, but she seems relaxed in this role, which goes a long way to improve over her usually forced turns, to say the least. I had no intentions of liking The Wedding Planner, but as much as I resisted, it grew on me and still does so each time I view it, which is impressive indeed. Lopez gives a restrained, charming effort and has excellent chemistry with Matthew McConaughey, which drives the flick’s romance interest, of course. There’s also a terrific supporting cast that includes Bridgette Wilson, Judy Greer, Joanna Gleason, and Fred Willard, among others. This is heavy on the romance as you’d expect, but also lays the comedy on thick, which keeps it from being too stifling, at least from a male perspective. I give this film a very high recommendation and I don’t usually like romantic comedies. So if even if you’re not the typical genre fan and you have the chance, don’t skip this flick and with a great disc, it’s even worth a purchase, to be sure.
Her role in this movie is a smaller one, but I feel Judy Greer is one of the main reasons this film works as well as it does. In just a few scenes’ worth of work, Greer cements herself into the viewer’s memory, she is that awesome here. She just seems to nail every line for all it is worth, in terms of delivery, timing, and all other factors involved. If you would term any performance as efficient, Greer would be the master of that artform, as she makes sure each line hits as well as possible, very impressive indeed. I’ve liked Greer in several smaller roles now, so I hope to see her in a lead soon, to be sure. You can also see Greer in such films as The Specials, Jawbreaker, Three Kings, Kissing a Fool, and What Women Want. The cast also includes Jennifer Lopez (The Cell, Angel Eyes), Matthew McConaughey (EdTv, Dazed and Confused), Bridgette Wilson (Mortal Kombat, Love Stinks), Fred Willard (Best in Show, Roxanne), and Joanna Gleason (Boogie Nights, Mr. Holland’s Opus).
Video: How does it look?
The Wedding Planner is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. It seems Columbia/Tristar always pushes out great day & date transfers and this is no exception, as the image looks terrific. The film’s pastel color scheme is well presented, with bright & warm hues and no traces of errors, even slight ones. The flesh tones also come through just fine, always natural and consistent, no problems in the least. I saw no flaws with the contrast either, as black levels are refined and detail is strong at all times. I was very pleased with this transfer from top to bottom, another tremendous effort from Columbia/Tristar.
Audio: How does it sound?
As with most romantic comedies, the audio presence is a subtle one, so while the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is very good, it won’t give your system a workout. I think the musical soundtrack is the most potent element here and can be heard in the surrounds often, though some subtle use can be detected also, which adds to the atmosphere. Most of the audio is based in the front channels however, but that is the intended mix ratio, so all is well. The dialogue is the main focus and sounds great here, very clean and crisp throughout. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This isn’t labeled as a special edition, but it more than deserves that banner, that’s for sure. It all starts with a great audio commentary track with director Adam Shankman, who is joined by writers Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk. This track offers much insight into the writing process, while also covering the overall production and even tossing in some humor, which is very welcome. It seems Ellis and Falk were a couple when they penned the screenplay, but have since broken up and here, that shows, as the two bicker more than a little, very humorous indeed. Shankman is the most talkative member here, but all three speak up often and in the end, this was a terrific commentary session. You can also view a selection of deleted scenes and once again, Shankman provides optional commentary, in case you’d like to learn more about the scenes. I gathered from the feature commentary that a lot of material was shortened or excised, so it was nice to see some it included on this release. This disc also includes two brief featurettes, some talent files, and of course, the film’s theatrical trailer.
