Plot: What’s it about?
Jules (Julia Roberts) has just learned that her best friend Mike (Dermot Mulroney) has important news for her, which she thinks is connected to an old pact the two made, which stated if they weren’t married by a certain age, then they would marry each other. But that is not the case, as instead, Mike informs her that he has met someone and plans to be wed, very soon in fact and he wants Jules to attend, of course. With just four days until the event, Jules heads to Chicago and is somewhat relieved she was wrong in her assumption, but she soon realizes she is in love with Mike, which means real problems could surface. Now Jules is determined to throw the marriage off the track, but Mike’s fiancee Kimmy (Cameron Diaz) is simply too good to be true. She accepts all of Mike’s bad traits, seems to get over anything bad that happens, and worst of all, she wants to be best friends with Jules, as well as make her the Maid of Honor. As time passes and the wedding approaches, what will become of Jules’ love for Mike and this wedding, which she has worked so hard to break up?
The box office smash that made every girl want a gay friend, My Best Friend’s Wedding is a by the numbers romantic comedy, without a doubt. But then again, most of them are and their success depends on one issue, star power. And this movie has it – in spades, with Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Everett, and Dermot Mulroney all on deck, as well as some decent supporting performers to round it out. I was never too impressed by this movie, but it struck a real chord with audiences, picking up some serious coin in the process. My Best Friend’s Wedding has a weak premise, but it has some humorous moments and of course, Julia in her underwear, which is always welcome, if you ask me. I think Everett saves the picture at times, as his presence often keeps things humorous and alive, to be sure. So while I am not a fan of this movie, I realize many of you are and while Columbia hasn’t done too much extra here, I am sure fans will want those new supplements.
She has now won an Oscar to go with her various hit films, so perhaps now Julia Roberts can return to the genre that made her, the romantic comedy. She has starred in mostly dramas of late, but Roberts is still the Queen of this genre, without a doubt. As evidenced with this film, where she has rather bland material to work with, but creates a likable, attractive character. In addition, the film raked in well over one-hundred million dollars, so audiences must have loved her here, as she certainly was the bright point, save a few select scenes. So maybe we’ll see her back in the genre soon, as she is solid gold when she is, without a doubt. You can also see Roberts in such films as Runaway Bride, Mystic Pizza, Notting Hill, Conspiracy Theory, and Pretty Woman. The cast also includes Rupert Everett (Dellmorte Dellamore, An Ideal Husband), Dermot Mulroney (Copycat, The Trigger Effect), and Cameron Diaz (Charlie’s Angels, The Mask).
Video: How does it look?
Those who shelled out a few bucks to get the UK import of this might want to pony up again and pick up this newly restored film. Sony has given the title its 4K treatment and the result is nothing short of stunning. I will say that the movie does tend to be a tad bit on the darker side, when I checked out the DVD version, there seemed to be a bit more lightness in some scenes whereas this Blu-ray seems to have deeper black levels and contrast. Still, when considering the detail, the smoothness of the transfer and the overall improvement of the image quality – I think most won’t mind. Clearly Sony is anticipating that the 4K Televisions might bring some renewed interest to some of their more successful films. Nevertheless, the increase in quality is noticeable and worth a purchase.
Audio: How does it sound?
There’s no real improvement in terms of the audio. And as far as romantic comedy soundtracks go, this one isn’t too bad, but it still lacks the depth and immersive traits we often expect, to be sure. The music sometimes sparks the surrounds, as well as some random subtle presence, but this one is based in the front, at least most of the time. It all sounds good though and since dialogue is clean & crisp throughout, I doubt anyone will be let down in the least. While the DTS HD Master Audio mix has its moments, it’s not one that will shake the room (nor was it meant to be).
Supplements: What are the extras?
The 2001 DVD’s supplements are ported over here in full, glorious…standard definition. Enjoy.
- Say a Little Prayer for You Sing-Along – Put on your lobster claws and sing along with Rupert and Julia – you know you want to!
- On the Set: My Best Friend’s Wedding – This HBO-produced featurette is basically promotional fluff and now that the film is 18 years old, we can see how dated this material really is.
- Wedding Do’s & Don’ts – Essentially this consists of some audio helpful hints, played over vintage clips from marriage related films.
- Unveiled: My Best Friend’s Wedding – This is another glorified EPK that has some behind the scenes footage and some interviews with the cast and crew.
- My Best Friend’s Wedding Album – A photo gallery.
- Theatrical Trailer – Although it’s listed on the back of the box, I couldn’t seem to locate this. If the trailer is, in fact, included, it’s a mystery to me.
