Mary Fiore, Jennifer Lopez, organises other people's weddings like military exercises, encouraging the nervous couples, and even writing the best man's speeches. She's great at what she does, but she lives a lonely life – that is until an accident brings her in contact with pediatrician Steve Edison, Matthew McConaughey – and it's love at first sight. But – wouldn't you know – it turns out that the sneaky Steve is engaged to marry one of Mary's most important new clients...
This is one of those comedies, and there are far too many of them around, which starts off well and then just doesn't know where to go. The premise is fine, and Jennifer Lopez is terrific as the workaholic Mary. But instead of developing the basic situation with genuine humour and suspense, first-time director Adam Shankman and writers Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis fall into the trap of cluttering the plot up with resistable supporting characters – like Mary's Italian father and the Italian man who fancies her. This all helps to drag the film down so that, despite some amusing secondary characters, notably Judy Greer's assistant, the film never fires the way it should.
Comments from Margaret: Yet another underdeveloped screenplay hits our screens, this time by first time screenwriter Pamela Falk working with veteran Michael Ellis who wrote the gem Housekeeping, as well as The Jewel of the Nile and Brassed Off amongst a formidable list. It is ludicrously improbable even for a romantic comedy. Add to that basic flaw a complete lack of on-screen chemistry between Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey, probably because the script gives them nowhere much to go with their disparate characters. However, despite the negatives, Jennifer Lopez siezes what little there is with the character of Mary and works with it, she is a talent and she's beautiful. I was also impressed by Bridgette Wilson-Sampras' efforts with her very likeable character of the bride-to-be, and her parents played by Joanna Gleason and Charles Kimbrough were also a delight. So for all that's wrong with this film there are the occasional moments to enjoy.
