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Today's Date is:

The Wedding Planner


Reviewed by: Tom Reynolds
Genre: Comedy
Video: Widescreen anamorphic 2.35:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, DD 2.0 surround (English)
Language: English
Subtitle: English, French, Spanish
Length: 104 mins.
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: July 3, 2001
Studio: Columbia Tri-Star
Commentary: Director Adam Shankman and writers Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis
Documentaries: None
Featurettes: The Dancer and the Cowboy" and a "Making Of" featurette
Filmography/Biography: Filmographies of Shankman and four cast members
Interviews: Included in featurettes
Trailers/TV Spots: Theatrical trailers of "The Wedding Planner," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "U Turn" and "Anaconda"
Alternate/Deleted Scenes: Seven deleted scenes
Music Video: None
Other: None
Cast and Crew: Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Justin Chambers, Judy Greer, Alex Rocco, Joanna Gleason, Charles Kimbrough, Kevin Pollak, Fred Willard, Kathy Najimy
Screenplay by: Pamela Falk, Michael Ellis
Produced by: Peter Abrams, Moritz Borman, Deborah Del Prete, Guy East, Jennifer Gibgot, Robert Levy, Gigi Pritzker, Meg Ryan, Nina R. Sadowsky, Chris Sievernich, Nigel Sinclair
Directed By: Adam Shankman
Music: Mervyn Warren
The Review: Cliches abound in this romantic comedy about a beautiful young woman named Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez), the title character of "The Wedding Planner," who seems destined to, as the old saying almost goes, forever be the planner and never the bride. It seems that there just isn't a man anywhere interested in her-- which is kind of hard to believe right out of the chute. Embodied by Lopez, Mary is not only beautiful, but intelligent, poised, gracious, giving-- in short, just about everything any man could ever want in a woman. Mary simply has no luck in the romance department, though, that is until circumstances bring a man into her life, Dr. Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey), who it turns out is the fiancee of her newest client, Fran (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras), which makes for a sticky wicket all around. But Mary is a professional, and though she is attracted to Steve, she knows what she has to do. Plan the wedding. What she doesn't know, however, is that Steve is having some doubts about his upcoming union with Fran, and his encounter with Mary isn't making life any easier for him. And as if things aren't complicated enough, Mary's father, Salvatore (Alex Rocco), is trying to arrange a marriage between her and a guy named Massimo (Justin Chambers), and for Mary it's like making a left-hand turn onto a one-way street of romantic entanglement when she should have turned right. Jennifer Lopez is, indeed, beautiful and talented, and she gives an entirely convincing performance here as Mary. But it's a character that doesn't really put her many talents to good use; Mary is a fairly generic character and it doesn't seem like much of a stretch, creatively, for Lopez. Or maybe it's just that she does it so well she makes it look easy. Whichever it is, Lopez is definitely the highlight of the film, which at it's best is nothing more than a mildly entertaining bit of fluff, and a far cry from what Lopez is capable of, which she has so ably demonstrated in films like "Selena," "Out of Sight" and "Angel Eyes." Matthew McConaughey gives a passable performance as Steve, but it's far from his best role; this part simply doesn't give him an opportunity to do what he does best: Really act. Like in "A time to Kill," "Contact" or "Ed TV." Even for a light romantic comedy, there is simply too much emphasis on the "light." Die-hard Lopez and McConaughey fans will probably be thrilled beyond measure with this offering, but this film simply lacks the nuance, charm and originality that could have elevated it to a much higher level within the genre. And perhaps this is too subjective, but there just doesn't seem to be any real chemistry between Lopez and McConaughey in this film. Beyond the light-weight screenplay, the real problem arguably lies with first-time director Shankman, a former choreographer who apparently has little vision beyond what happens on a dance floor. He just seems to lack that necessary insight that would have allowed him to make a real connection with this material and these characters. He seemingly had all the tools at his disposal he needed to make a solid, satisfying movie, but it's as if he just didn't know what to do with them. And it demonstrates what a huge difference the choice of director can have on a project like this (or on any film for that matter). Early on the film shows some promise, but in the end, it just doesn't take you where you'd like to go.
Image and Sound The look of this DVD is good, but certainly not the best. Though the clarity of the picture and images is acceptable, there's an overall "soft" look to this film which lacks the usual definition and crispness of the transfer of a new film to disc. The outdoor scenes are excellent, especially during the daylight, but the evening scenes or those that are darker or shadowed are clear, but without that extra sharpness you would expect. The color is more than adequate, but lacks that brilliance that would make certain scenes leap out at you; for instance the scenes in the gardens which proffer such an array of various kinds and colors of flowers. Though beautiful, they just don't have that vividness that would make the scene transporting, even in the deep reds and bright yellows that are so prevalent, or in the assorted purples and blues. The color does not in any way seem faded or pale, nor does the picture ever seem to be anything but brand new; but the overall look simply lacks that richness and depth that has a way of drawing you in when it's so vibrant. Like the picture, the sound is very good, but again, not exceptional. The little background sounds and noises that often so subtly add so much to a scene are noticeably absent, and even in the scenes with crowds of people, like the scene in the park with the carousel in the background, it lacks those extra touches of sounds that add to the realism of the environment. The music is integrated extremely well, however, and most importantly the dialogue is always completely audible, with even the lower or whispered tones coming through quite nicely. The picture and sound are consistent throughout the film, and while not extraordinary in any way, this DVD is still superior to the VHS format and would be the obvious choice between the two.
The Extras "The Dancer and the Cowboy" is a look at what went into the scene at the dance studio with Lopez and McConaughey, and features brief comments by the stars. Lopez mentions that even though she is a dancer, this particular dance scene was one of the hardest scenes she's ever had to do-- of any kind, including action scenes-- as it involved difficult choreography into which they had to integrate an exceptional amount of dialogue and emotion-- there was just so much they had to do to get it right and make it work. McConaughey talks about the challenge of doing it, since he is definitely not a dancer, and he points out the Lopez was extremely patient with him throughout the filming of it. The tables were turned, however, when it came to the horse-back riding scene; Lopez does not ride and was genuinely afraid of being on a horse, whereas McConaughey was raised in Texas, and riding is second nature to him. But according to Shankman, this was the real story-- the cowboy and the girl from the Bronx. The "Making Of" featurette is a very brief overview of the story, narrated over clips from the film. Lopez talks about the romantic quality of the script, while McConaughey briefly discusses his character, Steve. Shankman sees this film and the story in terms of an urban fantasy, and Lopez sees it as a romantic comedy with a heart. There are seven deleted scenes with optional commentary by Shankman. The first scene, "Little Mary," was the original opening of the film, which not only introduces Mary, but her parents, as well. Shankman felt that it tied in the whole "romantic thing," but in it we also find out that Mary's father was a tailor, which had nothing whatsoever to do with the story, and so it was cut. "Can't Stop Smiling," is very brief-- just a few seconds that were trimmed from the scene in which Mary and Fran go over the guest list early in the film. "Massimo's Apology" establishes Massimo's relentless pursuit of Mary, but Shankman felt it made Massimo too annoying, which would have stretched the credibility of Mary agreeing to marry him later on, so it was cut. "Arriving In Napa" is merely an extended version of the drive up to Napa Valley. "Seating Arrangements/ironing" establishes Fran's attachment to her computer business and gives an indication of just how hard-edged she really is, and it creates some tension that ultimately leads to their break-up later on, but Shankman felt it was a bit too "down" for this point in the movie. "At the Cemetery" shows Mary visiting her mother's grave, breaking down and crying to her that she doesn't want to be alone anymore. This is a beautiful scene and well played by Lopez; it's one that probably should have been left in the final cut, as it would have added some dimension to Mary. "The Page" is from the beginning of the film and establishes the kind of "ambulance chaser" Mary is-- getting pages on her beeper from people alerting her to possible customers. Of all the deleted scenes, the one in the cemetery best demonstrates the difference a few minutes can have on a film, and how important the process of editing really is.
Commentary One of the great advantages-- treasures, actually-- of a DVD is the commentary track, which allows you to hear from the filmmakers and actors themselves, which, when done properly and professionally, can be an educational, entertaining, insightful and thoroughly exhilarating experience. To be able to hear such artists as Jodie Foster, Kenneth Lonergan, Rob Reiner and Edward Zwick (just to mention a few) discussing their craft and presenting a serious dissertation of their own films, personal perspectives and philosophies is invaluable, especially to those who consider film one of the highest forms of art in the world today, and the literature of our times (as many do). And that's why it is especially disconcerting to encounter a commentary track such as this, featuring director Adam Shankman and screenwriters Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis, which amounts to little more than self-serving, self-aggrandizing infantile prattle that is boorish, immature, unprofessional and insulting to the audience. I think, without question, that the attitude and character of the artists who make themselves available for these commentary tracks is reflected in the integrity and quality of their work. And it is certainly true in this case. The biggest problems with "The Wedding Planner," can be traced to the director and the screenwriters, and I find it somehow ironic that they are the ones who were given the opportunity here to put their best foot forward and to present their artistic vision to the world. And to say that they've wasted their opportunity would be an understatement of monumental proportions. Falk and Ellis begin by pointing out that it took them six years to get this film made, with Shankman attached to the project for three of those six years. Columbia was the fourth studio to which the project was passed, and it was finally there that they succeeded in getting a deal made. Occasionally, Shankman will offer some pertinent information, as when he explains the operation of the "steady-cam," which was used in the opening wedding sequence. This is a hand-held camera built onto a "contraption" that is strapped to the cameraman, and was used through sixteen takes of that opening scene, eleven of which were shot in the scene's entirety. Shankman then points out that forty-thousand dollars went into the flowers alone for that scene, and for the first of many times he mentions how "gorgeous" Jennifer's hair looks and somehow works in the relevant information that his favorite TV show is MTV's "Undressed." Then he makes a point of schussing everyone to point out how he so cleverly orchestrated coordinating his "directed by" credit to appear just as everyone in the church scene was standing up. The three of them go on to talk about the "arc" of the Massimo character, without bothering to explain just exactly what it is they are talking about-- which is discernible, but their rather off-putting attitude of letting the "laymen" in the audience figure it out for themselves seems somehow contrary to the spirit of what a commentary track is supposed to be all about. Obviously, they feel it's supposed to be about them. Falk and Ellis bring up the fact that as originally written, Mary was Armenian; but none of the studios wanted a story about an Armenian wedding planner, so they had to change it. Ellis-- much to the obvious chagrin of Falk-- tells how they happened to come up with the story in the first place. It seems that they were once a "couple" themselves, and during their observation of a class being given at a learning annex of some sort, the subject was an Armenian woman who happened to be a wedding planner. Falk apparently took it upon herself to ask some questions about what this woman actually did, with the intention of making Ellis bring up the subject of marriage. He very cleverly (at least it obviously seemed to him) went the "other way" with it, though, and said that it would be a great idea for a movie. The original name for McConaughey's character was "Edgar Minty," later changed to "Henry Edwards." It finally became "Steve" at the behest of McConaughey, who agreed to step in at the last minute to replace Brendan Fraser, who opted out (wisely, it would seem at this juncture) to make "Bedazzled." Falk talks about deleting most of the "backstory" they had created for Steve; where he came from, the fact that his father left and he had to take care of his family-- because it just wasn't necessary (apparently the idea of well-rounded characters are not significant to this team of players). Shankman tells how difficult the dance scene was to choreograph and shoot-- which took them two days-- because of having to stage it around two-and-a-half pages of dialogue. One of Shankman's favorite stories to tell concerns one of the days on which they had to film the scene of Lopez on the horse; it was-- according to Shankman-- the coldest day in history on that date in Los Angeles, and Lopez's lip gloss actually froze. They had to apply hot packs so that she could move her mouth, but when they removed them it left a large red square that gave her a "clown mouth," and that the whole thing was simply a "nightmare to shoot." He mentions that Lopez wanted to play Mary as something of a "Jewish American Princess," and had a tendency to get very "Streisandish" at certain moments, with little hand gestures and the way she would blink her eyes. But her hair was just "gorge, gorge, gorge-- Look at it!" He also remarks about how beautiful Lopez and Wilson-Sampras look on screen together, and at one point exclaims, "Look at the lip gloss on these girls! It's like dueling lip gloss!" Shankman begins to address the scene in which Mary's father is telling her about his own arranged marriage with her mother, and he points out that this is when the movie begins to change the tone-- then Falk chimes in with a comment about the dresser in the background, and that the people who work on movies often get to keep certain items used on the film, and that she had her eye on that dresser, but that it didn't happen. Shankman tells her it was rented for the scene and she replies by saying that she didn't know that, and for the rest of the scene they banter back and forth about this dresser, and you're left-- again-- to figure out on your own why Shankman, at least, feels that this was a pivotal scene in the movie. In discussing another scene near the end of the film, in which Steve says to Mary, "I know every fleck of gold in your eyes--" Shankman says that it was "yellow" as originally written, to which Falk replies, "Give us a break, it was never yellow--" "Green," Ellis adds, then someone says "Which actress has yellow eyes?" "That was Rebecca Romijn-Stamos in 'X-Men!'" When Mary says to Steve, "I'm a magnet for unavailable men--" Falk jumps in with, "That was your line, Adam, you wrote that because it's the story of your life--" "Yes," Shankman says, "And I'm sure the audience wants to know I'm a magnet for unavailable men." And the conversation quickly deteriorates into implications and allusions to things that simply aren't worthy of mention here. Suffice to say that for the purpose of this commentary it was inappropriate and highly unprofessional. Another of Shankman's invaluable musings was about wanting to know who ended up with that mohair jacket Lopez was wearing in that last scene. Shades of Ed Wood. This commentary plays like a competition amongst the three for who has the floor at any given time. They laugh, talk and shout over one another too often to dismiss it as something so brief it could be overlooked. Falk, especially, is good at raising her voice when the three of them begin to speak at once, like someone at a party attempting to take control and grab the attention. There's just too much of "No, you go--" "No, you--" "No, you're better than me, you go--" to let it go without mention and still present this as a valid critique of this commentary. While I appreciate the zeal with which an accomplished artist is justified in pontificating upon personal success, I find it somehow reprehensible if it is not tempered with at least good judgment, restraint and a modicum of professionalism. I was hoping to be able to pull my punches somewhat with this review, but when I hear supposed professionals end a commentary track with one calling the other a "P----," even in jest (which is questionable), all bets are off and I feel compelled to tell it like it is. If you rent or buy this DVD, I suggest you avoid this commentary track, as there is very little on it that is the least bit entertaining or worthwhile, and for the odd bits that do slip through-- like the bit about the "steady-cam"-- listening to the rest of it just isn't worth the time or the effort.
Final Words: "The Wedding Planner" is nothing more and nothing less than a very average romantic comedy; Jennifer Lopez is beautiful and talented, and if anything, it's worth the price of admission just to see her performance (even if it isn't her most memorable). McConaughey fans will be thrilled with it, as well. It's an uplifting piece of fluff that never takes itself too seriously or pretends to be anything other than what it is, which is entertainment. The DVD itself is of average quality, with nothing as far as extras to speak of and with a commentary track that was (I think) inappropriately used by Shankman, Falk and Ellis as a sounding board to announce to the world that they have "arrived." Comedy is the most subjective of genres, and romantic comedy even more so; there are those who are going to love this movie and will absolutely have to have it in their library. And personally, as a Jennifer Lopez fan, I hope it sells millions. But as far as the commentary track is concerned, considered yourselves warned.


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 July 20, 2001