FTF: Five Favorite Films about Weddings

Happy Friday! It’s been yonks since I fired up this bad boy. Five things Friday started way back (I think probably 2013), and I’ve done a few here and there. I’d like to do some more in the future – I love lists so much, and let’s face it, they are so easy to put together! Today’s feature is about the age old institutional – tying the knot. There are so many movies focusing on weddings that it should probably be an entire genre on its’ own. There are so many! I’ve seen a ton, but I’ve never hidden the fact that I am able to enjoy the most gory and the most fluffy films equally as much:)

Let me know about your favorite in the comments section!

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5: Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement

Number 5 on this list was hotly contested, let me tell you. I ended up choosing The Royal Engagement because I’m such a huge fan of the Princess Diaries. It deviated quite badly from the books, but it managed to be pretty good. Anne Hathaway, Chris Pine and Julie Andrews are a power team in TRE, and the message is a bit lame but also strong – don’t marry for the wrong reasons (something that wasn’t already obvious), and what might seem as the best choice for you probably isn’t what you really want.

Wedding Crashers

4: Wedding Crashers

Can this film make the list? It isn’t about weddings in the way the other films here are about weddings, but it definitely deals with them. This movie is the top point of silly and has some hilarious moments. It is one of the few films where combining Vince Vaughn and Isla Fischer works, and I wouldn’t have thought it possible to combine two such horribly annoying people and get a proper result. The film also stars Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Christopher Walken, and those three alone can probably carry any film without too much effort.

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3: 27 Dresses (2008)

I actually smashed this movie in the review here. I do enjoy it though, and am frequently worried that I first have to be a bridesmaid 27 times before I get to put on a white dress. Anway, remember that Tinder post I put up? Still getting feedback from it which is great! Back to why I chose this as a favourite – it is about a girl that loves weddings and finds that her partner isn’t what she always expected her spouse to end up as.

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2: Runaway Bride (1999)

EEK! I love this movie. The only movie about weddings that could possibly be even more favoured than Runaway Bride is the one listed below. Julia Roberts has always been my girl crush. She’s so beautiful and smiley and talented. I loved Maggie Carpenter’s spirit and love for family and independence. Her matching with Richard Gere always results in chemistry and us wondering why they never made babies together. This film is all about identity and finding yourself before you end up with a partner – quite ahead of its’ time!

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1: The Princess Bride (1987)

❤ Is there more to say? This film is everything – Buttercup and Westley and their escape and love story ❤

Honorable mentions:

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Mamma Mia (2008)

When asked whether Pierce Brosnan can sing I would immediately think that he’s placed shortly under Rebecca Black for artistic capabilities. However, that didn’t stop him or Colin Firth going at it. This movie is definitely not for everyone. It is firstly a musical. Some of Abba’s most iconic songs get somewhat butchered (okay, a lot), and I’m sure I saw this listed as one of the films that make most heterosexual males feel suicidal. However, if you are game for watching Meryl Streep clearly having the time of her life, pondering why exactly Pierce Brosnan has such piercing blue eyes (he) and just want to watch people dancing and singing about love, this film is definitely something you can watch.

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The Five-Year engagement (2012)

I do remember this – it is Emily Blunt and Jason Segel and they are engaged for ages and end up wondering if it is worth it. I actually think long engagements are silly – its’ that thing if the guy is committed you don’t need to worry and I assure you, most modern relationships have enough things going on without having to make it seem more official. This movie didn’t suck at all, and although I can barely remember it, I think I enjoyed it at the time.

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Bride Wars (2013)

Despite this film rather pissing me off every time I watch it, I always end up watching it quite often. It is the most stereotypical of the lot, and perpetuates the notion that women turn into Godzillas the moment they get engaged. Just as a fact: the majority of brides I’ve worked with have been friendly and accommodating and calm, so it is once again a case where a few psychos make the entire bunch seem awful. It is also quite below Anne Hathaway to be degraded into the boring girl role – she’s immensely talented and deserves more. But like I said, I end up watching at least once a year for some strange reason, so I obviously don’t hate it that much.

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Made of Honour (2008)

I‘d like to watch this again sometime, but I do remember Patrick Dempsey and surprisingly Michelle Monaghan – why did I think it was Selma Blair?? I see this film holds a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but we all know the raters on there are really just haters. Made of Honor is so not Oscar material, but it was fun at the time!

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The Big Wedding (2013)

This cast is impressive AF – De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams are joined by a younger cast composed of Amanda Seyfried and Topher Grace. Okay, Katherine Heigl too, and I suspect that reviewers rate her badly on purpose. This movie is not that bad, but it can be seen as a bit boring though.

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Father of the Bride (1991)

LOVEEEE. Need to watch again to properly remember and review.

Dishonorable mentions:

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Monster-in-law (2005)

One of J-Lo’s better attempts at comedy, though without a doubt still rather low on the list of funny things.

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The Wedding Planner (2001)

Read my review here. It is such a stupid film man. I see JLo is quite frequent on this part of the list.

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Bridesmaids (2011)

Hmmm. Everyone LOVES this, though I don’t. I need to watch again to make sure this hate is accurate. It is a vulgar film and humour at its worst – just eugh.

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Sex and the City – the Movie (2008)

I never saw the show and can tell you jack shit about it. It was before my generation, and the one episode I tested out never caught. I did see the movie though, and it raises a few eyebrows in my head – this couple clearly never heard anything the other said.

Movies I haven’t seen yet:

Big Fat Greek Wedding

The Corpse’s Bride

My Best Friend’s wedding

The Wedding Singer

Well, there you have it. This post turned out way bigger than I thought, and I hoped you had as much fun as I did! Let me know what you thought in the comments below 🙂

Review: Princess Diaries (2001)

Princess Diaries

Mia Thermopolis’ (Anne Hathaway) main ambition in life is to be invisible. The 15 year old lives with her mother Helen and their cat Fat Louie in a renovated firehouse in San Francisco. She is very unpopular at her private school, with only two friends: her best friend Lily Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo) and her brother Michael (Robert Schwartzman).

A few weeks before Mia turns 16, she is invited to meet her paternal grandmother for the first time in her life. When she arrives at the Genovian consulate, she gets the shock of her life: her grandmother is in fact Queen Clarisse Renaldi, Queen of Genovia. Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews) explains that Mia is now the only heir to the Genovian throne. Mia refuses to acknowledge her position and runs away from the consulate to go fight with her mother for withholding life changing information. When Clarisse visits her at her house, it is explained to her that without her acceptance to her title, Genovia will have no future ruler. The three ladies come to an agreement that Mia will take Princess Lessons, and can decide her fate on the Genovian Independence Day ball. The queen appoints her head of security, Joe (Hecto Elizando) as Mia’s personal bodyguard.

Mia’s lessons start and she meets her grandmother each day after school. She has to frequently cancel her plans with her best friend, which leads to explosions from Lilly. She finally shares the news with her after an Italian hairdresser, Paulo transforms her image and Lilly accuses her of “trying to fit in”. Lilly is obviously ecstatic, but things start going off again when Paulo leaks the information of a Princess schoolgirl to the press.

School becomes crazy for Mia, and she hides on the rooftop with Joe. But finally there seems to be some good things happening to her. Josh Bryant, a popular boy band lookalike, finally notices her, and asks her to the school beach party. There he kisses her as a publicity stunt, and Mia is further humiliated by school bully Lana Thomas (Mandy Moore) and her cronies. The Queen is furious after Mia appears in a newspaper in compromising photos. Joe points out to the Queen how unfair she was as the situation was out of control. Clarisse apologises to Mia, and their bond is stronger than before. Mia gets her revenge on Lana by messing ice cream on her cheerleader outfit at school, and the teachers are amused that Lana finally got some medicine of her own.

Mia realises that she must choose her destiny (rather difficult for a 15 year old) and plans to run away. She opens the diary her father left her for her 16th birthday, and misses the letter that falls out. Just as she wants to run away, she notices the letter Fat Louie is sitting on. Reading it, she realises she needs to become a princess. On her way to the consulate her car breaks down (in the rain) and it seems all hope is lost. Joe, who realised her intentions, saves her and takes her to the consulate to accept her position. Mia ends up with her friend Michael, who had a crush on her all along.

The story ends with Mia in an aeroplane, arriving in Genovia to take over her duties.

Rating: 7/10

This movie is a serious contender to be a favourite film of all time to me. It really is a very sweet and fun film. This movie was Anne Hathaway’s first movie, and it is obvious there that she was meant to become a star. She portrays the awkward Mia perfectly. I love the movie because it really is about a young girl making difficult decisions and about the importance of being who you are.