0
0
Weddings are supposed to be joyful celebrations—but, quite often, they’re also magnets for family drama and dysfunction. And in The Wilde Wedding, the marriage of a beloved actress and a well-known writer brings even more than the usual amount of wedding weekend misadventures.
The Wilde Wedding gathers with retired movie star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) and her dysfunctional family as they prepare for Eve’s fifth marriage—this time to “serious novelist” Harold (Patrick Stewart). Everyone is there: Eve’s three sons and their children, a few friends, some cousins, an ex or two, and even Eve’s first husband, Laurence (John Malkovich). Clearly, the family isn’t exactly known for their success with relationships—and as Eve’s sons try to arrange a last-minute prenup, the weekend unfolds into a mess of heartbreaks, hookups, and family drama.
Even for normal, happy families with good relationships, wedding weekends can get pretty crazy—with so many loved ones brought together to work out the details of rehearsals and ceremonies and receptions for hundreds of friends and family members. Throw in movie stars, rock stars, and exes who aren’t always amicable, and you’ve got a film filled with outbursts, ego, and tension.
Unfortunately, though, there’s nothing especially surprising about the story—and most viewers will be able to predict the outcome within minutes. Not all of the elements work well, either. The film is set up as a documentary filmed by Eve’s granddaughter Mackenzie (Grace Van Patten), complete with the occasional interviews about true love. But there are times when it’s clearly not a documentary—especially when characters are talking privately about the young filmmaker. And the subplot involving Mackenzie’s complicated feelings for her cousin is strange and completely unnecessary.
In the midst of the wedding antics and relationship drama and awkward storytelling, then, it’s the cast that makes the film. Malkovich is perfectly lovable as the entirely egotistical (but still totally devoted) ex-husband—though Patrick Stewart’s wig often steals the spotlight—and it’s clear that the cast members had fun with the project. But while it’s fun to watch the cast of veteran actors playing off each other, it doesn’t necessarily make the film stand out in the rom-com crowd.
If you’re in the mood for a light comedy with a likable cast, The Wilde Wedding is good for some brainless entertainment. Just don’t expect the quality of the film to live up to the quality of its all-star cast.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
