The Wedding Planner (2001) User Reviews (256)

Not Enough Redeeming Qualities

[DanB-4 · 5/10 · 15 July 2001]

Let's make a list of the major flaws in this movie.

1. Jennifer Lopez is one of, if not, the most famous Latina entertainers in the world. Why make her Italian?

2. Justin Chambers is horrible as the love forlorn Italian immigrant. His accent is so bad is ruins his otherwise likable character.

3. Lopez and Matthew McConaughey generate no chemistry. I just did not care what happened to them. I hoped that Lopez would go for the other guy.

4. This movie is an excuse to promote Lopez songs.

Movies in which a bright and intelligent woman falls for a spineless letch are starting to wear on me. I just could not believe that a character as strong a Lopez's would fall for such a weiner.

That said, Brigette Wilson and Alex Rocco are great, and there are some fun moments in this film. But please - did the makers of this film watch the scene where Lopez takes a bottle of "solvent" out of her purse to remove a stone penis that his glued to McConaugehy's hand? Good thing she had that solvent! ** out of ****.

It's cute BUT....

[triple8 · 6/10 · 29 January 2004]

This is a JLO romantic comedy. Make no mistake this movie defines the term "by the numbers". It is predictable to a tee, has the typical "formula" plot and sticks to it rigorously. BUT then again-if your looking for a piece of predictable fluff.... you could do worse.

This maybe predictable but it IS at times mildly entertaining. At lease this is watchable and kind of cute-Although you never believe for a moment that Jennifer Lopez character is anyone other then JLO at least the movie doesn't drag as with a lot of movies of this "formula genre" as I like to call them. It's an entertaining(mildly) way to pass an hour or two-I'd give this 6 out of 10.

This movie is bad, but it is not THAT bad. Quite mediocre.

[mospel · 4/10 · 9 March 2003]

When I got to watch this movie I thought it would really suck, but I got disappointed. This movie is by no means great, actually I think it is quite bad, BUT it has it´s qualities. The story - while not very subtle - has a few interesting points. The acting is not great, but it is not that bad, either.

There is even a scene which I consider quite funny (the dancing thing, I do not want to include a spoiler on a movie that does not provide that much of a tension, so I am keeping this statement vague). I would not recommend to watch this, but if by some means you are being pushed to watch it, it will not mean that much pain.

Everything a romance movie should be

[CmHowell99 · 20 January 2003]

Frankly I'm mad at all of those who have bashed this movie with bad reviews. The Wedding Planner to me is everything a romance movie should be. It starts with Mary as a child playing with her Barbies and then at her wedding she complains that she's fat and the receptionist tells her that she's beautiful. But the wedding gets stopped. But Mary then gets a visit from an old friend a kid who ate mud in the summer. Then Mary gets hit but gets saved by a doctor and she tells the doctor he smells like sweet plums and grilled cheese sandwiches. And then at the hospital Steve the doctor tells Mary she has a big neck. They then go to a movie and go dancing. But at a party Mary finds out that Steve's in love with the receptionist. But she stays. In the end Mary discovers her father wanted her to marry the other guy so she dumps him and goes to Steve and they live happily ever after.

Brutal and excruciating

[GMeanie · 1/10 · 7 August 2001]

The only thing more baffling than how movies this bad could ever be made is how movies this bad could go to #1 in the box office. I despair for humanity at times. The Wedding Planner features a rehashed and unoriginal plot, poor acting, no funny moments, and a ridiculous scene where Jennifer Lopez is prepared to risk getting flattened by a runaway dumpster in order to pull her shoe out of a hole in the street. riiiiiight!

A flawed, mildly formulaic but likable and charming romantic comedy that will probably keep you smiling

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 3 July 2001]

True, "The Wedding Planner" does have its share of cinematic conceits. Just watching the previews, you pretty much have a good idea what's going to happen in the end. But unlike many romantic comedies, this is not predictable by the minute. The characters are likable and charming, and you get quite engrossed in them. The actors are charming as well. Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McCoughnahey are equally good and have a fine chemistry. The scenes, in general, are handled in a sweet-natured fashion without becoming nauseatingly sentimental. The opening scene is very original and made me laugh. In the first scene, we get an idea of how Mary (Lopez) plans her weddings, staging them like a secret service operation, strapping wires to the bride and groom, feeding them suggestions as they walk down the aisle and making sure all the guests are in order pronto. There are certain moments of "sitcom stupidity." There's a scene where Steve (McCoughnahey) gets his hand stuck to a statue's privates. The comedy was badly timed and the scene appeared quite lame. A similar joke was used in Rodney Dangerfield's "Meet Wally Sparks," but was done in a much more structured manner and spawned hilarious results. About the member of the cast who I felt was a little hammy was Alex Rocco as Mary's Sicilian father. His accent comes and goes, and in some scenes he struggles so much with it that he starts talking like someone with down syndrome. Fred Willard has a short but funny, scene-stealing role (when hasn't Willard stolen the show?) as a ballroom dance teacher. There are some moments in the plot that are forced and created simply to move the film along, so we can quickly arrive at the "juicy climax." One of the subplots involves Mary's father trying to fix his daughter up with this silly, thick-accented Sicilian cassanova. He wants her to get married to him, but she refuses. Throughout the film, they don't seem to have any more than a friendly bond. Yet later in the film, he makes a sweet proposal and Mary actually agrees to marry him. The ending is far-fetched and over-the-top, and though I can't discuss it you've probably seen this ending before. One thing I have to credit the writers for is refusing to make Fran (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras--Man, is she sooooo beautiful!!!) a total b**ch, like they would in most films of a similiar plot. The way the formula goes is the guy's engaged this girl, while another girl captures his heart. But the girl he's engaged to is usually so unlikable that you wonder why he wanted to marry her in the first place. I'm glad they didn't take that cheap route. Even Fran has a certain charm to her character. The charming characters and the charming actors are really what makes this movie worth seeing. Yes, it's pretty much (though less than usual) a formula romantic comedy, but a likable one because of the way we're captured by the people on screen. This is not a great film, it has its dull moments, it has its silly moments, but it's often a fun and pleasant movie experience. You'll fall in love with "The Wedding Planner."

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Cant give it negative

[reinx · 1/10 · 11 December 2002]

Seriously, this movie gets about a negative 20. Jennifer Lopez has always been a mystery to me, why does she do acting? She's obviously awful at it. The characters are pretty flat, the story is painfully predictable and upsettingly trite.

Only of your girlfriend really wants to see it.

[chrisbrown6453 · 7/10 · 12 July 2001]

The Wedding Planner tells an identifiable story about falling in love and failing to recognize it.

The Wedding Planner stars Jennifer Lopez as Mary Fiore, a hardworking, beautiful, single woman of Italian descent, who has made a reputable career as a wedding planner. Fully dedicated to her work, Mary successfully coordinates all the details of her wealthy clients' weddings. She even acts as a kind of therapist, transmitting to the brides and grooms-to-be the optimism that relieves them of their "second-thoughts", and that allows them to fulfill their true dreams of marrying. Yet one day, a literal "faux pas" turns Mary's orderly life upside-down: she walks across a street and gets her shoe stuck in a manhole. Just then, a dumpster menacingly rolls down the steep San Francisco street, towards her. Noticing that the dumpster is rapidly gaining speed, a young man rushes to help Mary out of her dilemma. The two are instantly enveloped by the rush of the moment, falling victims to love at first sight. Soon, however, fate shows its cruel side, proving that the handsome Steve Edison (Mathew McConaughey) is tied to Fran Donelly (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras), one of Mary's most promising clients. In the meantime Salvatore (Alex Rocco), Mary's concerned father, tries to inspire her to consider her childhood inamorato Massimo (Justin Chambers), who just arrived from Italy. Torn between acting sensibly and fulfilling her long suppressed dreams of marrying, Mary must first determine which love is the one destined for her.

The Wedding Planner exploits the physical beauty of its star (Lopez) and emphasizes her character's style and professionalism at work, while defining her personality as that of a free-spirited, down-to-earth person who enjoys dancing and playing Bingo with her father and his elderly friends. Similarly, her costar (McConaughey) is depicted as a good-looking, sensitive man who enjoys his work as a pediatrician. However, the film's secondary characters, especially Mary's family, friends and coworkers, are sketchy and mostly inconsequential. Thus, The Wedding Planner creates a story that solely revolves around the coupling of its two main characters; a choice which makes The Wedding Planner's plot extremely predictable, although at times amusing. While the plot complications are limited to the unavailability of either of the two main characters (where Steve is unable to abandon his prior commitments and Mary is ready to take up new ones), The Wedding Planner is most enjoyable when it creates romantic settings for its lovesick characters.

goes beyond my worst expectation.

[jiraf · 1/10 · 1 October 2001]

The whole plot seems forced, and things that are not funny are just crammed into this movie by the truckload. Jennifer lopez was rushing her lipstick application when she heard Matthew McConaughey's voice coming. How is that supposed to be funny ? Yet the director seems to think it's funny.

There are many things that seems irrelevant, and stupid.

I definitely recommend to AVOID this movie at all cost.

"The Wedding Planner" is lacking in comedy but has tangible romance

[napierslogs · 7/10 · 22 August 2010]

"The Wedding Planner" is just another romantic comedy, and just another one starring Jennifer Lopez, and just another one starring Matthew McConaughey. As I have said before, Jennifer Lopez has such a beautiful feminine figure that I would prefer to see her as the romantic lead as opposed to most other Hollywood actresses working today. McConaughey is of course sexy with a laid-back charm, but that's just who he is.

This particular romantic comedy isn't all that funny, but the writers did seem to know which elements were necessary and included them. We find out McConaughey's secret the same time Lopez does, which is good because it helps us identify with our main heroine and we don't have to sit uncomfortably before the characters do. They also gave us another man - he's supposed to provide comic relief, and I did at least enjoy him. We also need to dislike the fiancée. Cast Bridgette Wilson and make her a stuck-up snob, so that is easily accomplished.

One thing that I found that "The Wedding Planner" has over lesser romantic comedies, is genuine chemistry between the leads. Although it's certainly lacking in the comedy, I found the romance tangible.

What is everyone complaining about?

[TylerDurden_FC · 8/10 · 21 July 2005]

I've owned this movie for a while, and only needed to see it once before deciding to run to the store to buy it. As a matter of fact, I'm watching it right now, but I got on here and looked it up because I wanted to see what other movies the writer had written (unfortunately---it's the only one.) After looking at the ratings and comments I had to voice my own opinion.

"The Wedding Planner" has everything you could ask from a romantic comedy. Predictability is always a factor, but come on! Do we really watch these types of movies expecting to be surprised at the ending? This film is quirky; all the actors and actresses don't miss a beat and they keep it real. No matter how many times I watch it, I still find something to laugh or smile at.

I haven't yet met a MAN that likes this movie, but if you're a girl that wants something sweet, funny, entertaining, and the "romantic dream"..... in other words: a flick you watch with a pint of ice cream ( =P ) then this is the one for you.

The directing is great, the dialog is entertaining, the acting is enjoyable, the movie over-all is fantastic. It's just sweet...even my mom likes it! O_O

Honestly, stop judging the movie like you're some kind of almighty critic, and watch it for what it is. If you don't like the genre, then pick something else to watch ^_^ Me? I'll stick with "The Wedding Planner".

Easy on the eyes

[gastonm · 7/10 · 1 March 2001]

Jennifer Lopez (who knew she could act?) plays the consummate professional wedding planner -- she's the best in the business and arranges all the most elegant affairs, but she herself hasn't had a date in six years. She gets into a situation and her life is saved by Matthew McConaughey (he played Jodie Foster's fling, in "Contact"), and they end up on the verge of falling in love, when they both discover she's the wedding planner for his upcoming wedding to somebody else. Light-hearted and well-done, it's a familiar story with a few twists of its own, and keeps you interested throughout. Basically a nice, fun story that's done well.

Breaking up a marriage is ok

[wesperkins · 2/10 · 2 August 2020]

I know romantic comedies are one of the least realistic films made, but come on. This one is bad. The dumpster scene.. she somehow gets her shoe stuck, sees a dumpster which for some reason has it's wheels unlocked even though it was at the top of a hill. She sees the dumpster rolling at her, but yet still stays long enough to get killed, over a shoe that the dumpster may harmlessly roll over. Then she sees her savior and passes out..who faints for that long over being pushed away? Then the rest of the movie ensues ..she is Italian? Her family doesn't act very Italian to me. Why do these movies expect us to believe there are beautiful awesome women who can't find a guy? These women have no problem getting dates. They are single only for short periods at most. The characters are just stereotypes of people. I like a good romantic comedy but you need some realism. Out of millions of people the only wedding planner they can get was her. What are the odds? People need to act like real people and not stereotypes. There are other things that are seemingly implausible. The last message of the film is breaking up a marriage is ok as long as you really love each other. Nice message. Imagine this told from the bride's view. Much different film.

Does Jennifer Lopez ever do wrong?

[funkadel · 23 November 2002]

I know of a lot of people who don't really like her movies but I am one of those people that do. Every movie I have seen with her in it has been great! This one was no exception. I highly recommend it but only if you like the "corny" (as some say) romantic comedies. If you love movies like Runaway Bride, you'll love this one, I promise.

So what will it be Jennifer? Singing or acting?

[Aussie Stud · 1/10 · 22 January 2002]

Jennifer Lopez has gotten herself into quite a quandry of sorts here. Only as of recently has her musical career exploded internationally, her focus on acting seems to be diverted elsewhere as her last few movies have been quite awful (ie. "ANGEL EYES", "U-TURN"). Before her musical career took off, her movie roles were quite commendable (ie. "OUT OF SIGHT", "SELENA"). For Jennifer, it is unfortunate that I feel she should have to choose between one career or the other because I don't think she can handle both. She is a great singer and she can be a great actress but it is apparent that she can't manage both at the same time. This mess of a movie is supposed to showcase her 'comedic' talents yet displays the worst side of her one-dimensional acting abilities.

The trailers for this movie depicted "THE WEDDING PLANNER" to be a few hours of enjoyable romantic light fluff that anyone could enjoy on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, I turned this movie off half way through after my nerves finally gave in.

Yes, Jennifer Lopez portrays a successful wedding planner who is successful in her career but apparently unlucky in love. That is of course until she has a 'run-in' with her knight in shining armor (dryly portrayed by Matthew McConaughey in a 'phone-in' role). The only problem here is that Matthew is getting married to one of her new clients and she may very well be doomed to a loveless life married to some loser from high school who used to pick on her. It's a no-brainer in figuring out how this movie will end.

Yes, movies like "SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE", "WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING" and "FRENCH KISS" were enjoyable romantic comedies. We all knew how they were going to end yet we enjoyed the two hour journey that we had to take in order to see the grand finale. Unfortunately for "THE WEDDING PLANNER", the two hours are a rocky mess that tries to pair two unlikely characters with no chemistry whatsoever backed by a sound-track filled with Jennifer's own songs. The only thing I really enjoyed watching was the San Francisco scenery (how can one not love that city?)

Usually when the grand finale in these romantic films happen, you generally leave the theater feeling warm and fuzzy inside or at least basically satisfied for the plot outcome of the characters. When "THE WEDDING PLANNER" finished, I could only think "Good, I'm glad this garbage is over."

For a generic romantic comedy, "THE WEDDING PLANNER" fails to deliver. It could have worked had the characters shared at least a little bit of chemistry, but I didn't even pick up that vibe from what I saw. The credits close with Jennifer's hit song, "My Love Don't Cost A Thing" and that generally tops off the point I raised at the beginning of my review - Jennifer needs to choose between singing or acting because her film career is beginning to suffer as a result.

My Rating - 2 out of 10

underrated

[Kieran_Oneill · 7/10 · 13 September 2020]

I thought the acting was well done the entire movie except for Massimo which I thought was a little racy but other than that good, I like the ending a lot, other than it being a little Hollywood, not much to say it's a good uplifting movie

Good starts but then Massimo

[SnoopyStyle · 3/10 · 2 November 2013]

Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) is an ace wedding planner but horrible at love. Penny (Judy Greer) is her funny assistant-best friend combo. Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey) is the knight in shining armor literally saving her life time after time. Fran Donolly (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras) is his fiancée. All the parts are set up for an enjoyable functional rom-com. They only need to find a better match for Fran and the movie basically writes itself.

Only problem we're introduced to Massimo (Justin Chambers). I'm willing to let go of the horrible acting from the miscast Chambers. It's an annoying Italian stereotype that the super white bread Chambers can't pull off. But why she wouldn't tell the truth right away is beyond me. What's the plan? More importantly why the plan? If she's trying to make Edison jealous, Massimo would be the last man to do it. It makes no sense. It's such a simple movie, and they screw it up so badly.

Wedding Planner-Plan for Whirlwind Romance Here ***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 25 November 2006]

Entertaining comedy where Jennifer Lopez plans the weddings of others while she can't get a solid foothold on her own life.

In a near serious accident, she meets Matthew McConnaughey, a doctor, who it turns out is the fiancée of the woman who has just hired her to make her wedding.

The film is devoted to them falling in love as well as relationships with others.

We are nearly fooled by how this film will end but in the end-justice prevails.

Matthew and Jennifer have an awesome screen chemistry between them. They are joined by Alex Rocco, who comically portrays Lopez's widowed father. He wants the best for her and is encouraging her to marry a fellow she met as a youngster during a summer visit to Italy.

A whimsical tale at best. It's worthwhile catching.

A wedding planner with no relationship of her own is doubtful about love's existence, until she meets Steve.

[rebekahscheys · 4/10 · 29 January 2013]

Jennifer Lopez is right at home playing the strong, intelligent professional, Mary, and despite her inability to properly tell a joke ("What, you think Kissinger wrote his own stuff?) or properly communicate strong emotion (like despair), she does well in the cutesy moments. Matthew McConaughey is charming as the conflicted Steve, and expertly plays both his character's dry, cynical side and his boyish joyfulness. The two play against one another well, unlike the boring Fran, whose idea of the perfect wedding song is Olivia Newton-John's "I Honestly Love You," and who can't seem to find one legitimate reason why she wants to marry Steve in the first place.

As there are no other true funny characters, Massimo is perhaps intended to provide the film's comic relief, but his "humor" flows less from witty screen writing and masterful delivery and more from the director's mistaken assumption that every line a character delivers in broken English must be funny. Overall, "The Wedding Planner" does a good job of fulfilling audience expectations and creating characters that, while likable, are simply rom-com archetypes. The true romantic, unsatisfied with paltry declarations of love and empty representations of it, hopes for a bit more.

Read my full review here: thecorrelationfilmblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/my-best-friends- weddingthe-wedding-planner/

Her best friends wedding...

[stefanhoeffllin · 7/10 · 11 June 2001]

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) is a wedding planner and single. Her own wedding failed. One day Steve Edison, a doctor (Matthew Mc Conaughey) saves her live in an accident. She falls in love with him. Unfortunately, she´s his new client...

"While you were sleeping", "Sleepless in Seattle", "Pretty woman" - examples for well done romantic comedies. But in the latest time there have been lots of bad ones. When I say "bad", I mean films like "Runaway bride" - which had such a wooden and constructed script that even Julia Roberts and Richard Gere couldn´t save it. "The wedding planner" belongs to the good ones. Why? Let me explain the three basic rules of romantic comedies:

No. 1 Those people who read my comments, may have noticed that I often talk about that: the actors should have C-H-E-M-I-S-T-R-Y. A romantic comedy stands and falls with the chemistry. Especially the wonderful scenes in the park proof it! Magic!!!

No. 2 The happy ending is a clear thing (an exception: "Green card"). HOW the two find each other should be exciting, and it should be told in a not too complicated kind - S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T!

No. 3 Sounds banal, but the humor should have T-I-M-I-N-G like in any other comedy, too.

In my opinion "The wedding planner" has all these three things! Matthew and Jennifer are a such a damned cute couple! The both saved my rainy Sunday afternoon. I left the theater walking on clouds! Believe me folks, this film works!!!

One word: sweet!

So Stupid!

[lkarhu · 1/10 · 10 December 2002]

I really do love romantic comedies, but this one was so stupid, so simple, so naive, that it made me feel sick. The chemistry between the main couple - or any of the couples - was so superficial! An other same kind of movie, My Best Friend's Wedding (Julia Roberts film), is not my favourite either, but it has at least some sense and moral. Comparing to this -- piece of junk.

Great chemistry between McConaughey and Lopez.

[melissa.ricks · 8/10 · 22 March 2001]

A guilty pleasure. Yes, it is a chick-flick but it is a real pleasure. McConaughey is as sexy as I've ever seen him and Lopez is really funny, handling the bumbling pratfall humor very well.

This is a cute story. But what really makes a good romantic comedy in my eyes is the chemistry between the lead actors and these two have it in spades! I'd like to see them together again. Better chemistry than Roberts and Gere or Roberts and Pitt.

A cute predictable romantic comedy

[lisafordeay · 7/10 · 19 October 2010]

OK so I saw this a few years ago on TV and it was on last night so I decided to watch it because I liked Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan and I am a hopeless romantic.

The Wedding Planner is about a young woman named Mary Flores(played by Jennifer Lopez ot J-Lo for short) who is an ambitious and hardworking wedding planner who tries to create the perfect weddings for her clients. One day she accidentally gets her high heel shoe stuck in a manhole and a taxi man drops his ice cream in the car and hits a bin that nearly kills Mary. Suddenly a handsome doctor named Steve(Eddie)Edison (played by Matthew McConnaghey) comes to sweep her off her feet and to her rescue. She later becomes smitten with him,but she gets a shock when she finds out that he is engaged to be married to another woman who happens to be Mary's clients Francine (played by Bridget Sampros) (Oh No).

Anyway while his fiancé goes off for a week Mary spends some more time with Steve and she begins to fall in love with him. Mary of course is supposed to be engaged to Marcello(Justin Chambers who was in Grey's Anatomy as Alex who is sporting a fake Italian accent that is so bad you couldn't help but laugh). Of course you know that she ends up with Steve in the end which is so cute yet kinda wrong as she stole someone else's fiancée who was so stupid she decides to not marry him after and goes off on their honeymoon on her own.

I think Hollywood is running out of ideas when it comes to making Romcoms as they are loosely based on the same thing again and again.

Having said the above I thought it was a cute Rom- Com that will have you either loving it or hating it. Matthew McConnaghey was hot in this and J-Lo was a bit wooden in some parts but still she's just acting like the same character again and again.

Nothing new here but still worth watching on a lazy afternoon.

7/10

The trailer is all you need to see (if you really have to).

[david020 · 1/10 · 14 March 2001]

Adam Shankman's second try to direct a movie has resulted in a total disaster. It is an uninspired creation, featuring an uninspired cast. Watching this movie is like watching a stampede of wildebeasts coming your way. You know what is going to happen, and the only solution is to run. The story is one big cliché, with not even one attempt to make it fresh. Lopez and McConaughey seem to have been cast for their looks only (Which doesn't surprise me at all for Lopez, as I have never been convinced of her acting qualities). They have no chemistry and do not even seem to be interested in the characters they are playing, making the whole a very boring affair to look at. This is not a movie but a commercial product, a blatant attempt to squeeze some more money out of the public. And, with an opening week of $13,5 million, apparently some people will just watch anything that moves and has a pretty face.

David.