A Brief Summary 

My Best Friend’s Wedding is about two childhood friends, Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) and Michael O’Neil (Dermot Mulroney), who made a deal to marry each other if they were still single by the age of 28. Well, just four days before Julianne’s 28th birthday, Michael announces that he’s engaged and getting married to a gorgeous 20-year old woman named Kimberly (Cameron Diaz). After this surprise, Julianne suddenly realizes she is in love with Michael. She vows to win Michael over and stop the wedding at all costs. When she is appointed maid of honor, however, things get a little sticky.

The Casting

Julia Roberts had a say in the casting and was actually responsible for the casting of her on-screen rival, Cameron Diaz. Additionally, she hand picked Dermot Mulroney to star as her best friend and the object of her affections. Because Roberts chose Diaz for the role of Kimberly, another famous rom-com actress missed out on the role: Drew Barrymore. Barrymore did read for the part of Kimberly before it was ultimately passed on to Diaz, her future Charlie’s Angels co-star. 

However, considering how much of a role she played in the casting, it came as a surprise to me that Roberts came very close to missing out on the role of Julianne. Originally, the part was to be given to Sarah Jessica Parker. She had to decline the part because of her commitments to the making of Sex and the City.

My Thoughts

I like this movie. It didn’t stick out to me as anything great at times, but I still thoroughly enjoyed watching it. The casting is one of my favorite things about it, with excellent performances from both Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz. They both suited their roles. Another character who should receive more recognition, though, is George Downes played by Rupert Everett. Swooping in to replace the role of Julianne’s best friend, he is arguably my favorite character in the movie! He’s a charming, reliable, and funny addition to the cast, and in my opinion, has some of the best lines of the whole film.

In terms of plot, this movie follows a classic case of you don’t want something until someone else does. Then you MUST have it. This leads to some pretty funny scenes of jealousy and misunderstanding. One of my favorite scenes is when Kimberly sings an incredibly off-pitch version of “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” at karaoke night. This scene left me impressed with Kimmy’s character, whom I had previously only considered to be ditsy. Even though she knew she wasn’t a good singer, she was willing to put herself out there and try.

What sets this romantic comedy apart from others is that it adds a lot of laughs to a big moral dilemma. Because of this, I can definitely understand that it might not be everybody’s cup of tea. I personally like that Roberts’ character can be viewed as either the villain or the lovable, misunderstood protagonist. As long as you don’t mind a bit of drama and some potential feelings of frustration throughout, then I would recommend you watch this movie.

I can think of no better way to start out this blog than by posting about this film. Released in 1999, “10 Things I Hate About You” has to be one of my favorite rom coms of all time. Now available on Disney+, this film continues to be refreshing and fun no matter how many times I rewatch it. 

A Brief Summary

Starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, “10 Things I Hate About You” loosely takes the classic Shakespearean tale “Taming of the Shrew” and places it into a modern-day high school. To put it simply, Kat Straford (Julia Stiles), a smart but abrasive and rebellious high school student, has never had any interest in dating. Her popular younger sister Bianca Straford (Larisa Oleynick), however, is not allowed to go on a date until Kat does. In an attempt to win Bianca, new student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) desperately tries to set Kat up with charming bad-boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), another rebel who just might be able to win Kat’s heart.

The Film’s Origins

One interesting thing about this film is the story behind its creation and its connection to other famous romantic comedies. Screenwriters Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah were inspired by the success of “Clueless” a few years prior and consequently came up with the idea for the film. You see, “Clueless” was based off of Jane Austen’s “Emma.” Smith and McCullah loved this concept and thought they would also give contemporizing a classic a try. After the success of “10 Things I Hate About You”, this writing duo went on to create many more notable romantic comedies, including “Legally Blonde,” “Ella Enchanted,” and “She’s The Man.”

The Classic Serenade Scene

The scene in which Ledger’s character Patrick tries to win over Kat with a musical number has to be one of the most iconic moments in the film, unmatched in my mind as a cinematic grand romantic gesture. He gives a daring performance of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli in the school’s stadium — and to make it better, Ledger rejected lip-syncing and sang the song himself!

In 2019, it was revealed that this scene’s song was originally set to be The Partridge Family’s “I Think I Love You” or Divinyl’s “I Touch Myself.” It was Ledger himself who decided to sing Valli’s song on the day of the shoot. Not only did Ledger choose the song, he even took part in the scene’s costume design. The outfit itself was quite nondescript, but I believe it was very fitting for the moment.

My Thoughts

This film is funny, moving, and clever. It manages to stand out in a genre that is often brushed aside as substance-less through its use of well thought out social commentary. The characters have great chemistry and each cast member shows off a great acting performance. If you have not seen it yet, you are missing out! I would most definitely recommend “10 Things I Hate About You” to anyone and everyone who would enjoy a spirited, witty movie with a sweet ending.