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.