George Boyle
The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American romantic comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, but was a box office success, grossing over $79 million worldwide against a $23 million budget. The film is about a man who provides best man services for men who don't have enough friends for their wedding. The film's plot revolves around Doug Harris, a successful tax attorney, and his fiancée Gretchen Palmer, who find themselves in need of a best man and groomsmen for their upcoming wedding. Doug contacts Jimmy Callahan's company, The Best Man Inc., and hires him and his team of fake groomsmen to fill the role. The film explores the challenges of finding friends and the importance of honesty and true friendship. Interestingly, the movie has inspired real-life wedding ringers, with individuals providing professional bridesmaid and best man services for those in need.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Movie | The Wedding Ringer |
| Year | 2015 |
| Genre | Romantic comedy |
| Director | Jeremy Garelick |
| Writers | Jeremy Garelick, Jay Lavender, and Jamie Linden |
| Stars | Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting |
| Plot | A best man and groomsmen are hired for a wedding through a company called The Best Man Inc. |
| Real-life comparison | The movie is based on the real-life experiences of professional bridesmaids and the services they provide. |
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What You'll Learn
The movie's premise
The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick. The film stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film was a box office success, grossing over $79 million worldwide against a $23 million budget.
The film centres on the story of Doug Harris, a successful tax attorney, and his fiancée Gretchen Palmer, who are planning their wedding. Doug has a problem: he doesn't have a best man or any groomsmen. He has lied about having friends and now needs to find a way to cover up his fib. Enter Jimmy Callahan and Best Man, Inc. Jimmy provides best man services for men who, like Doug, don't have the friends needed for a wedding. Doug contacts Jimmy's company and agrees to pay $50,000 for the ""Golden Tux" package, which includes seven groomsmen to match Gretchen's bridesmaids.
To prove his worth, Jimmy takes Doug to a wedding where the best man makes a terrible speech. They later have drinks and show off their dance moves. Jimmy reveals how he gave an excellent best man speech for an acquaintance, which led to his career as a wedding ringer. Doug explains that he never had the chance to make friends due to frequently moving around with his parents and then becoming consumed by work after their death.
On the wedding day, things start to go wrong. The family priest cancels, and Gretchen is unhappy with various aspects of the wedding, including the food and her dress. During the best man speech, Doug stops Jimmy, revealing that they are not really married as the priest and groomsmen are imposters. Gretchen is furious, but Jimmy gets a date with her sister, Allison. Doug pays Jimmy his fee, and they part as friends.
The movie is a fictionalized version of the real-life experiences of professional bridesmaids and the services they provide. Jen Glantz, a self-proclaimed "real-life wedding ringer", notes that the movie highlights the missing piece in the wedding industry: someone whose number one job is to focus on the bride and what she needs.
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Real-life wedding ringers
The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick. The film stars Kevin Hart as Jimmy Callahan, a wedding ringer who provides best man services for men who do not have enough friends for their wedding.
In real life, there are people who work as professional bridesmaids or groomsmen, similar to the services offered by Jimmy Callahan in the movie. One such person is Jen Glantz, who runs a business called "Bridesmaid for Hire". Glantz works with brides anywhere from a year and a half to three months before their wedding, offering support and assistance leading up to and on the wedding day. She fills the gap left by friends or family members who are unable to take on the role of bridesmaid or Maid of Honor.
Another real-life example is the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, who started the business after being a bridesmaid for many of her friends. She noticed a missing element in the wedding industry: someone whose sole focus is on the bride and what she needs. While there are wedding planners and day-of coordinators, a professional bridesmaid provides a more personalised and dedicated service.
Being a wedding ringer or a professional bridesmaid/groomsman is indeed a real job, and it involves providing emotional support, practical assistance, and ensuring that the bride or groom has someone they can rely on during the wedding planning process and on the big day itself. These professionals fill in for absent friends or family members, offering a unique and personalised service to make the wedding day extra special.
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Kevin Hart's character
In the film, Doug Harris, played by Josh Gad, is a successful tax attorney who has found the woman of his dreams, Gretchen Palmer. However, Doug struggles to find a best man and groomsmen for his wedding as he has never had many friends due to frequently moving around with his parents and later becoming consumed by work. This is where Jimmy comes in, offering his services as a professional best man and providing Doug with a ""Golden Tux," or seven groomsmen, to match Gretchen's bridesmaids.
Throughout the film, Jimmy proves his worth as a best man, showcasing his excellent speech-giving skills and dance moves. He also accompanies Doug to a wedding where the best man makes a terrible speech, using it as an opportunity to highlight his own best man capabilities. Despite their initial business relationship, Jimmy and Doug eventually become friends, with Jimmy even driving Doug home after he is hurt by the realization.
Kevin Hart's performance in "The Wedding Ringer" received mixed reviews from critics. While some praised his chemistry with co-star Josh Gad and considered the movie one of Hart's funniest, others felt that the premise was "cockamamie." However, the film was a box office success, grossing over $79 million worldwide against a $23 million budget.
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The film's production
The Wedding Ringer is an American buddy romantic comedy film released in 2015. It was directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick and starred Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. The film was produced by Adam Fields, Will Packer Productions, and Miramax, and distributed by Screen Gems.
The film is based on a spec script titled "The Golden Tux" that was purchased by Dimension Films in 2002. At that time, Todd Phillips, the director of "The Hangover," was attached as a producer. However, the film went through several revisions and many actors came and left the project. By 2013, Screen Gems and Miramax had agreed to produce the film, with Kevin Hart and Josh Gad attached, and the name was changed to "The Wedding Ringer".
The film follows the story of Doug Harris, a successful tax attorney, and his fiancée Gretchen Palmer, who are planning their wedding. Doug realizes that he doesn't have a best man or any groomsmen, so he contacts Jimmy Callahan's company, The Best Man Inc., which provides best man services for men who don't have enough friends for their wedding. Doug needs a ""Golden Tux" package, which includes seven groomsmen to match with Gretchen's bridesmaids, and agrees to pay Jimmy $50,000 for the service.
Despite receiving generally negative reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, grossing over $79 million worldwide against a $23 million budget. It received a rating of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 35 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". However, it received a grade of "A−" from audiences on CinemaScore, and some individual critics also gave positive reviews, praising the chemistry between Hart and Gad and the funny moments in the film.
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Critical reception
The Wedding Ringer, a 2015 American romantic comedy film, received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 29%, with an average rating of 4.60/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave the film a score of 35 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
Despite the negative reviews, some critics praised the chemistry between the lead actors, Kevin Hart and Josh Gad, with ABCNews stating that "Hart and Gad make you laugh simply by showing up". Richard Roeper acknowledged the duo's chemistry but criticised the "cockamamie premise". Audiences gave the film a grade of "A−" on CinemaScore.
The film was a box office success, grossing over $79 million worldwide against a $23 million budget. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 28, 2015.
One IMDb user described the film as "good for a few laughs" but ultimately "just another Kevin Hart comedy that had potential but didn't explore it". Another IMDb user, who gave the film a grade of B+, praised Hart's performance, stating that he "played it almost perfect". This user also noted that there was "enough heart and story" to keep them interested in the film beyond the jokes.
The film's trailer was released on June 19, 2014, and Kevin Hart promoted the film through a college tour, encouraging students to "tweet" about it.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the wedding ringer is a real job. Jen Glantz and the owner of Bridesmaid for Hire are real-life wedding ringers.
A wedding ringer is a professional bridesmaid or best man for hire.
A wedding ringer's job is to focus on the bride or groom and what they need. They start working with their clients anywhere from a year and a half to three months before their wedding and are in regular contact with them.
Yes, The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American romantic comedy film starring Kevin Hart as Jimmy Callahan, a wedding ringer who provides best man services through The Best Man Inc. for men who don't have enough friends for their wedding.
