Weddings, Funerals, And Love

Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 romantic comedy film that follows a group of friends, including Charles (Hugh Grant) and Carrie (Andie MacDowell), who meet at a wedding and subsequently keep crossing paths at nuptials and a funeral. Over the course of these social occasions, Charles, a committed bachelor, must consider whether he has found love with Carrie. The film explores the relationships and romance between the group of friends, with Charles and Carrie's paths continuing to intertwine as they navigate love and heartbreak.

Charles and Carrie's relationship

Three months later, at another wedding, Charles is excited to see Carrie again, but is disappointed to learn that she has become engaged to Hamish, an older, wealthy Scotsman. Despite this, Charles and Carrie spend another night together. A month later, Charles confesses his love for Carrie while helping her choose a wedding dress, but she gently rebuffs him.

Charles and his friends attend Carrie and Hamish's wedding, where Charles is unhappy. At the funeral of a friend soon after, Carrie and Charles share a brief moment. Ten months later, Charles is due to marry Henrietta, but Carrie arrives and tells him that she and Hamish have separated. Charles has an emotional crisis and decides to proceed with the wedding. However, when the vicar asks if anyone objects, David, Charles' deaf brother, uses sign language to say that the groom has doubts and loves someone else. Charles confirms this, and the wedding is called off.

Later that day, Carrie arrives at Charles' flat to apologise, and he proposes a lifelong commitment without marriage, which she accepts. In the final scene, they kiss as a thunderbolt flashes across the sky, and a photo montage shows that they have had their first child.

Charles's wedding speech

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to drag you from your desserts. There are just one or two little things I feel I should say, as best man. This is only the second time I've been a best man. I hope I did OK that time. The couple in question are at least still talking to me. Unfortunately, they're not actually talking to each other. The divorce came through a couple of months ago. But I'm assured it had absolutely nothing to do with me. Paula knew Piers had slept with her sister before I mentioned it in the speech. The fact that he'd slept with her mother came as a surprise, but I think was incidental to the nightmare of recrimination and violence that became their two-day marriage. Anyway, enough of that. My job today is to talk about Angus. There are no skeletons in his cupboard. Or so I thought. I'll come on to that in a minute. I would just like to say this. I am, as ever, in bewildered awe of anyone who makes this kind of commitment that Angus and Laura have made today. I know I couldn't do it and I think it's wonderful they can. So, back to Angus and those sheep.

I seem to be stuck in the wedding from hell, ghosts of girlfriends past at every turn. Next thing I'll bump into Henrietta and the horror will be complete.

Hello Charles.

Hello Hen, how are you?

You remember the time you started dad's boat and the propeller cut my leg to shreds?

This is worse.

I seem to have spent most of my adult life going to weddings. And I've always been a bit of a serial monogamist. I've had lots of girlfriends, but I've never really let anyone near me. I'm not sure I want to get married, but I do want to find someone to settle down with. I'm tired of being seated at the singles table at weddings.

All these weddings, all these years, all that blasted salmon and champagne and here I am on my own wedding day, and I'm... eh... em... eh... still thinking.

I now pronounce you husband and wife.

[A pause.]

I do.

Gareth's funeral

Gareth, played by Simon Callow, is a flamboyant character who is in a relationship with Matthew, played by John Hannah. At the previous wedding, Gareth encourages the group to seek out potential romantic partners, and he toasts to "true love". However, during the groom's speech at Carrie and Hamish's wedding, Gareth suffers a fatal heart attack and is pulled into a side room, where he passes away. Matthew watches this unfold with an oblivious smile, and the speech continues.

At Gareth's funeral, Matthew recites "Funeral Blues", a poem by W.H. Auden. Matthew's eulogy also includes his own reflections on Gareth's life and character. He shares Gareth's theory about marriage, which is that it is a way for couples to find something to talk about and break the ice. Matthew also mentions Gareth's hospitality, his experimental cooking, and his "enormous capacity for joy".

Matthew's eulogy also includes some humorous anecdotes and memories of Gareth shared by those who knew him. He mentions that "fat" and "terribly rude" were words that people often used to describe Gareth. Matthew concludes his eulogy by reflecting on his own feelings for Gareth and reciting Auden's poem, which captures his grief and loss.

Charles's wedding

On Charles's wedding day, he is marrying Henrietta, one of his ex-girlfriends. During the ceremony, Charles has an emotional crisis and decides he cannot go through with the wedding. When the vicar asks if anyone has a reason why the couple should not marry, Charles's deaf brother, David, uses sign language to say that the groom has doubts and loves someone else. Charles confirms this by saying "I do", and Henrietta knocks him out at the altar.

Later that day, Charles is at his flat discussing the fiasco with his friends when Carrie arrives to apologise for causing the trouble. Charles again confesses his love for her and proposes a lifelong commitment without marriage, which Carrie accepts.

The group's pride in being single

In the 1994 romantic comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral", the protagonist Charles and his circle of friends take pride in being single. This group of unmarried friends, including Charles, his flatmate Scarlett, his aristocratic friend Fiona, her brother Tom, Gareth, and his partner Matthew, navigate romance and social occasions over the course of the film. Despite their commitment to the single life, they are not averse to seeking potential mates and embracing love when it comes their way.

The group's pride in their single status is most notably challenged during Gareth's funeral. Matthew, Gareth's partner, recites "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden, reflecting on Gareth's perspective on life and death. The group ponders the nature of love and the futility of seeking a "one true love". Despite their previous embrace of singledom, they recognise that Gareth and Matthew were as much of a "married" couple as any.

Charles, the committed bachelor, finds himself questioning his stance on love as he repeatedly encounters Carrie, an American woman, at these social gatherings. Their relationship adds a layer of complexity to the group's dynamics and challenges their perception of commitment and monogamy.

"Four Weddings and a Funeral" explores the complexities of love, friendship, and the ever-changing nature of life. The group's initial pride in being single is not a rigid stance but rather a starting point for their journey of self-discovery and acceptance of love in its many forms.

Frequently asked questions