Franklin Dean
The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American romantic comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. The film follows successful tax attorney Doug Harris, who is set to marry his fiancée, Gretchen Palmer, but has no friends to act as his best man and groomsmen. Doug hires Jimmy Callahan, the owner of Best Man Inc., a company that provides best men and groomsmen for hire. As the wedding approaches, a bromance unexpectedly blossoms between Jimmy and Doug, and Jimmy gives a heartfelt best man speech at the wedding. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, grossing over $79 million worldwide.
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What You'll Learn
The plot of 'The Wedding Ringer'
The Wedding Ringer is an American buddy romantic comedy film that was released in 2015. The film stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting.
The film follows successful tax attorney Doug Harris, played by Josh Gad, who is set to marry the woman of his dreams, Gretchen Palmer. However, Doug has a problem: he doesn't have any friends to act as his groomsmen. Desperate for a solution, Doug contacts Jimmy Callahan, played by Kevin Hart, who owns a company called Best Man Inc. that provides best man services for men who don't have friends. Doug needs the "Golden Tux" package, which includes seven groomsmen to match Gretchen's bridesmaids, a challenge that has never been done before.
As the wedding approaches, Jimmy helps Doug navigate the challenges of pretending to have friends. They attend a wedding where the best man makes a terrible speech, and Jimmy showcases his skills with an excellent speech of his own. Doug also opens up to Jimmy about his past, explaining that he moved a lot as a child and then became consumed by work after his parents' death, leaving him without any friends. Despite their initial business relationship, a bromance unexpectedly blossoms between the two men.
At Doug's bachelor party, he is introduced to Nadia, who tries to seduce him, but Doug instead befriends her. A prank involving peanut butter and a dog goes awry, and Doug ends up in the hospital. As the wedding day arrives, Jimmy and his groomsmen put on a flawless performance, but during the ceremony, Doug stops Jimmy's best man speech, revealing that Jimmy and his groomsmen are not who they claim to be. Gretchen is furious that her wedding has been ruined. Despite the chaos, Jimmy and Doug's friendship remains intact, and they even go on a guys' trip together using Doug's honeymoon tickets.
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Critical reception
The Wedding Ringer received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 29%, with an average rating of 4.60/10. Critics on the platform acknowledged that Kevin Hart and Josh Gad are talented comedians but felt that their chemistry was not effectively showcased in the film. This sentiment was echoed by Richard Roeper, who gave the film 1.5 out of 4 stars.
On Metacritic, the film received a score of 35 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". However, some critics on this platform still found the film funny, with IGN giving it a 6.2/10 and ABCNews giving it 3.5/5 stars.
Despite the mixed critical reception, audiences on CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. Customers on Amazon also praised the film, particularly highlighting Kevin Hart's performance and the great casting throughout. Many laughed out loud throughout and appreciated the film's life lessons. Similarly, viewers on IMDb found the film funny and entertaining, with one reviewer stating that it was "pretty funny for sure".
The film was also a box office success, grossing over $79 million worldwide against a budget of $23 million.
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Kevin Hart's performance
Hart's performance as Jimmy Callahan, the owner of a company that provides best men for grooms in need, has been described as "hilarious" and "funny". One review highlights Hart's ability to shine in the movie, despite the script not fully playing to his strengths. Other reviews praise Hart's performance specifically, with one calling it "freaking amazing".
Hart's rapid-fire manic riffs are also mentioned as a highlight of his performance. However, some reviews suggest that there are moments where it is clear that Hart is acting, rather than just relying on his comedic talent.
The movie has also been criticised for its portrayal of marriage and weddings, with some finding Hart's character to be loud and obnoxious. The movie has been described as "crass" and "disgusting", with one review highlighting a scene involving a dog and peanut butter as particularly cringe-worthy.
Despite the mixed reactions to Hart's performance, The Wedding Ringer has been praised for its entertainment value, with some calling it "very funny" and "laugh-out-loud funny".
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The film's financial success
The Wedding Ringer, a 2015 American buddy romantic comedy film, grossed $64.5 million in North America and $15.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $79.8 million against a budget of $23 million. The film was released in North American theatres on January 16, 2015, grossing $20.6 million in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind American Sniper. For the 4-day MLK Holiday weekend, the film grossed a total of $24 million.
Secondly, the marketing of the film played a pivotal role in its financial success. Kevin Hart, leveraging his significant social media presence, embarked on a college tour to promote the film, encouraging students to tweet about it. This strategy targeted college students, a demographic known for their active social media engagement, effectively generating buzz and expanding the film's reach. The release of multiple trailers, including the "Best Friends" trailer and the Restricted "Holiday" trailer, also contributed to building anticipation for the film's release.
Additionally, the film's release date of January 16, 2015, proved advantageous. The film benefited from being released during the MLK Holiday weekend, a popular time for moviegoing, allowing it to capture a wider audience and boost its box office performance. The Wedding Ringer also faced relatively less competition during this period, as many major releases were scheduled for later in the year.
Despite receiving generally negative reviews from critics, The Wedding Ringer resonated with audiences, particularly those seeking a light-hearted and humorous experience. The film's premise, though deemed ridiculous by some critics, was fresh and entertaining for viewers, who praised the comedy, acting, and visual effects. The Wedding Ringer's financial success highlights the importance of strong marketing strategies, well-timed releases, and audience appeal, even in the face of mixed critical reception.
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Similar films
The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American romantic comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. The film centres around Doug Harris, a socially awkward man who is about to get married but doesn't have any friends to act as his groomsmen. He hires Jimmy Callahan, the owner of a company that provides best men for grooms in need, to help him out. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film was a box office success.
If you enjoyed The Wedding Ringer, here are some similar films:
- Just Go With It (2011)
- The Birdcage
- Wife For A Night (1952)
- The Hangover Part II (2011)
- Wedding Crashers (2005)
- I Love You, Man (2009)
- Coming to America (1988)
- Bachelorette (2012)
- Saving Silverman (2001)
- That Awkward Moment (2014)
- License to Wed (2007)
- Think Like a Man (2012)
- The Other Woman (2014)
These films all fall within the comedy, romance, and friendship genres and feature similar themes of weddings, buddies, and comedic errors.
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Frequently asked questions
The Wedding Ringer is a romantic comedy about a socially awkward man, Doug Harris, who hires a group of people to pretend to be his best men and friends at his wedding.
Doug Harris is a successful tax attorney who is about to marry the woman of his dreams, but he doesn't have any friends to act as groomsmen.
Doug contacts Jimmy Callahan, owner of Best Man Inc., a company that provides best men and groomsmen for friendless grooms.
The Wedding Ringer received generally negative reviews from critics, who described it as "crass", "crude", and "poorly-written". However, audiences gave the film a CinemaScore of "A-", and some critics acknowledged that the movie was funny.
