Wedding Planner Rated: The Good, Bad, And Ugly

The Wedding Planner, a 2001 romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey, received mixed reviews from critics. While some viewers enjoyed the film for its predictability and quirky moments, others found it disappointing, with particular criticism aimed at the script and character development. Rated PG-13 for language and sexual humour, the film follows the story of ambitious wedding planner Mary Fiore, who finds love in an unexpected place.

Plot summary

The Wedding Planner is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Jennifer Lopez as Mary Fiore, an ambitious and successful wedding planner based in San Francisco, and Matthew McConaughey as Dr Steve Edison, a handsome paediatrician.

Mary is the most successful wedding planner in San Francisco, supplying romance and glamour to her clients. She knows all the tricks and rules of the trade, but when she falls in love with the groom, she breaks the most important rule of all.

Mary is hard-working and extremely organised, and knows exactly what to do and say to make any wedding a spectacular event. She is also negotiating to become a partner at the wedding company she works for. While reporting her success on the phone to her colleague Penny, she falls (literally) for a handsome doctor, Steve, when her shoe heel gets stuck in a manhole cover and he saves her from an oncoming dumpster.

Mary and Steve go on a date, but when she discovers that Steve is the groom in the biggest wedding of her career, she is left wondering whether she should continue to plan the wedding. Steve is also left wondering whether he should be marrying his fiancée, Fran Donolly, when he has chemistry with Mary.

Mary's father wants her to marry her childhood acquaintance Massimo, but she is not interested. When the four of them go to a potential wedding venue in Napa Valley, Massimo pretends to be Mary's fiancé. Mary is conflicted when her father reveals that his own marriage to her mother was arranged and only became a loving relationship later on.

Mary and Steve become friends, and when she gets drunk and laments about her ex-fiancé Keith, Steve comforts her and confesses that he has feelings for her. Mary decides to respect Fran too much to let anything happen and sends Steve away. Fran confesses to Mary that she is unsure if she is still in love with Steve, but Mary persuades her to go ahead with the wedding.

Mary agrees to marry Massimo, but at the town hall, her father stops the ceremony, realising it is not what she wants. Massimo also cannot go through with the wedding, knowing that Mary is in love with Steve. Steve arrives and takes Mary to the park, where they kiss.

Critical reception

The 2001 romantic comedy film "The Wedding Planner" received mixed to negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 17% based on 106 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The general consensus on the website is that the film is "heavy-handed and contrived in its execution" and "too unoriginal". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave the film a score of 33 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly compared the film unfavourably to "My Best Friend's Wedding", stating that while Julia Roberts "turned the world on with her huggability", Lopez's "vibe" is that of "someone afraid to get mussed". She also commented that while Rupert Everett was "divine" as a sidekick, Matthew McConaughey is "mortally ordinary" as a leading man. Kimberly Jones of The Austin Chronicle was disappointed by the film, noting that while Lopez and McConaughey have "enormous charisma", the "blandness" of the film "burlap-sacks their appeal". A. O. Scott of The New York Times commented that the "undeniable charisma" and "goofiness" of the film's stars make it "more painless than it has a right to be". Variety's Robert Koehler described the film as "an attractive bridesmaid but hardly a gorgeous bride among romantic comedies". Michael Thomson from the BBC wrote that after the "two leads become less wired in each other's presence, and the sexual tension begins to droop, everyone seems to be reading an autocue".

Despite the generally negative reviews from critics, some viewers enjoyed the film. One IMDb user commented that the film has "everything you could ask for from a romantic comedy", and that although it is predictable, "do we really watch these types of movies expecting to be surprised at the ending?". They also praised the directing, dialogue, and acting, calling the film "fantastic". Another IMDb user called the film an "absolute instant classic" and "one of the finest romcoms there is".

Viewer ratings

The 2001 romantic comedy "The Wedding Planner" starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey received mixed reviews from viewers. While some viewers praised the movie as a "textbook example of a perfect romcom", others criticized it as "disappointing" and "neither comic nor particularly romantic".

On IMDb, the movie has a rating of 5.3/10 based on user reviews. One user described the film as having "everything you could ask for from a romantic comedy", including a "quirky" cast, "great directing", and "entertaining dialogue". This reviewer also noted that the film is "sweet" and enjoyable for a female audience, especially when paired with "a pint of ice cream".

However, other viewers were less enthusiastic about the film. One IMDb user described the film as "predictable", with no real narrative and "barely related skits". They also criticized the lack of believable or sympathetic characters, stating that the movie "fails to create a single one". Similarly, a review on Common Sense Media characterized the film as a "disappointing would-be romantic comedy" with a "sitcom-style script" that emphasizes the situation rather than the comedy. This review also noted that the film lacks a "single believable or sympathetic character" and that the few comic bits are "overly familiar" from the commercials.

Despite the mixed reviews, "The Wedding Planner" grossed $60.4 million in the United States and Canada and $34.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $94.7 million. The film also received two wins and six nominations for various awards.

Viewer reviews

One IMDb user describes "The Wedding Planner" as "quirky" and "fantastic", praising the directing, dialogue, and acting. They write that the film has "everything you could ask for in a romantic comedy", and that despite its predictability, it is "sweet" and "entertaining".

Another review on IMDb, however, takes a more critical stance, describing the film as "disappointing" and "neither comic nor particularly romantic". The reviewer goes on to say that the script is "sitcom-style" with "too much emphasis on the situation and not enough on the comedy", and that the characters are "unbelievable" and "unsympathetic".

A review from the Sacramento News & Review takes a more mixed approach, stating that while the film is a "vehicle seemingly designed to seep all the appeal out of stars Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey", it is still one of their "all-time favourites". They praise the "romantic vibe" of the film and recommend it for fans of wedding movies and romantic comedies.

A review from Roger Ebert is largely critical, describing the plot as "absurd" and "contrived", and the character of Steve as a "dishonest louse". Ebert does, however, praise Lopez's performance, saying that she "pulls her share of the load" and looks "genuinely smitten" and "convincingly crushed".

A review on Rotten Tomatoes describes the film as a "textbook example of a perfect romcom" and "one of the best romcoms of the 2000s maybe even EVER". The reviewer praises the performances of Lopez and McConaughey, as well as the romantic setting and the "loving someone you shouldn't" aspect of the plot.

Cast and characters

The cast of "The Wedding Planner" includes:

• Jennifer Lopez as Mary Fiore, a successful wedding planner in San Francisco who falls in love with the groom. Lopez is known for her acting, dancing, and singing career. She has starred in other romantic comedies such as Maid in Manhattan and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
• Matthew McConaughey as Steve Edison, a handsome pediatrician who saves Mary's life and becomes her love interest. McConaughey is a versatile actor known for his roles in films like "Interstellar" and "Dallas Buyers Club."
• Bridgette Wilson-Sampras as Fran Donolly, the dot-com zillionaire bride-to-be and Mary's client. Wilson-Sampras has also appeared in films such as My Best Friend's Wedding and "The Rocky Road."
• Justin Chambers as Massimo Lenzetti, Mary's childhood acquaintance and potential fiancé. Chambers is known for his role as Dr. Alex Karev in the long-running medical drama "Grey's Anatomy."
• Judy Greer as Penny Nicholson, Mary's colleague and friend who sets up the initial date between Mary and Steve. Greer has had a successful career in comedy, starring in films like "13 Going on 30" and "27 Dresses."
• Alex Rocco as Salvatore Fiore, Mary's father who tries to set her up with Massimo. Rocco is a veteran actor with numerous film and television credits, including "The Godfather" and "The Famous Teddy Z."

The film also features Joanna Gleason, Charles Kimbrough, Fred Willard, Lou Myers, Frances Bay, and Kevin Pollak in supporting roles.

Frequently asked questions