Rhiannon Hendricks
The Wedding Ringer is an American comedy film released in 2015. Directed by Jeremy Garelick, the film stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. The film revolves around Doug Harris, a socially awkward groom-to-be who finds himself in a bind as he has no best man or groomsmen for his upcoming wedding. Desperate for a solution, Doug turns to Jimmy Callahan, the owner of Best Man Inc., a company that provides best men for hire. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, known for its humour and entertaining storyline.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, Romance |
| Sub-genre | Buddy comedy, Wedding comedy |
| Release date | 16 January 2015 |
| Runtime | 1 hour 41 minutes |
| Rating | R |
| Director | Jeremy Garelick |
| Writers | Jeremy Garelick, Jay Lavender, Tim Kalpakis |
| Main cast | Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Affion Crockett, Jorge Garcia, Dan Gill, Corey Holcomb, Ken Howard, Colin Kane, Cloris Leachman |
| Plot | A socially awkward groom-to-be, Doug Harris, hires Jimmy Callahan, owner of Best Man Inc., to provide him with best men for his wedding |
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What You'll Learn
Plot summary
The Wedding Ringer is an American buddy romantic comedy film released in 2015. 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 against a $23 million budget.
The film tells the story of Doug Harris, a successful tax attorney who is about to marry the girl of his dreams, Gretchen Palmer. However, Doug has a problem: he doesn't have any groomsmen for the wedding. Desperate and running out of time, Doug contacts Jimmy Callahan, the owner of Best Man Inc., a company that provides best men and groomsmen for socially challenged guys in need. Doug needs a "Golden Tux", which means seven groomsmen to match with Gretchen's bridesmaids, a request that has never been made before.
Jimmy takes Doug under his wing and helps him navigate the wedding preparations. They visit Edmundo, who advises Doug to focus on pleasing Gretchen and her mother. To prove his skills, Jimmy takes Doug to a wedding where the best man makes a terrible speech, showcasing the importance of hiring a professional. Doug explains his lack of friends, which is due to his parents' frequent moves and his focus on work after their passing. Despite their initial business relationship, a bromance unexpectedly blossoms between Doug and Jimmy.
Doug's bachelor party introduces him to Nadia, who tries to seduce him. A prank involving peanut butter and a blindfolded Doug goes awry, leading to a hospital visit. The groomsmen, including famous professional football players, later play football with Gretchen's fiancé Ed and his friends. A mud bowl ensues, and Ed injures his knee. At the rehearsal dinner, Doug's groomsmen present a slideshow of fake pictures, winning over Gretchen. However, she eventually discovers the scheme when she recognizes the names of the groomsmen. On the wedding day, Doug suggests that Jimmy officiate the ceremony after the family priest cancels. Despite the chaos, the wedding goes ahead, and Jimmy congratulates Gretchen, who expresses her disappointment with various aspects of the wedding and confesses that she doesn't love Doug.
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Characters
The Wedding Ringer is an American buddy romantic comedy film that was released in 2015. The movie stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. It was directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick and produced by Adam Fields, Will Packer Productions, and Miramax. Despite receiving generally negative reviews, the film was a box office success, grossing over $79 million against a $23 million budget.
The film centres around Doug Harris, a successful tax attorney who is about to marry the girl of his dreams, Gretchen Palmer. Doug is lovable but socially awkward and has no friends to act as his groomsmen for the wedding. He contacts Jimmy Callahan, the owner and CEO of Best Man Inc., a company that provides best men for grooms in need. Jimmy is a charismatic and smooth-talking character who provides best man services for men who don't have the friends needed for their wedding.
Doug hires Jimmy and his team of fake groomsmen, including characters such as the buff guy, the guy fresh out of prison, and the socially awkward guy. Despite their defining traits, none of the characters feel fully fleshed out, according to some reviews. As the film progresses, Doug and Jimmy's relationship evolves from a business arrangement to an unexpected bromance.
Gretchen Palmer, Doug's fiancée, is also a central character in the film. She is described as the "gal of his dreams" and is a gorgeous woman. However, as the wedding approaches, she starts to suspect that Doug's groomsmen are not who they seem to be. Other notable characters include Nadia, a woman who tries to seduce Doug at his bachelor party, and Edmundo, who advises Doug on how to please Gretchen and her mother.
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Critical reception
The Wedding Ringer received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 29%, with an average rating of 4.60/10, based on 113 reviews. The critical consensus on the site is that "Kevin Hart and Josh Gad might be two great comedians that go great together, but there's little evidence of it on display in The Wedding Ringer." Similarly, on Metacritic, the film has a score of 35 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
Despite the negative reviews, some critics found the film funny and entertaining. For instance, ABC News gave the movie 3.5/5 stars, stating that "Hart and Gad make you laugh simply by showing up. Add a moderately funny script, and The Wedding Ringer is a winner." Similarly, IGN gave the film a 6.2/10, stating that "the movie is actually pretty funny." One IMDb review describes the film as "one of the funniest R-rated comedies I've seen since 22 Jump Street", praising the comedic chemistry between Hart and Gad.
Other critics were more mixed in their reviews. One Metacritic review states that "Hart and Gad mostly have an annoyingly uneven camaraderie", but that "when they do occasionally hit their mark, The Wedding Ringer is passably funny." Another review on the same site says that the film is "imperfect but its imperfections are tolerable because they're accompanied by a dollop of drama, a measure of laughter, and an oversized helping of Kevin Hart."
Some critics were more negative in their reviews. One Rotten Tomatoes review states that the film is "a ridiculous premise exploited poorly", with "countless astonished reaction shots". Another review on the same site says that the film "manages to offend on so many levels that it's genuinely remarkable." One Metacritic review states that "the women in the movie are all shallow and materialistic and the men even shallower", and that "Hart and Gad [...] don't work out together in this film."
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Best scenes
The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American romantic comedy film directed by Jeremy Garelick. The film stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. While the film received generally negative reviews from critics, it was a box office success, grossing over $79 million against a $23 million budget.
The film centres on Doug Harris, a socially awkward groom-to-be who hires Jimmy Callahan, the owner of Best Man Inc., to provide him with best men and groomsmen for his wedding as he doesn't have any friends. Here are some of the best scenes from the film:
The Bachelor Party Scene
The bachelor party scene is one of the funniest scenes in the movie, with Kevin Hart's character getting into hilarious trouble and a prank involving peanut butter, a dog, and a blindfolded Doug going awry, leading to a hospital visit.
The Wedding Reception Dance
The dance during the wedding reception is another laugh-out-loud moment in the film. The scene is made even more entertaining by the contrast between the awkward Doug and the smooth Jimmy.
The Best Man Speech
Jimmy, posing as Doug's best man, gives a heartfelt and hilarious speech that brings the audience to tears and laughter. This scene showcases the comedic timing and delivery of both Hart and Gad.
The Wedding Day Reveal
On the wedding day, Doug's lie is almost exposed when the family priest cancels, but Jimmy steps in to officiate. However, during the reception, Doug overhears Gretchen admitting that she doesn't love him and is only marrying him for his nice personality and ability to afford her lifestyle. Doug stops the wedding, exposing Jimmy and the groomsmen as imposters, leading to a hilarious and awkward confrontation.
The Guys' Trip
In the end, Doug and Jimmy's friendship prevails, and they decide to cash in on Doug's first-class honeymoon tickets to Tahiti, going on a guys' trip instead, along with Nadia, who is now Doug's girlfriend. This scene wraps up the film on a high note, showcasing the bromance that has blossomed between the two leads.
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Where to watch
You can watch 'The Wedding Ringer' on Hulu, fuboTV, Netflix, or Amazon Prime Video. The movie is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video, and you can also buy or rent it on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, and the Microsoft Store.
Hulu offers a free trial for new and eligible returning subscribers, after which it costs $4.99/month with ads or $7.99/month ad-free. Netflix, on the other hand, offers plans starting at $7.99/month for endless entertainment.
Starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco, 'The Wedding Ringer' is a comedy about a groom-to-be who, afraid to admit he has no friends, hires a company that provides best men for grooms in need.
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Frequently asked questions
The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American buddy romantic comedy film. It tells the story of a socially awkward groom-to-be, Doug Harris, who is about to marry the girl of his dreams but has no best man or groomsmen. With his wedding fast approaching, Doug hires a company that provides best men and groomsmen for socially challenged men in need.
The Wedding Ringer stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting.
The Wedding Ringer is rated R.
