Runaway Bride
In 1990, Pretty Woman turned Julia Roberts into a star and gave Richard Gere's career a much-needed boost; for 1999, Roberts and Gere reunited with director Garry Marshall for the romantic comedy Runaway Bride. Roberts plays Maggie, who has left so many prospective husbands at the altar that she has gained notoriety as "the Runaway Bride," and a reporter (played by Richard Gere) is assigned to write a story about her. He tracks her down to a small town in Maryland where she's spending time with her family and preparing to give marriage another try. However, the more time she spends with the persistent reporter, the more second thoughts she has about her fiancé (Christopher Meloni). Hector Elizondo, another Pretty Woman alumnus, appears in the supporting cast alongside Joan Cusack, Paul Dooley, and Rita Wilson.
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack, Christopher Meloni, Hector Elizondo
Wonderful characters keep the movie from gagging on sweetness.
The movie-calendar equivalent of last July's "Six Days, Seven Nights," this star-powered romance overcomes a shaky start to outpace that passable confection by several runaway laps.
The difference between "Pretty Woman" and Runaway Bride is that we can no longer buy Roberts in her tearful romantic-melancholy mode. It seems vaguely patronizing now.
After seeing Gere and Roberts play much smarter people (even in romantic comedies), it is painful to see them dumbed down here. The screenplay is so sluggish, they're like Derby winners made to carry extra weight.
A shiny bauble full of dead weight, gloppy good feeling and airless cliches. And every time you try to grab onto "Bride's" characters, they run away.
Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
ALMA Awards (2000)
Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (2001)
Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
American Comedy Awards (2000)
Favorite Song from a Movie (Internet Only)
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2001)
Bogey Awards, Germany (1999)
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