You can practically hear the sighs of the women in the audience who relate to the problems of the three heroines of "Wedding Bell Blues", a debut feature by Dana Lustig that was part of the Official Competition at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Starring Illeana Douglas, Paulina Porizkova and Julie Warner as friends faced with the crisis of being unmarried at 30, the comic film strikes a chord that should help it win decent-sized audiences for its theatrical release before it enjoys a long life on video and cable.
Roommates Jasmine, Micki and Tanya are all experiencing romantic difficulties. Micki (Warner) has just been left by her fiance on the eve of their wedding; he explains that he doesn't "ache" for her. The beautiful Tanya (Porizkova) has found out she's pregnant, and her well-heeled boyfriend (Richard Edson) isn't ready to get married and have a family.
And the cynical, wisecracking Jasmine (Douglas, who by now has this film persona down pat) has just attended her younger sister's wedding, where she is treated with pity and concern by the members of her family.
The three decide on a whim to head to Vegas, where they'll get married and divorced in the space of 24 hours, reasoning that it's better to be able to say that they've been married than not. Once there, they soon find men eager to cooperate.
Micki hooks up with Cary (John Corbett, from "Northern Exposure"), a happy-go-lucky cowboy who helps her to finally discover what an orgasm is. Tanya meets Oliver Charles Martin Smith), a wealthy divorced businessman who simply wants to be able to send his ex-wife a photo of his beautiful new bride. Jasmine spends a drunken evening with Oliver's crony, Matt (Jonathan Penner), and discovers that she has genuine feelings for her new husband.
As you can imagine, all of these romantic entanglements are sorted out by the final reel, but the fun lies in getting there. Annette Goliti Gutierrez's screenplay provides its three appealing leads with numerous sharp and funny lines, and despite the triviality of the whole enterprise, the film has a truly engaging quality.
It even manages not to make every man in the story look like a complete jerk, offering a more balanced portrait of male-female relationships than, say, "The First Wives Club". Of course, that probably means it won't be as big a hit.
Debbie Reynolds fans, take note: While in Vegas, the women take in a show, and whose should it be but the former "Tammy's". This enables us to be treated to generous excerpts from her nightclub act.
WEDDING BELL BLUES
Curb Entertainment
Director Dana Lustig
Producers Ram Bergman, Dana Lustig,
Mick Curb, Carole Curb Nemoy
Screenplay Annette Goliti Gutierrez
Director of photography Kent Wakeford
Editor Caroline Ross
Music Paul Gordon, Tal Bergman
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jasmine Illeana Douglas
Tanya Paulina Porizkova
Micki Julie Warner
Cary John Corbett
Matt Jonathan Penner
Oliver Charles Martin Smith
Tom Richard Edson
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Roommates Jasmine, Micki and Tanya are all experiencing romantic difficulties. Micki (Warner) has just been left by her fiance on the eve of their wedding; he explains that he doesn't "ache" for her. The beautiful Tanya (Porizkova) has found out she's pregnant, and her well-heeled boyfriend (Richard Edson) isn't ready to get married and have a family.
And the cynical, wisecracking Jasmine (Douglas, who by now has this film persona down pat) has just attended her younger sister's wedding, where she is treated with pity and concern by the members of her family.
The three decide on a whim to head to Vegas, where they'll get married and divorced in the space of 24 hours, reasoning that it's better to be able to say that they've been married than not. Once there, they soon find men eager to cooperate.
Micki hooks up with Cary (John Corbett, from "Northern Exposure"), a happy-go-lucky cowboy who helps her to finally discover what an orgasm is. Tanya meets Oliver Charles Martin Smith), a wealthy divorced businessman who simply wants to be able to send his ex-wife a photo of his beautiful new bride. Jasmine spends a drunken evening with Oliver's crony, Matt (Jonathan Penner), and discovers that she has genuine feelings for her new husband.
As you can imagine, all of these romantic entanglements are sorted out by the final reel, but the fun lies in getting there. Annette Goliti Gutierrez's screenplay provides its three appealing leads with numerous sharp and funny lines, and despite the triviality of the whole enterprise, the film has a truly engaging quality.
It even manages not to make every man in the story look like a complete jerk, offering a more balanced portrait of male-female relationships than, say, "The First Wives Club". Of course, that probably means it won't be as big a hit.
Debbie Reynolds fans, take note: While in Vegas, the women take in a show, and whose should it be but the former "Tammy's". This enables us to be treated to generous excerpts from her nightclub act.
WEDDING BELL BLUES
Curb Entertainment
Director Dana Lustig
Producers Ram Bergman, Dana Lustig,
Mick Curb, Carole Curb Nemoy
Screenplay Annette Goliti Gutierrez
Director of photography Kent Wakeford
Editor Caroline Ross
Music Paul Gordon, Tal Bergman
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jasmine Illeana Douglas
Tanya Paulina Porizkova
Micki Julie Warner
Cary John Corbett
Matt Jonathan Penner
Oliver Charles Martin Smith
Tom Richard Edson
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/30/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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