My Best Friend's Wedding

Critics Consensus

Thanks to a charming performance from Julia Roberts and a subversive spin on the genre, My Best Friend's Wedding is a refreshingly entertaining romantic comedy.

73%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 59

73%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 451,724
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Movie Info

Essentially an old-fashioned romantic comedy with a few dark twists, My Best Friend's Wedding marks the return of Julia Roberts to the genre. She plays Julianne Potter, a writer of culinary guides. As her 28th birthday draws near, Julianne eagerly anticipates a proposal from her handsome former college buddy Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney). The best of friends during those years (though Julianne has always secretly loved him), they vowed that if both were still single at age 28, they would marry each other. She is justifiably excited when the phone rings and it is Michael; but her joy quickly turns to shock when he obliviously invites her to Chicago to attend his wedding to innocent, sweet-natured heiress Kimmy Wallace (Cameron Diaz). Enraged, the jealous and hurt Julianne visits her buddy and editor George (Rupert Everett) and to him vows to stop at nothing to win Michael back. At first what follows is standard-issue screwball comedy. Julianne enacts a plot to turn Michael away from Kimmy and the plot backfires making the heiress look even better to her besotted fiance. After several failed attempts, the tale turns blacker as Julianne becomes almost insanely desperate and begins doing things that are less cute than awful to her romantic rival. Meanwhile, George remains the one voice of sanity, sort of a Greek chorus, for Julianne. As the tale progresses, each of the protagonists is led to the point where they must examine their true motives, behavior and emotions, thus adding a depth not usually found in this type of story.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (For one use of strong language and brief sex-related humor.)
  • Genre:
    Comedy, Romance
  • Directed By:
    P.J. Hogan
  • Written By:
    Ronald Bass
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Sony Pictures Entertainment

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Cast

Julia Roberts
as Julianne Potter
Dermot Mulroney
as Michael O'Neal
Cameron Diaz
as Kimmy Wallace
Rupert Everett
as George Downes
Philip Bosco
as Walter Wallace
M. Emmet Walsh
as Joe O'Neal
Rachel Griffiths
as Samantha Newhouse
Carrie Preston
as Amanda Newhouse
Susan Sullivan
as Isabelle Wallace
Christopher Kennedy Masterson
as Scott O'Neal
Paul Giamatti
as Richard
Raci Alexander
as Title Sequence Performer
Jennifer Garrett
as Title Sequence Performer
Kelly Sheerin
as Title Sequence Performer
Bree Turner
as Title Sequence Performer
Cassie Creasy
as Flower Girl
Lucina Paquet
as Kimmy's Grandma
Aida Baggio
as Old Woman No. 2
Shirley Kelly
as Oldest Lady
George Bozonelos
as Party Guest
Loretta Paoletti
as Party Guest
Joseph Sikora
as Stoner Guy No. 1
Paul Gleixner
Shale Marks
as Stoner Guy No. 2
Phillip Ingram
as Wedding Singer
Rose Abdoo
as Seamstress
Jobe Cerny
as Tailor
Chef Charlie Trotter
as Himself
Ray Uhler
Guillermo Tellez
as Chef
Ned Schmidtke
as Captain
Mark Swenson
as Karaoke Singer
Mara Casey
as Karaoke Girl
Tonray Ho
as Karaoke Waitress
Michelle Hutchison
as Drunken Trashy Girl
Robert M. Sutter
as Crabhouse Pianist
Charlotte Zucker
as Customer
Susan Breslau
as Customer
Burton Zucker
as Customer
Sharon Haight
as Customer
Nydia Rodriguez Terracina
as Walter's Secretary
Mike Bacarella
as Office Janitor
Larry Santori
as Conductor
Gene Janson
as Sports Magazine Guy
Kevin Michael Doyle
as Sports Magazine Guy
Scott Kuhagen
as Werner
Sid Hillman
as Dining Guest
Norman Merrill
as Dining Guest
Renata Scott
as Dining Guest
Anh Duong
as Dining Guest
Harry Shearer
as Jonathan P.E. Rice
Jennifer McComb
as Excited Woman
Mary-Pat Green
as Angry Woman
Davenia McFadden
as Angrier Woman
Jo Farkas
as Loony Woman
Artie Kane
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Critic Reviews for My Best Friend's Wedding

All Critics (59) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (16)

  • The buoyant, bittersweet "Wedding" puts new fizz in an old form.

    Feb 27, 2018 | Full Review…

    David Ansen

    Newsweek
    Top Critic

  • Although [Hogan] stages most of the scenes in a straightforward way for Friend's Wedding, there are some charming, offbeat touches here. One wishes he'd mined some of the story's kinkier subtexts a bit more, but hey ... this is a commercial-minded flick.

    Jan 5, 2018 | Full Review…

    Carol Buckland

    CNN.com
    Top Critic

  • A bittersweet, modern-love morsel, this scrumptious drama should touch moviegoers' hearts in this action gorged summer.

    Jun 20, 2017 | Full Review…

    Duane Byrge

    Hollywood Reporter
    Top Critic

  • We don't feel much of anything.

    Feb 3, 2009 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

    Owen Gleiberman

    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic

  • The draggy narrative of this 1997 comedy is tough to sit through -- there are even several overproduced musical numbers -- but it does have an intriguing subversive element that I don't want to give away.

    Feb 3, 2009 | Full Review…

    Lisa Alspector

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • Anchored by skilled comedienne Julia Roberts, this skewered variation on jealousy and the wrong woman doing battle in the aisles is a winning balance of the familiar and the novel.

    Feb 3, 2009

    Leonard Klady

    Variety
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (59)

Audience Reviews for My Best Friend's Wedding

  • Jun 15, 2012
    A classic, as sweet as the title sounds. Julia Roberts was a total bitch in the film, but it can happen in reality. The singing scene was irreplaceable, the confrontation scene at the train station was random. Not too many laughters but was romantic nonetheless.
    Sylvester K Super Reviewer
  • Dec 02, 2011
    My Best Friend's Wedding is one of those few romantic comedies that was enjoyable. It has a slight different path that most romantic comedies take and i enjoyed that. Julia Roberts and Cameron diaz were highly enjoyable in this film, while the male actors were just boring. It has an ending that really made it different from the others which made it enjoyable for me, and although it does have some pretty big romantic cliches here and there, I still enjoyed it and it was a fun movie.
    Bradley W Super Reviewer
  • Jun 24, 2011
    A classic! A must see!
    Bethany M Super Reviewer
  • Jun 19, 2010
    Julia Roberts comes across as a confident and strong woman with a successful life, until she finds out her best male friend played by Dermot Mulroney, is getting married. With just three days more remaining for his wedding, Julianne realizes that she actually loves her best friend and sets out to sabotage the wedding. She gets help, encouragement and advice from her gay friend, played excellently by Rupert Everett, providing some of the best moments in the movie. In the end though, she is forced to accept that Mulroney really does love Cameron Diaz who is sweet and naïve....... up to a point! This is a fun romantic comedy that is worth watching at least once.
    Deb S Super Reviewer
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