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RUNAWAY BRIDE Send This Review to a Friend
Runaway idea would be an apt description of this effort to parlay the commercially successful teaming of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in "Pretty Woman." The concept is simple--a woman keeps running from the altar at each wedding attempt and a journalist she gets fired when he writes a column about her arrives in her small town in Maryland to chronicle her latest wedding intention. Naturally, they fall in love.
But apart from a few funny moments and the charm these likable stars manage to work up now and then, the film mostly falls flat. The straining to whip it into a pleasing romantic comedy is evident in the predictable plot development and the mostly heavy-handed dialogue. The script by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott sags and director Garry Marshall's effort to make the film seem better than it is only succeeds occasionally.
Granted, Roberts and Gere handle their roles well and are attractive to watch. She'd look great in any bridal gown she chooses, and Gere, his hair flecked with gray, has a mature romantic presence. Supporting characters are thinly written but adequately played by Joan Cusack, Hector Elizondo, Christopher Meloni, Paul Dooley and others.
Unless easily satisfied, moviegoers will find themselves left waiting at the altar. A Paramount Pictures release.
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