The Wedding Date (2005) [PG-13] ***

Kat Ellis (Debra Messing) lives and works in New York City. She's returning to her parents' London home because her younger half-sister Amy (Amy Adams) is going to marry boyfriend Edward (Jack Davenport). The bad news is that Kat's ex-fiance Jeffrey (Jeremy Sheffield), who dumped her two years earlier after a seven-year relationship, is going to be Edward's best man at the wedding.

Lacking a boyfriend, Kat hires Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney), an expensive male escort, to accompany her to London and pretend to be her boyfriend, in order to save face and to make Jeffrey jealous. Nick is the Yoda of adult relationships; he knows just the right things to say and do, and Kat soon realizes he's worth every cent of his fee. And, after seeing Jeffrey again, Kat realizes that she is over him, and that she is beginning to fall for Nick. The story is not that simple, however. The relationship between Kat and Amy has been a competitive one ever since pretty, blonde Amy stole Kat's first boyfriend. And the day before the wedding ceremony, Kat learns the real reason why Jeffrey broke off their engagement, and she is devastated.

The Wedding Date feels a bit like Pretty Woman with the gender roles reversed. The film also has the warm feeling found in Four Weddings and a Funeral, My Best Friend's Wedding and Notting Hill. Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney are very appealing as the leads, and have terrific romantic chemistry. The supporting cast is quite competent, especially Amy Adams and Jack Davenport, Holland Taylor as Kat and Amy's mother, Peter Egan as Kat's sensitive, sympathetic stepfather, and Sarah Parish as Kat's libidinous girlfriend TJ. And the soundtrack is incredible. Film critics uniformly panned the film, however, if you enjoy light, happy-ending romantic comedies, ignore the critics and you will really enjoy The Wedding Date. 

Labels: comedy, rom-com-faves, reunion, romance, wedding    
IMDb 6.1/10     
MetaScore (critics=32, viewers=59)    
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=39, viewers=74)


Secret - by Maroon 5 scene from The Wedding Date
Secret - by Maroon 5 entire song
Sway
All Out Of Love - Air Supply
Can't Stay Away From You
Save The Last Dance For Me

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