We’re doing something a little different this summer for #WayBackWednesday! I asked the Fangirlish staff to tell me their favorite summer flicks–films they associate with summer, be that a film set in the summer, a film that was released in the summer, or a movie they spent a summer watching. Each writer will tell you why they chose their movie and I’ll be reviewing their film recommendations during June, July, and August. This is our Summer Vacation series! Pour yourself a glass of Kool-Aid, make some ramen, and find out how we spent our summer vacations each #WayBackWednesday.
The first time I watched My Best Friend’s Wedding, I was having a sleepover at my high school best friend’s house. I remember enjoying the movie, but I mostly remember laughing and having a blast with my best friend. Because of that experience, My Best Friend’s Wedding, for me, is solidified as a perfect high school sleepover movie. Did you catch My Best Friend’s Wedding at a summer sleepover with your besties? Did you take a trip to the movies together and watch it there? Check out the trailer for My Best Friend’s Wedding and we’ll find out why it’s Fangirlish staff writer Jessica‘s favorite summer movie.
Dealer’s Choice!
Here’s why Jessica chose My Best Friend’s Wedding.
I first watched My Best Friend’s Wedding in theaters during the summer when I was on vacation at the beach. Even though the movie came out over 20 years ago, it’s still something I watch during the summer. It reminds me of the long, lazy summer days spent watching “chick flicks” and eating junk food with friends. Julia Roberts is amazing in the film, and her character, while sometimes over the top, is very relatable for me. She just wants to be happy and find love. Besides Roberts, My Best Friend’s Wedding has a great cast including Cameron Diaz, Dermot Mulroney, and Rupert Everett. The cast always makes me laugh, and the movie has a good ending which is always something I’m looking for in a movie, especially a comedy.
Synopsis
My Best Friend’s Wedding tells the story of Julianne Potter, who is taken aback when she gets a call from her best friend, Michael O’Neal. He’s getting married. Julianne is suddenly confused about her feelings for Michael. After being asked to be the maid of honor, Julianne is further conflicted. Could she really break up her best friend’s wedding? You’ll have to watch My Best Friend’s Wedding to find out. My Best Friend’s Wedding stars Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett. The film is written by Ronald Bass (Rain Man, Entrapment) and directed by P. J. Hogan (2003’s Peter Pan).
If you enjoy rom-coms, there’s a lot to like about My Best Friend’s Wedding. Here are a few things I think you’ll appreciate about the film.
Great Cast
My Best Friend’s Wedding boasts a cast of charmers. Julia Roberts continues to entrance audiences with her warm eyes and charming smile. My personal favorite role of hers is Erin Brockovich, though she’s got something for everyone on her resume from Pretty Woman to Steel Magnolias to Ocean’s Eleven. Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz were handpicked for their roles by Roberts. Dermot Mulroney has an extensive resume, but readers of Fangirlish might best remember him for the recurring role of Gavin Mitchell on Friends.
Cameron Diaz needs no introduction, as she was nearly as ubiquitous as Roberts in comedies and romances in the 90s and early 00s. My favorite role of hers is Amanda in The Holiday, but I also adore her as Princess Fiona in the Shrek films. Rupert Everett rounds out our leading cast as George. Everett has a long history in British film and television, but aside from My Best Friend’s Wedding, I know him best for his role as Secundus in Stardust and his voice work, which is featured in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Shrek 2, and Shrek the Third.
The chemistry these actors bring to their roles truly enhances each scene in My Best Friend’s Wedding. Roberts and Mulroney have such chemistry that the sexual tension they share in each scene is very believable. Cameron Diaz is unbelievably sweet and charming, providing a sincerity that would be disingenuous if performed by nearly any other actress. Rupert Everett is absolutely hysterical as George, providing much-needed comic relief with his delivery and performance. If you enjoy watching a cast with great chemistry, you’ll definitely enjoy My Best Friend’s Wedding.
Great Dialogue
I find the dialogue in My Best Friend’s Wedding to be one of the best parts of the film. Wonderful lines like, “It’s amazing the clarity that comes with psychotic jealousy,” and “This is my one chance at happiness. I have to be ruthless!” are fabulously delivered to comedic effect. However, there’s one line that got added to the vernacular of my friend group.
After watching My Best Friend’s Wedding again in a virtual Girl Movie Night during lockdown last year, the line, “Shut up! Now I love this man, and there is no way I’m gonna give him up to some two-faced, big-haired…food critic!” had us all in stitches. Cameron Diaz’s delivery of the line is perfect, and now the nicest way we describe some girl who’s trying to steal your man is by calling her a “food critic!” If you enjoy great banter, you’ll definitely enjoy My Best Friend’s Wedding.
Danceable Soundtrack
My Best Friend’s Wedding has a fabulous soundtrack that’s perfect for dancing around the house or adding to a wedding playlist. Featuring classic pop love songs from the 60s and 70s, My Best Friend’s Wedding is sure to give you an earworm. Personal favorites from the soundtrack are “What the World Needs Now is Love” by Jackie DeShannon and an interesting cover of “Wishin’ and Hopin’” by Ani DiFranco. However, it’s hard to hear “I Say a Little Prayer” by Diana King and not think of this film. If you enjoy bopping along to your movies, add My Best Friend’s Wedding to your watch list.
Thanks very much to Jessica for recommending My Best Friend’s Wedding for this week’s Summer Vacation edition of #WayBackWednesday. Jessica covers 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lonestar, and also offers her thoughts on All Rise, Law & Order: SVU, and even NCAA Women’s Basketball. Give her work a look and take a note from her and give My Best Friend’s Wedding a try.
My Best Friend’s Wedding is currently streaming on Netflix.