By: debbie lynn elias
Every once in awhile I stumble onto a film that, although it undoubtedly will not break the bank at the box office and I may go toe-to-toe with colleagues over its “merits”, it is still a film filled with charm and heart and interesting solid performances that deserves not only mention, but is more than worth a peak at the theatre. Such, is KISS THE BRIDE.
Who doesn’t like a wedding (except when it comes to me and I avoid them like the plague)? Or at least the romantic notion of one? The dress, the flowers, the dancing, the beautiful bride and the panic stricken groom – what’s not to like! Everyone loves a wedding, er, well, not quite everyone. If we ignore the father of bride having his coronary as his credit card gets declined or his bank account empties as he pays the caterer, there is one group of people that are never too thrilled with weddings – the first loves, the jilted loves, the loves who thought their high school crush would blossom into a lifetime of love and laughter, the ones who hold on to the past and never move forward, the ones with their Julia Roberts’ moment when life crystalizes before their eyes as they learn that a lost love has moved on and is about to be married to someone else and in that moment knows what they must do – – – they must stop the wedding and win back their “true love.”
Matt is a successful magazine editor for a glossy gay publication. Believing in equality for all, his upcoming issue is devoted to, you guessed it, weddings. With a promotion campaign where readers invite him to their weddings, Matt is inundated, frustrated and even amused at some of the weddings about to occur yet finds nothing really cover story worthy. Most invites land in the trash, that is until one jumps out at him like a black cat on Halloween. Matt’s old friend and flame, Ryan, is about to tie the knot. Breaking his heart even further, a photo of Ryan and Alex was enclosed with the invitation. A photo that reveals that not only did Matt lose Ryan, he lost Ryan to a woman. (And for those of you that haven’t figured it out as yet, Matt and Ryan are guys. Actually very hunky gorgeous jock kind of guys.)
Ryan has never been out of Matt’s mind.
Best friends and lovers since high school, the plan had always been for Matt and Ryan to head off to Stanford together and then forge ahead into the brave new world together. Unfortunately, Ryan didn’t get accepted to Stanford but encouraged Matt to go on ahead assuring him that things between them wouldn’t change. But things did change. Matt never went back home to Arizona to Ryan and Ryan never came after Matt. And for the past ten years, Matt has wallowed in guilt over leaving Ryan. Still in love with Ryan, Matt has never moved on. A great looking intelligent stud, Matt can get anyone he wants except there is only one love for him – Ryan. But Ryan has moved on. He’s about to marry Alex. Which means there’s only one thing for Matt to do – crash the wedding, profess his undying love for Ryan, break up the wedding of Ryan and Alex and then he and Ryan walk down the aisle together. Piece of cake. Or not.
On arriving at the wedding destination it doesn’t take long for Matt to realize Ryan didn’t invite him. It was actually Alex. A perky, sweet, free-spirited girl, Alex is also very insightful and knows her man well; well enough that she had to make sure she wasn’t getting Ryan by default. But as Matt starts to put his plan into action, things start to derail and the complexities of live and love bubble to the surface. Not only does Alex become Matt’s new best friend, but set against a backdrop of familial hilarity and Murphy’s Law, feuding parents unite and reunite, an enraged angry sister closes the door on her past, sexy stripping plumbers turn out to be highly intelligent law students, relationships take some very twisted turns, secrets are shed, doors are opened, doors are closed and wedding plans move forward with extremely comedic and playful results.
Philipp Karner and James O’Shea easily handle the roles of Matt and Ryan, respectively. With only minimal tv or film work to their credit, the two more than capably carry this film. Meeting at the table read one year before the film started shooting, the two had an immediate chemistry which is not only evident on screen, but aided in their performances as some scenes are, shall we say, in the buff and romantically explicit. Their rapport is more brotherly than anything else, with warm and fun undertones. However, get these two together in scenes with veterans Robert Foxworth and Garrett Brown, and fun turns into laugh-out-loud hysteria with the “prankish” flim flam antics going on between them. And fear not ladies – and guys – I did ask the all important question of our leading men – Did they do their own ass work? Both quickly responded with a vigorous “yes.” That alone is reason enough to see this film.
Tori Spelling assumes the role of Alex. Fighting for this part, it was a role she was determined to play and having seen her performance, I can’t think of anyone who could have brought more charm, comedy and innocence to the role. She has a heartfelt sincerity that permeates not only her performance but any scene she is in. Making her work even more impressive is that she was 7 months pregnant during filming (creating challenges for director C. Jay Cox) and filming in a house with cats which had her allergies flaring in full bloom. Truly Aaron Spelling’s daughter, her co-stars and director applauded her professionalism and continually cheery disposition. And did I mention how funny she is playing the “straight man”?
The supporting cast is a real joy with Robert Foxworth and Garrett Brown as fathers of the groom and bride. Tess Harper is a doll as Ryan’s mother Barbara while Joanna Cassidy gives one of the best performances of her career as Alex’s alcoholic over-zealous mother Evelyn. All are really cast against type which allows them to jump in head first no holds barred with their roles. Simply priceless! And don’t miss Amber Benson as Alex’s sister Elly. So used to seeing Benson in roles of sweetness and light such as Tara in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, she really shows her chops here with a delicious over the top performance of witchy bitchy. And luckily for us, screenwriter Ty Lieberman has non-stop zingers for all of these seasoned vets.
I am more than impressed with newcomer Ty Lieberman who finds his niche with this charming little work. With flair for comedy and backhandedly addressing social issues with lightness and laughter, his characters are well developed and storylines come full circle with welcome completeness. And above all, he knows how to write dialogue that predicates some good old-fashioned slapstick comedy. On getting the script, Phil Karner immediately liked the story. “It deals with some really important themes in a light and playful way. I don’t think it’s too heavy handed, which I like about it.” Although there are the miss Amber Benson as Alex’s sister Elly. So used to seeing Benson in roles of sweetness and light such as Tara in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, she really shows her chops here with a delicious over the top performance of witchy bitchy. And luckily for us, screenwriter Ty Lieberman has non-stop zingers for all of these seasoned vets.
I am more than impressed with newcomer Ty Lieberman who finds his niche with this charming little work. With flair for comedy and backhandedly addressing social issues with lightness and laughter, his characters are well developed and storylines come full circle with welcome completeness. And above all, he knows how to write dialogue that predicates some good old-fashioned slapstick comedy. On getting the script, Phil Karner immediately liked the story. “It deals with some really important themes in a light and playful way. I don’t think it’s too heavy handed, which I like about it.” Although there are the undeniable similarities and parallel’s to “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Notting Hill”, but they are welcome, embraceable references that not only underscore today’s pop culture, but are welcome to the viewer, providing the comfort and familiarity of an old friend.
Director C. Jay Cox, who wrote the delightful “Sweet Home Alabama” steps behind the camera here as director. Electing to shoot in high definition, the imagery is sharp and belies the films’s extremely low budget. It also enabled Cox to wrangle some shots that a lack of portability with film equipment might not have afforded. However, I must say that although the end result here is more than enjoyable under Cox’ direction, he is a much, much better screenwriter than director as to watch “Sweet Home Alabama” and KISS THE BRIDE, one would never know both were done by the same person. Cox’s strongsuit is definitely putting pen to paper and creating images rather than translating someone else’s words into visuals.
A little diamond in the rough, slip into your nearest theatre and say “I Do” to KISS THE BRIDE.
Matt – Philipp Karner
Ryan – James O’Shea
Alex – Tori Spelling
Directed by C. Jay Cox. Written by Ty Lieberman. Rated R. (115 min)
