THE WEDDING RINGER
US, 2015, 101 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Hart, Josh Gadd, Kaley Cuoco- Sweeting, Jorge Garcia, Dan Gill, Ken Howard, Cloris Leachman, Jenefer Lewis, Mimi Rogers, Olivia Thirlby.
Directed by Jeremy Garelick.
It is not as if they have not been enough films about weddings,: Wedding Planet, Wedding Singer, Wedding, Wedding Crashers, Big Wedding, American Wedding, Four Weddings and… So, here is another.
This is a star vehicle for Kevin Hart, a short, African- American comedian, with unbelievable rapid delivery, a whole stack of double takes and patter that get him into all kinds of trouble as well is out of all kinds of trouble. Hart is an acquired taste, irritating in Ride Along, almost unbearable in the remake of About Last Night. Actually, in The Wedding Ringer, on the whole, he or is rather good.
Doug (Josh Gadd) is a rather big lump of a man, bespectacled, not a prospect for a quick marriage to a glamorous wife. But, here he is engaged to Gretchen (Kaley Cuoco- Sweeting) whose main aim in life seems to be to get married, have something of an up-market, extravagant wedding ceremony and wedding breakfast. And her whole family are right behind her, her concerned mother, her homophobic football-loving husband, and grandma (Cloris Leachman) who, at one stage of a family dinner, begins to go up in flames.
The wedding planner knows that Doug has no friends and no best man. He refers him to Jimmy (Kevin Hart) who runs a company to find best men as well as groomsmen. We see him in operation, very smooth talking, much appreciated, but only doing the work as business and not wanting to have any personal friendships or attachments afterwards.
Most of the film is about his setting up Doug with a best man, himself, and the oddest-looking lot of groomsmen, who all polish up rather better than expected, and providing Doug with a past history of extraordinary exploits including skydiving, climbing mountains in Patagonia…
When Doug and Jimmy go to the family dinner, the family is under the impression that Jimmy is a priest, not only a priest, but a military chaplain, providing opportunity for lots of doubletalk, improvisation, and, something of a compliment to priests and expectations of them, often credible enough, even to the wedding ceremony.
Eventually the friends are prepared with their back stories, rehearse them, have their own particular acts for when the going goes badly. They do take Doug for a night on the town, which liberates him (although his mother had him do dancing lessons when he was young and he excels at this), but he is the victim of the kind of joke that was funny in There’s Something About Mary, this time with a tenacious dog.
There is a touch of suspense throughout: will Gretchen and the family cotton on to what is happening, will the wedding go ahead, will Doug want to tell the truth? All these questions are answered, and Doug seems to be the better man for the whole experience – mainly liberated from his inhibitions.
Of course, there are some crass jokes, but fewer than usual and there are more amusing moments than might be expected.
1. The popularity of wedding films? Wedding comedies? farces? With the touch of moralising?
2. The American city, offices, homes, the basement office, the wedding planner’s rooms, the rehearsals? The elaborate side of wedding planning?
3. The musical score, songs?
4. Doug and his character, big man, breaking the chair, at work, self-conscious, thinking he was not attractive to girls, becoming engaged, his devotion to Gretchen? The interactions with her family, the preparations, his not having any groom or groomsmen, the advice of the planner?
5. The advice, to go to Jimmy, meeting his assistant, the office in the basement? His character, verve, his role at weddings, his motivations, performance and persona?
6. The collage of wedding receptions, Jimmy’s speeches, the range, the response of the groom, Jimmy saying it was only business, no friendship? Discussions with Doug, Doug commissioning him?
7. The odd couple, their talks, friendship, the challenge? Jimmy and his making contacts with the collection of odd bods for groomsmen, the range of backgrounds, types, appearance, needs, cash – and wives? Producing their specialties for crises at receptions? The secretary each giving them a folder, their back story, up-market? The response, learning, rehearsing?
8. Creating a back story for Doug, parachuting from the plane, climbing the mountains in Patagonia…? The photos?
9. Doug’s abduction, falling out the back of the truck? Open to a different life, his skill in dancing, dancing with Jimmy? The parties with the men? The girls? All fake personas? Doug’s feeling free, sexually liberated, the accident with the dog, going to hospital, his changing?
10. Gretchen, her parents, her homophobic father and is caustic comments, the mother looking on, the father and his old friends, playing football, smashing through the group, their fighting back, setting up Doug for a score?
11. The meal, Jimmy invited as Bick? The assumption that he was a priest, wearing his black suit and collar, as chaplain to the army, his making credible conversation? His past and reform? Meetings with Doug? The expectations of the priest? The change in conversation, the interview, spilling the meal on Doug? Setting the grandmother on fire?
12. Gretchen’s sister, observing, her suspicions, interest in Jimmy? Finding the names in the bathroom cupboard? Conversations, the attraction at the end?
13. The family meeting the groomsmen, all serious, all well-dressed, social style?
14. The ceremony, the replacement priest, the deviant priest being removed, getting rid of the priest, Jimmy becoming the priest, conducting the ceremony?
15. Gretchen and Jimmy, the talk about Doug, not really loving him, Doug overhearing , the effect?
16. Jimmy and his speech, the dancing, Doug getting up, announcing the truth, the effect on everyone? Jimmy and his future with Gretchen’s sister?
17. Doug, sense of freedom, change in his perspective on life? The discussions with Jimmy, explaining his being uptight, the persona, Jimmy mellowing, the friendship and change?
