Director Mike Newell’s (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral is classic British romantic comedy, paving the way for a whole series of British rom-coms that have enjoyed popularity in the U.S. Written by Richard Curtis (Blackadder) and starring Hugh Grant as Charles, who went on to star in several of Richard Curtis’ films, including Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones Diary (2001) and Love Actually (2003).
Four Weddings also was the film that secured Grant’s status as the go-to guy for playing awkward, slightly bumbling, yet completely endearing romantic types. Andie MacDowell co-stars as Carrie, Grant’s love interest, the only American in the British cast, which includes Simon Callow (Gareth), Kristen Scott Thomas (Fiona), and John Hannah (Matthew).
Now available on Blu-ray from MGM Home Video, Four Weddings follows Grant’s character Charles through 18 months of his life as a single 30-something as he attends a series of weddings along with his close circle of friends. Each wedding has its own set of disasters and amusements, from the service through the reception, during which we learn more about Charles and company both in their own actions and their often-droll and ironic commentary about the events surrounding them.
But weddings often seem to have a romantic effect even upon the most confirmed single person, and one by one, Charles’ friends succumb to the idea of marriage.
At wedding #1, Charles meets American Carrie (MacDowell), with whom he becomes quite smitten, falling into bed with her as they are swept up in the romantic environment. But she’s soon off, back to the U.S., and by the time he sees her again back in the U.K—and at the next wedding—she’s engaged to a very wealthy Scotsman much her senior. Their relationship plays through the next events, until Charles comes to an important decision at his own wedding ceremony.
It’s a neat story structure—following the lives of this close group of friends only as they attend a series of weddings, including their own—and of course the funeral (which is, itself, connected to one of the weddings). There is nothing really profound here, but an awful lot of fun. But the film also works as a character study on the urge to mate for life, whether for love or out of duty—or out of a need to fill a void. Getting married is what happens, quips one of the Charles’ comrades, when you run out of conversation.
Article comments
1 - Dr Dreadful
As implausible as its plot is, I actually preferred Richard Curtis's follow-up Notting Hill, which most people thought wasn't as good.
What spoils Four Weddings for me is the presence of Andie McDowell. She's diabolically awful, conveying virtually nothing about the character and a great deal to suggest that she, the actor, didn't really want to be there. The fact that the other cast members, without exception, give such sublime performances just highlights how bad hers is.
In contrast, Julia Roberts does her job impeccably as the female lead in Notting Hill: she carries the film. She's as charming and confident in it as McDowell is wooden and out of her depth in the earlier movie.