Movie · 1997 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 45m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 2.4/10 (519.5K ratings)
Julianne fell in love with her best friend the day he decided to marry someone else.
Overview
When she receives word that her longtime platonic pal Michael O'Neal is getting married to debutante Kimberly Wallace, food critic Julianne Potter realizes her true feelings for Michael -- and sets out to sabotage the wedding.
Ratings
Curator score: 2.4/10
IMDb: 6.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.18/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Metacritic: 51
TMDB: 6.6/10
Director
P.J. Hogan
Production
Zucker Brothers Productions, Predawn Productions
Cast
Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Everett, Philip Bosco, M. Emmet Walsh, Rachel Griffiths, Carrie Preston, Susan Sullivan, Christopher Masterson, Raci Alexander, Jennifer Garrett, Kelleia Sheerin, Bree Turner, Cassie Creasy, Lucina Paquet, Aida Baggio, Shirley Kelly, George Bozonelos, Loretta Paoletti
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, meaner-than-average rom-com that works because it lets its heroine be selfish, funny, and wrong. Julia Roberts gives the film its bite, while the script keeps the emotional stakes messy rather than neat.
Best for
fans of imperfect protagonists
viewers who like romantic comedies with a darker edge
people who enjoy 1990s star-driven studio comedies
audiences who like sabotage plots and social embarrassment
Skip if
you want a purely sweet or aspirational romance
you need a likable lead at all times
you dislike secondhand-cringe comedy
you prefer tidy, morally uncomplicated endings
Overview
My Best Friend's Wedding is one of the rare big studio rom-coms that understands how ugly jealousy can be. It turns a familiar setup into something sharper by making Julianne openly manipulative, then refusing to excuse her behavior just because she is charming or heartbroken.
Worth noting
That tension gives the movie its energy. The comedy comes from social panic, bad decisions, and the painful gap between what Julianne wants and what she deserves. Julia Roberts leans into the character’s volatility, and the film is smart enough to let the supporting players see through her.
Bottom line
It is not a comfort watch in the usual sense, but it is a very watchable one. The movie has the glossy polish of a 90s mainstream hit, yet it keeps poking at the selfishness and delusion underneath romantic fantasy.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Caviii (3.5★) · 11992 likes
George: Michael's chasing Kimmy? Julianne: Yes! George: You're chasing Michael? Julianne: YES! George: Who's chasing you... nobody, get it? There's your answer.
Why is this deeper than the usual arthouse film.
Jon (5★) · 7870 likes
"Suddenly, a familiar song. And, you're off your chair in one, exquisite movement... wondering, searching, sniffing the wind like a dapple deer. Has God heard your little prayer? Will Cinderella dance again? And then, suddenly, the crowds part and there he is: sleek, stylish... radiant with charisma. Bizarrely, he's on the telephone. But then, so are you. And then he comes towards you... the moves of a jungle cat. Although you quite correctly sense that he is... gay... like most… more "Suddenly, a familiar song. And, you're off your chair in one, exquisite movement... wondering, searching, sniffing the wind like a dapple deer. Has God heard your little prayer? Will Cinderella dance again? And then, suddenly, the crowds part and there he is: sleek, stylish... radiant with charisma. Bizarrely, he's on the telephone. But then, so are you. And then he comes towards you... the moves of a jungle cat. Although you quite correctly sense that he is... gay... like most… more
kennedy (3★) · 6870 likes
i would give anything to look like 90s julia roberts with her unruly red curls but alas,
vic (2★) · 5445 likes
Why did he take the ring off her finger with his mouth like that
1994 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 46m · R · Curator 4.7/10 (45.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Paramount Plus Essential, Netflix Standard with Ads
A socially awkward, emotionally complicated comedy about longing, reinvention, and bad choices.