Runaway Bride

What’s the Story?

The stars and director of Pretty Woman reunited for this romantic comedy, which gets rolling when cynical USA Today columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) writes an irate column about Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts), a small-town woman who has left three grooms at the altar. When she writes the paper to point out 15 inaccuracies, he is fired by his editor and former wife (Rita Wilson). So, he goes to investigate Maggie, hoping to write a story about her that will vindicate him and restore his career. Graham's in luck -- Maggie is heading to the altar again. Ike befriends the people in Maggie's quaint Maryland home town, and her father (Paul Dooley) obligingly loans Ike the home videos of her three previous wedding attempts. At first, Ike hopes Maggie will bolt from the ceremony again, but as he gets to know Maggie, he begins to hope that she won't go through with it so that he can be fiance number five.

Is It Any Good?

When people say "they don't make movies like that anymore," this is the kind of movie they mean. It is a fine tribute to those classic 1930's screwball romantic comedies. Roberts and Gere create real screen magic together. Gere displays a previously unsuspected light comic talent that is utterly disarming. Roberts just gets better and better; like the character she plays, she is learning to rise above her "excessively flirtatious energy."

The indispensable Joan Cusack, this generation's Eve Arden, plays Maggie's best friend, utterly supportive despite having to live through four different bridesmaid's dresses. And three cheers for adding a small but genuine dose of psychological insight to give a little bit of substance to the story. Both Ike and Maggie have to learn something about themselves before they can move forward together.