The Big Wedding Directed by: Justin Zackham Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: October 26, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 2/10
Thoughts by TSR: When I saw the poster for The Big Wedding I thought it was a fake movie. It even featured Robin Williams as a priest looking photoshopped in from the seminal 2007 film License to Wed. Then I discovered it was very real and hoped that the cast could elevate it above the usual romantic comedy tedium. Well, this trailer has made one thing clear: no amount of past Oscar winners could make this anything other than another hopelessly generic waste of talent.
This thing is rife with uninspired slapstick, unfunny jokes, talented actors looking bored out of their minds, and Katherine Heigl. None of those things result in an enjoyable time at the movies. Names such as Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, and Robin Williams may seem alluring, but don’t be fooled. Williams – who recently has done really good, subdued work on FX’s “Louie” and “Wilfred” – unfortunately looks to be in wacky mode here, and Robert De Niro’s character actually exclaims, “Would somebody just please punch me in the face?” I like to imagine that was accidentally captured between takes after it finally dawned on De Niro how few quality films he’s been in lately (here’s hoping The Silver Linings Playbook will prove to be a serious return to form).
I almost always dislike it when a plot hinges on a lie such as it does here. But if De Niro and Keaton didn’t pretend to still be married, well, I guess there wouldn’t be a movie. If only their characters had told the truth.