Not so long ago, Renée Zellweger was on the A list but, nowadays, we don’t hear much from her anymore. It seems that it started to go wrong for her after ‘Cinderella Man’(an actually really decent feature) tanked. Since then, none of her movies really managed to be successful and it seems she is in need of a major come-back nowadays. Anyway, she made this romantic-comedy just after her bre... read more
Description:Jimmie Shannon (Chris O'Donnell) wants to be a bachelor forever: wild, free and never tied down. Eventually, though, he proposes to Anne (Renée Zellweger), his girlfriend of three years in the most romantic restaurant in town--only he spoils the special moment with a crude approach. Anne is going to Greece for an assignment when JimmJimmie Shannon (Chris O'Donnell) wants to be a bachelor forever: wild, free and never tied down. Eventually, though, he proposes to Anne (Renée Zellweger), his girlfriend of three years in the most romantic restaurant in town--only he spoils the special moment with a crude approach. Anne is going to Greece for an assignment when Jimmie discovers that his grandfather James Shannon (Peter Ustinov) has left him the family business, all his assets, and $100 million. But Jimmie can only have it if he is married by 6:05 p.m. on his 30th birthday, which happens to be the next day. He, his friend Marco (Artie Lange), a priest waiting in the wings (James Cromwell), and his grandfather's two friends and colleagues (Ed Asner and Hal Holbrook) must find a bride in the next few hours.
When he proposes to Anne again, she is able to see right through his facade, and leaves for Greece on a helicopter. Jimmie, unable to simply turn down the money due to the lives that would be ruined if the family business failed, selects many ex-girlfriends to ask. First is Stacey (Rebecca Cross), a loud stockmarket player who's engaged already. Second is Zoe (Stacy Edwards), a clingy window dresser. When Jimmie goes to see her, he runs off after "Anne" which turns out not to be her. He returns to see that Zoe has set a mannequin on fire in effigy of him. Soon, the list is depleted until one accepts--the money grubbing socialite Buckley (Brooke Shields) who wants the money for her family's business. However, she turns the proposal down after finding out they have to have children in five years, spend only one night apart a month and they need to be married for ten years.
Desperate, Marco places an ad in the newspaper with disastrous consequences. Anne did not go to Greece; she returned home and went to her parents' house with Natalie, her sister. She misses Jimmie and goes back to the city. Meanwhile, as everyone else scrambles to help Jimmie and save the family business, Jimmie realizes the "effect" of marriage when on a rowboat with the priest. The kindly priest reveals how he took on the priesthood when his beloved wife died, and that he was proud to be married and produce a wonderful family in the process.
Realizing that he truly loves Anne and is ready to take the next step, Jimmie decides to rest in the church and awakens to find hundreds of brides waiting for him. After trying to settle the women down, Marco lies and says that Jimmie has no money. This angers them, and they try to rip the two to shreds. Marco reveals that Anne is on her way back, so Jimmie goes to the station, ordering a cake on the way. He makes it there after being chased by hundreds of brides. The taxi drops him off, and he searches for Anne in the train, but she has discovered the newspaper front page declaring, "Would you marry this man for $100 million?" with Jimmie's picture on the front. They soon make up and prepare for the wedding. One of the brides had thrown her wedding dress down the stairs, so Anne puts it on in the bathroom. She opens the door to see hundreds of brides run past. Jimmie runs up the street, climbs a fire escape and shouts for Anne. With the would-be brides in hot pursuit, the priest then conducts the service over the police loudspeaker from inside a police car as brides attack the car. Anne then convinces them to be happy and let it be her day. ... (more)(less)
“Not so long ago, Renée Zellweger was on the A list but, nowadays, we don’t hear much from her anymore. It seems that it started to go wrong for her after ‘Cinderella Man’(an actually really decent feature) tanked. Since then, none of her movies really managed to be successful and it seems she is in need of a major come-back nowadays. Anyway, she made this romantic-comedy just after her breakthrough performance in ‘Jerry Maguirre’ and it was not really good, I’m afraid. As a matter of fact, Zellweger was not even the main character, the main character was played by an even bigger has-been, Chris O’Donnell. O’Donnell was another decent upcoming actor but his career never really recovered from the disastrous ‘Batman & Robin’. To be honest, I’m not sure if they should ” read more
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Watched in 2012
Holt Movie Collection
Fall 2011, September 
The evolution of Renée Zellweger