Runaway Bride

December 27, 2015 - Nearly 10 years after Pretty Woman, the stars again team up with director Garry Marshall for this fluffy 1999 romcom. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere once again have the leads. The supporting cast includes Hector Elizando, Joan Cusack, Rita Wilson, Donal Logue and Christopher Meloni.

Gere plays Ike, a newspaper columnist who waits until the last minute to write and submit his column. Seeking inspiration, he walks into a bar in NYC. That's where a fellow drinker tells him the story of Maggie, the runaway bride. Ike frantically writes the column and it is duly published for all to read, including Maggie. Maggie responds with a letter to the editor, pointing out all the fact errors and half-truths in Ike's column. Ike is duly fired. But, soon enough, he’s hired by a magazine to go to Maggie's hometown in Maryland and find out just what makes the runaway bride run away.

Once in town, Ike annoys Maggie by ingratiating himself with the locals, including her own family. Everybody likes Ike. Even Maggie is starting to warm up to him. But, she's already engaged to the local high school football coach (Meloni). And, Ike can't help but stick around to see if, this time, Maggie actually makes it to the altar.

Overall review: *** I know, I know. Three stars is too many. But two stars is a little low, so I'm rounding up based on the likeability of the cast. Gere and Roberts have chemistry, and Joan Cusak is amusing. It's a pleasant enough way to spend a couple of hours.