FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994) ¢ ¢ ¢ ¢
D: Mike Newell
Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scottt Thomas,
Simon Callow, John Hannah, Charlotte Coleman,
Rowan Atkinson, Corin Redgrave, Jeremy Kemp
Dear Ms. Applebaum,
I watched "Four Weddings and a Funeral" last night for the first time in 20 years. I remember liking it when it came out, and I liked it again, especially John Hannah's performance in the "Funeral" segment. I'd forgotten how much fun Charlotte Coleman was playing Hugh Grant's roommate, and Rowan Atkinson as the priest - he wasn't on my radar in 1994. Most romantic comedies, they're like, okay, they did that again, who cares. This one is like, wow, they get it, I'd like to watch more of this. Imagine: a script that makes you laugh without insulting your intelligence, and a cast that's smart enough to know what to do with it. I know there are people who aren't crazy about Hugh Grant. The halting and stammering. The tics and mannerisms. But you know what? I think the guy's really good. I don't think light comedy is the easiest thing to pull off. To make it work, you've got to a) nail it and b) make it look easy, and that's something Grant can do. I think if he'd come along in the 1930s, when all those screwball folks were around, he would've fit right in. I don't mind Andie MacDowell, either, but here's the thing: Kristin Scott Thomas is in the movie, too, playing a member of the ensemble, part of the extended family of friends who keep getting together at all these weddings and funerals. She's been quietly carrying the torch for Hugh Grant forever, but do you think he'd pick up on that? No. Of course not. So she doesn't say anything, while he hooks up with all these vastly inferior women, and then, well, it all sort of works out in a comical way, but, shit, she's Kristin Scott Thomas, for Christ's sake. You'd think a halting, stammering, boyishly good-looking bloke with at least one good wandering eye would take notice of that. What a dope.
Nick
