If you weren’t quite aware, there’s a big Royal wedding taking place in Windsor, Berkshire this weekend. Yes, Prince Harry former Suits star Meghan Markle tie the knot in a huge ceremony in the English town on Saturday, and to celebrate the Sony Movie Channel, which is available across the UK on Freeview channel 32, Sky channel 321 and Virgin channel 425, are hosting a special wedding season. We thought we’d get in on the action and list five of our own favourite wedding-themed movies, all of which will play on the channel over the weekend of Saturday 19 May and Sunday 20th May.
Will the congregation please stand…
5. My Best Friend’s Wedding
Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz lead the cast of this 1990s rom-com that grossed a massive $300 million across the planet back 21 YEARS AGO! It’s still a fave, though. The film revolves around Julianne Potter (Roberts) and Michael O’Neal (Dermot Mulroney), who had a struck a deal when they were younger to marry one other if they were still single by age 28.
The film is set four days before Julianne’s 28th birthday when Michael announces that he’s going to marry Kimberly (Cameron Diaz), a beautiful twenty-year-old. Julianne suddenly realises that she is hopelessly in love with Michael, so decides to sabotage the wedding and stop the nuptials no matter what. Things are complicated further when she is suddenly made ‘maid of honour’. My Best Friend’s Wedding was one of the most popular and highest-grossing of 1997, and features wonderful performances from Roberts, Diaz and our own Rupert Everett as George Downes.
4. The Proposal
A pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds and a very funny Sandra Bullock lead the cast of The Proposal, a film that was released in back in 2009 – again, a huge hit around the world raking in over $310 million.
The story revolves around Bullock’s book editor Margaret Tate who all of a sudden says she’s engaged to her assistant, played by Reynolds, in order to remain as a resident in the United States. His character, Andrew Paxton, goes along with it all but has some stipulations, including one that Margaret must travel to Alaska to meet his parents. There’s tons more to this very funny romantic comedy, one which must be seen of only for Bullock’s Golden Globe-nominated performance.
3. Maid Of Honour
It has been ten years since Maid Of Honour hit screens. Patrick Dempsey is the serial dater and is best mates with a local girl named Hannah (Michelle Monaghan). All is going swimmingly in life until Hannah says she’s about to get married. Tom then realises he’s madly in love with his best friend, so when he’s asked to be the ‘maid’ of honour’ of the title, he sets about trying to tempt her away from her husband-to-be and win her for himself.
The story is very similar to My Best Friend’s Wedding, but tips proceedings on its head by switching the sexes. This $100-million-grossing film is worth a watch if you’re a fan of the genre – a film which still stands up a decade on from its original release.
2. Sense and Sensibility
Back to the 1990s now for a film which isn’t specifically a wedding-themed film, but we put it in the same category for the purposes of our list.
Ang Lee’s film is a new take on the classic Jane Austen novel which revolves around the Dashwood family. When Elinor’s (Emma Thompson) father dies, her family’s finances are absolutely crippled, an event which sees them move to a cottage in Devonshire. Elinor’s sister Marianne (a debuting Kate Winslet) is torn between the handsome John Willoughby (Greg Wise) and the older Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman), while Elinor’s own romantic hopes are scuppered when Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) suddenly gets engaged.
A classic tale. An amazing cast. Sense and Sensibility is a romantic story well worth catching, particularly for fans of the source novel as Ang Lee’s film is perhaps the best adaption of the work.
1. Sleepless In Seattle
Again, not specifically a wedding-orientated story, but we like to think that it all ended up with a white dress, flowers and a first dance.
Nora Ephron’s Sleepless In Seattle is 25 years old this year and is considered to be a modern romantic-comedy classic. The film revolves around Tom Hanks’ Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks), a man who has sadly just lost his wife. He lives in Seattle with his son, Jonah (Ross Mallinger). who calls into a talk-radio program to his dad a find a new wife. Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) is a reporter in Baltimore who and instantly falls for him, even though she is herself engaged. However, despite her own impending nuptials, Annie writes Sam a letter asking him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
The plot of this film is reminiscent of another classic, the brilliant An Affair To Remember. Sleepless In Seattle was equally praised by fans and critics alike on its initial release, and now, a quarter of a century later still warms hearts, just as it did back then.
All of these films will screen as part of Sony Movie Channel‘s ‘Wedding Season’ on Saturday 19th May and Sunday 20th May 2018 – Freeview channel 32, Sky channel 321 and Virgin channel 425.
