Wedding Wars
Wedding Wars
NR | 11 December 2006 (USA)
Wedding Wars Trailers

In the midst of organizing his brother Ben's wedding, Shel, a gay party planner, decides to go on strike for equal rights when he learns that Ben is behind a political speech against gay marriage.

Reviews
AboveDeepBuggy

Some things I liked some I did not.

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PlatinumRead

Just so...so bad

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KnotStronger

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

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Aneesa Wardle

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

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adamshl

Since I missed John Stamos' reportedly groundbreaking stage Master of Ceremonies in "Cabaret," it was great seeing his work in this romantic caper. The man does light fare well, has a nice singing voice, and reportedly dances, too.As Shel, Stamos sets the tone and carries this film along. What could have been a broad performance is toned down to a naturalistic style. He and Eric Dane as his brother, Ben, blend nicely, playing off one another with ease. The rest of the cast likewise does a good job.The tone of this film, from Jim Fall's direction to Mervyn Warren's score, is reminiscent of the earlier "In and Out." It was as though the latter film was studied carefully down to the last detail--which is a credit more to "In and Out" than "Wedding Wars." Some of the situations are a bit silly, like the one-man-banner-carrying Shel at night with no one around. However, both sides of the marriage issue get due attention and, in the end, the "compromise" (about loosing the battle yet winning the war) is palatable.The dance finale with gender-switching partners is cute (another throwback to "In and Out") and the happy ending works smoothly. All in all a pleasant TV comedy.Incidentally--as of 2012--there is a noticeable absence of press reviews for this film: only one external review on IMDb, and none on either Metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes. This is too good and professional a product to so ignore.

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jilliant-1

I didn't really know what the movie was about when I put it in the DVD player. I was very surprised with the content and think that it is a movie definitely worth seeing. John Stamos plays an excellent part and over all the movie comes together very nicely. Some people may not want to watch the movie because of the over all theme but they are really missing out on a great movie. It may not be a movie for everyone but makes for a great lazy Sunday. Very entertaining and makes a valid point. The actors all did a fantastic job in the role they were playing and it was good because it ended without the Governor changing his mind on what he believes to be right. The "Gays" as they say may have lost this fight but they still will try to win the war.

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gradyharp

The added features on this very entertaining DVD of the brisk and light comedy WEDDING WARS bear watching: the producers, director and actors make the case for the approach of this quality film in tackling the issue of rights for gay marriage in a manner that could not offend anyone and at the same time create a more serious vantage from which to view the controversy. It is the only time in the 'film' that politics is the issue, a factor that makes the actual viewing of the story far more powerful. Credit the writer Stephen Mazur and director Jim Fall for a creating a frothy, fun story that has much more at its core than just entertainment.Ben Grandy (Eric Dane) works as the campaign manager for the Governor of Maine (James Brolin) and proposes to the governor's daughter Maggie (Bonnie Sommerville). The wedding will be at the waterside mansion of the Governor and when the need for a wedding planner is raised, Maggie insists they ask Shel Grandy (John Stamos), the openly gay brother of Ben, who as a party planner has always dreamed of doing a wedding. Shel is in a successful relationship with state prosecutor Ted (Sean Moore) who remains in the closet for career reasons. Shel jumps at the chance to do the wedding, hoping that in some way this event will mend the schism with his big brother who has been distant since Shel informed him he was gay. All goes well until Ben writes a speech for the Governor in which the Governor states he is against gay marriage. Shel is stunned, gathers up his plans for the wedding and begins a private strike for gay marriage, a strike that with television and media coverage soon spreads across the entire USA, the result being the closure of beauty salons, florists, restaurants, limo services (and all the stereotype gay run businesses, unfortunately). The crisis is ultimately resolved in a humorous yet very touching manner and to reveal more would diminish the impact for the viewer.John Stamos is superb as the radical Shel, but everyone in the cast is completely professional - James Brolin, Eric Dane, Bonnie Sommerville, Sean Maher, Claire Welling, Sean McCann, Jane Eastwood, Linda Kash, etc. The production qualities are polished, the story flows along at a fast clip, and in the end there are moments of truth that poignantly emphasize human rights to happiness for everyone. Would that there were more films of this caliber to deliver social comment without the preaching so often associated with message films. It is a delight to watch. Grady Harp

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Edouard Baissier Mesert

It is not trying to be a comedy, it is not a drama, John Stamos is Brilliant, Eric Dane is Wonderful, and James Brolin is Hysterical. The director, writer, producer and actors all need applause.We can never get middle America to accept Gay Marriage unless we show them that we are people too. All the Gay Pride Parades will not show middle America that Gay people are people with rights too.I have been a Radical Fairie and a Gay Rights Activist and now as a Democratic State Committee Person and a member of my Church, I am changing more peoples minds than any number of parades. I am proud member of the United Church of Christ. I believe that we need to show people that we are their next door neighbors, co-workers, cousins, aunts, uncles, bothers and sisters.

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