The Bachelor (1999)

Director:

Gary Sinyor

Writers (WGA):

Roi Cooper Megrue (play)
Jean C. Havez (1925 screenplay "Seven Chances") ...

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy

Tagline:

One thousand brides. One hundred million dollars. Jimmie Shannon is about to discover the true value of love.

Plot:

A committment-phobic man goes in search of a bride including his fed up girlfriend, to inherit his grandfather's $100 million inheritance.

Plot Keywords:

Grandfather | Inheritance | Love | Remake | Male Female Relationship

Cast

Chris O'Donnell	...	Jimmie Shannon
Renée Zellweger	...	Anne Arden
Artie Lange	...	Marco
Edward Asner	...	Sid Gluckman
Hal Holbrook	...	Roy O'Dell
James Cromwell	...	The Priest
Marley Shelton	...	Natalie Arden
Peter Ustinov	...	Grandad James Shannon
Katharine Towne	...	Monique
Rebekah Carlton	...	Stacey (as Rebecca Cross)
Stacy Edwards	...	Zoe
Mariah Carey	...	Ilana
Sarah Silverman	...	Carolyn
Jennifer Esposito	...	Daphne
Brooke Shields	...	Buckley Hale-Windsor

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #36793) | Philippines:PG-13 | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Cook Ranch, Galisteo, New Mexico, USA

Company:

George Street Pictures

Trivia:

The character "Sanzel" is a reference to the writer Ken Sanzel, a childhood friend of Steve Cohen, who wrote the screenplay for this movie.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Scenes depicting the San Francisco Train station were clearly shot at Union Station in Los Angeles.

Quotes:

Priest: It's a wonderful thing, as time goes by, to be with someone who looks into your face, when you've gotten old, and still sees what you think you look like.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Hot Salsa

Undemanding, great entertainment

I'm still not sure about the pairing of Renée Zellweger and Chris O'Donnell (somehow she looks a LOT older than him, and is way too quirky) but on the whole I enjoyed this movie. There are some very funny moments, and an outstanding (if slightly strange!) supporting cast - Ustinov, Cromwell, Shields, Carey, Asner, Holbrook - each worth watching in their own right.

Slightly wacky, it doesn't take itself too seriously (how could it, with stars as diverse as Maria Carey and Peter Ustinov?!) and plays along at a nice pace. It feels good to watch, and my only criticism is there's not enough of Marley Shelton, who for me gives the best performance of all. She and Zellweger undoubtedly provide the best scenes.

It's a classic comedy, it does what it says on the tin. If you need entertaining, then look no further.