Runaway Bride (1999)

A reporter is assigned to write a story about a woman who has left a string of fiances at the altar.

Director:

Garry Marshall

Writers:

Josann McGibbon, Sara Parriott

Stars:

Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack

6 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia Roberts	...	Maggie Carpenter
Richard Gere	...	Ike Graham
Joan Cusack	...	Peggy Flemming
Hector Elizondo	...	Fisher
Rita Wilson	...	Ellie Graham
Paul Dooley	...	Walter Carpenter
Christopher Meloni	...	Coach Bob Kelly
Donal Logue	...	Priest Brian Norris
Reg Rogers	...	George 'Bug Guy' Swilling
Yul Vazquez	...	Dead Head Gill Chavez
Jane Morris	...	Mrs. Pressman
Lisa Roberts Gillan	...	Elaine from Manhattan
Kathleen Marshall	...	Cousin Cindy
Jean Schertler	...	Grandma
Tom Hines	...	Cory Flemming

Storyline

Ike Graham has his own by-lined column in USA Today, which he usually uses as a forum to rail against the opposite sex. For his latest column which he writes at the last minute as usual, he, based on some information from a stranger in a bar about a woman he knows of back home, includes the story of still single Hale, Maryland residing Maggie Carpenter, who is known as the "Runaway Bride" since she has been engaged multiple times, but always leaves her betrothed standing at the altar. Because an incensed Maggie complains to the newspaper for factual inaccuracies in her story, Ike is fired, but he realizes that the story still has some life in it and thus decides to go to Hale to do further investigation. He finds that Maggie is again engaged, now for the fourth time, this time to high school football coach and adventurist Bob Kelly, who is confident enough in himself to know he will be different than the previous three grooms. When Maggie finds out that her arch enemy Ike is in town, ...

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Plot Keywords:

maryland | wedding | journalist | bride | columnist | 

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Taglines:

Catch her if you can.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some suggestive dialogue

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Novia fugitiva

Filming Locations:

Waugh United Methodist Church - 11453 Long Green Pike, Glen Arm, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,055,556, 1 August 1999

Gross USA:

$152,257,509

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$309,460,292

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Interscope Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (uncredited) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Up until Ocean's Twelve (2004), Julia Roberts refused to do sequels to Pretty Woman (1990) or any of her movies. She only agreed to appear in Runaway Bride if it was a stand-alone story.

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Goofs

When Ike is setting down to dinner with Maggie and her family, they are eating crabs and Ike and Maggie's father are discussing the weddings. Ike looses grip on his mallet and it goes flying across the room behind him. In the next scene it shows Maggie's father looking at where Ike would have been sitting while talking but Ike is shown still up from the table retrieving his mallet and not at the table at all.

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Quotes

Mrs. Pressmann: I'm thinking of changing back to my maiden name.
Walter Carpenter: Can you still remember it?

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Crazy Credits

After all of the credits have run, Ike (Richard Gere) and Maggie (Julia Roberts) are seen throwing snowballs.

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Alternate Versions

The titles are reformatted for the VHS version because the print was changed from a widescreen print to a standard one. the titles, which originally ran across the entire bottom of the screen in one line are now in the center of the screen in two lines, which somewhat ruins the cinematography of the opening shots because it is now the center of attention as opposed to the background.

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Connections

Referenced in God, the Devil and Bob: There's Too Much Sex on TV (2000)

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Soundtracks

Canon & Gigue For Three Violins & Keyboard
by Johann Pachelbel (as J. Pachelbel)
Arranged by Robin De Smet
Performed by Celeste Blase, Suzanne Orban, Sherrie Norwitz and Marc Dulac

User Reviews

Like fine wine, time is of the essence

Until Runaway Bride came on the scene, I didn't realize how dated Pretty Woman had become! Fans of Pretty Woman will delight in the thinly veiled references and homages that Runaway Bride serves up. This is a fun film, very tongue in cheek in it's delivery. The first viewing of the film may seem a little flat, but after watching it subsequent times, you get a definite feel for the dance that is perfected here. That is what I look for in a movie; can I watch it over and over and still delight in it?

I took absolute delight in the setting of this film more so than anything. The movie refers to the town as Hale, Maryland. The actual town is Berlin, Maryland, absolutely gorgeous and located more to the Northeastern part of the state. Setting is everything here because you focus more on the characters and the small town atmosphere than the glitz and glitter of a major city. The character Maggie Carpenter is not unlike women of her generation--perhaps we tend to marry later in life now more than ever because we don't want to make that mistake that ends in divorce. Maggie doesn't know what she wants out of life, but she has enough sense to get down to the minute and realize a mistake. Her timing is rough, but it manages to avoid divorce lawyer, right?

Drink in the backdrop of the movie, and enjoy the main characters and the strong ensemble cast in this enticingly amusing tale of love and romance redefined.