Runaway Bride (1999)

A reporter is assigned to write a story about a woman who has left a string of fiancés 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

New York columnist Ike Graham elaborates, for once without full fact checking, the story he heard from a bar mate of Maryland small town girl Maggie Carpenter, who left several grooms at the altar, taking off without warning or serious reason. Fearing a legal case from Maggie, Ike's editor and ex Ellie fires him. Staff buddy Fisher cues Ike to seek his job back (or earn another) by attempting to prove the alleged inaccuracies and/or writing a priceless follow-up piece. So his sports-car heads for her home Hale, where she runs a garage and designs glassware. His charms and journalistic nose get everyone to open up and reveal her embarrassing past before she can swear people to silence, from her three dumped grooms and family to her overconfident present groom, high school coach Bob Kelly. In the process, Maggie finds hating him as hard as tempting, while Ike develops a strange appreciation for the maverick, until even Bob sees reason to get jealous.

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Plot Keywords:

maryland | wedding | journalist | bride | columnist | 

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Taglines:

They're Off And Running July 20.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some suggestive dialogue

Did You Know?

Trivia

Early in the movie when Julia Roberts runs out to her front yard to get the paper, she quite obviously flashes her legs as she does so. Garry Marshall has been quoted as having given the advice, "When in doubt during the movie, cut to an animal . . . or Julia's legs."

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Goofs

When Maggie is presumably listening to the tape she stole from Ike (Richard Gere), the audio track plays Miles Davis's song "it never entered my mind" which does not appear as a song listing on the tape.

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Quotes

Peggy: I'm Peggy Fleming. Not the ice-skater.

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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 At the Movies: Mickey Blue Eyes/The Adventures of Sebastian Cole/The Muse/Teaching Mrs. Tingle/Cabaret Balkan (1999)

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Soundtracks

March
from "The Marriage of Figaro"
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as W.A. Mozart)
Arranged by Paul Mathews
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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Runaway Bride

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