License to Wed (2007)

A reverend puts an engaged couple through a grueling marriage preparation course to see if they are meant to be married in his church.

Director:

Ken Kwapis

Writers:

Kim Barker (screenplay), Tim Rasmussen (screenplay)

Stars:

Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Robin Williams

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Williams	...	Reverend Frank
Mandy Moore	...	Sadie Jones
John Krasinski	...	Ben Murphy
Eric Christian Olsen	...	Carlisle
Christine Taylor	...	Lindsey Jones
Josh Flitter	...	Choir Boy
DeRay Davis	...	Joel
Peter Strauss	...	Mr. Jones
Grace Zabriskie	...	Grandma Jones
Roxanne Hart	...	Mrs. Jones
Mindy Kaling	...	Shelly
Angela Kinsey	...	Judith the Jewelry Clerk
Rachael Harris	...	Janine
Brian Baumgartner	...	Jim
Jess Rosenthal	...	Jewelry Clerk

Storyline

Sadie and Ben are in love, and although Ben suggests getting married in the Caribbean, Sadie has her heart set on a wedding at the family church, St. Augustine's. Ben says sure, and they meet with the pastor, Rev. Frank. The only date open for two years is three weeks away, and Frank insists the kids go through his marriage prep course. They're to write their own vows; he also demands chastity, bugs their apartment, initiates arguments, has them care for robot twins, creates friction between Ben and her family, and raises doubts in Sadie. Desperate, Ben looks for dirt on Frank. Can he undermine Frank's authority and keep Sadie's heart?

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Plot Keywords:

church | wedding | kiss | usa | wedding reception | 

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Taglines:

First came love... then came Reverend Frank.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual humor and language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [France] Warner Bros [United States]

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Licencia para casarse

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,422,258, 8 July 2007

Gross USA:

$43,799,818

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$69,327,279

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Robert Simonds Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Mandy Moore and Robin worked with Disney 3 times. Mandy for The Princess Diaries,Brother Bear 2 and Tangled while Robin was in Aladdin,King Of Thieves and Bicentennial Man.

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Goofs

During the scene where the couple first meet the Pastor, the pastor's Family Feud-esque Board has 10 answers, but his controller has only one button. Therefore, he shouldn't be able to select between the different panels when they need to be flipped. It may be arguable that he could have it set to reveal in a predetermined order, but it's doubtful, considering that it seems like some answers were given in random order (Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife and Thou shalt not kill).

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Quotes

Reverend Frank: Sadie Jones? Little Sadie Jones! How you've grown.
Sadie Jones: Well, yeah.
Reverend Frank: And now my Sadie Jones is gonna tie the knot.
Sadie Jones: I am. I'm so sorry I haven't been around for the last, like...
Reverend Frank: Ten years.
Sadie Jones: Yeah. I've just been trying to get my business started, and...
Reverend Frank: Oh, please. Please. You go to a liberate college, you have a bisexual rommate, you forget about God. Don't sweat it. He doesn't forget about you.
Sadie Jones: Yay!
[laughs nervously]

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Connections

References Jerry Maguire (1996)

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Soundtracks

Stop in the Name of Love
Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland (as Edward Holland, Jr.)

User Reviews

Not so much

This movie was a bit of a bore. I walked in rather neutral with my expectations, and after the first 10 minutes realized that this ball of cheese was not for me. I sat through it all, for the sake of the company I was with.

Mandy Moore and John Krasinski are cute, but very flat characters. There is little or no character development in this film. Robin Williams as Reverend Frank tries to save the show with his humorous antics, but was unfortunately cliché in his attempts. The little boy, Josh Flitter, does an excellent job as the annoyingly forthright "minister in training", as do the other children playing minor roles, but the overall attempt was bland.

The movie neither humorously avoids morals, nor does it end with moral enlightenment. The "lesson" in the end is weak and predictable.

If you're looking for something heartwarming, inspiring, or thought-provoking, turn elsewhere. If you'd like a few cheap laughs with a weak storyline, this could be your film.

I rate it a 2 out of 10.