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Runaway Bride is a 1999 American screwball romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. The screenplay, written by Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon, is about a reporter (Gere) that is assigned to write a story about a woman (Roberts) who has left a string of fiancés at the altar.
It is the second film to co-star Gere and Roberts, following Pretty Woman (1990). It received generally negative reviews from critics but was a commercial success, grossing $309 million worldwide.
Plot
Maggie Carpenter is a spirited and attractive young woman who has had a number of unsuccessful relationships. Maggie, nervous about being married, has left a trail of fiancés waiting for her at the altar on their wedding day. All of these were caught on tape, earning Maggie tabloid fame and the dubious nickname The Runaway Bride.
Meanwhile, in New York, columnist Homer Eisenhower Ike Graham writes an article about her that contains several factual errors, supplied to him by a man he meets in a bar who Ike later learns was one of Maggie s former fiancés. Ike is fired for not verifying his source, but is invited to write an in-depth article about Maggie in a bid to restore his reputation. He travels to Hale, Maryland, where he finds Maggie living with her family and on her fourth attempt to become married. The fourth groom-to-be, Bob Kelly, is a local high school football coach who uses sports analogies to help Maggie with her concerns. He constantly makes references to Maggie focusing on the goal-line in reference to their pending nuptials. As Ike starts going around town to meet her friends, family, and former fiancés, Maggie becomes frustrated. Maggie offers Ike the opportunity to spend time with her, to see that she s not a bad person, that she and Bob really will work out. Ike and Maggie become closer the more time they spend together.
As he researches Maggie s history, Ike realizes that Maggie adopts the interests of her fiancés. This is signified most prominently by her choice of eggs, which changes with each fiancé. At a pre-wedding celebration for her and Bob, Ike defends Maggie from the public mockery she starts receiving from her family and guests, and Maggie runs outside due to the embarrassment. Ike then confronts Maggie outside about his realization regarding her relationships.
During the wedding rehearsal, Bob tries to quell Maggie s wedding anxieties by walking her down the aisle. Bob asks Ike to stand in for him at the altar, playing the groom. After Bob gets her to the altar, Ike and Maggie share a passionate kiss and admit to each other their feelings. Bob is chagrined, becomes jealous and punches Ike in the face before he storms out of the church. In the aftermath, Ike proposes that he and Maggie get married since the wedding is already arranged. At the wedding, Ike takes Bob s advice and maintains eye contact with Maggie to reassure her as she walks down the aisle. However, a camera flash breaks her concentration and Maggie suddenly gets cold feet and flees. Ike pursues her but she hitches a ride away on a FedEx truck.
Ike returns to New York and Maggie tries to discover herself, trying different types of eggs, and putting her lighting designs up for sale in New York stores. She shows up unexpectedly at Ike s apartment one night where he finds her making friends with his cat, Italics. Maggie then explains that she had been running because every other guy she was engaged to was only engaged to the idea she had created for them rather than the real her, but with Ike she ran because, even though he truly understood her, she didn t understand herself. She turns in her running shoes just before proposing to Ike. Ike hides his eyes, but she persists. The two are married in a private ceremony outside, on a hill, avoiding the big ceremonies that Maggie notes she never actually liked. In the end, they are shown riding away on horseback while everyone in Hale and New York (clued in via cell phone by Ike and Maggie s family) celebrates the fact that Maggie finally got married.
A post credit scene shows Maggie and Ike playing in the snow signifying that the relationship is going strong after the wedding.
Cast
- Julia Roberts as Margaret Maggie Carpenter, a woman who has run away from three weddings but is hoping not to do so on her fourth wedding attempt.
- Richard Gere as Homer Eisenhower Ike Graham, a New York City news reporter who writes an article about Maggie and later falls in love with her.
- Joan Cusack as Peggy Flemming, Maggie s best friend and co-worker at beauty salon. She is married to Corey Flemming, the town s radio announcer.
- Héctor Elizondo as Fisher, Ike s boss who has since married Ike s former wife Ellie.
- Rita Wilson as Ellie Graham, Ike s former wife and editor. She later marries Ike s boss Fisher.
- Paul Dooley as Walter Carpenter, Maggie s widowed father who owns a hardware store. He later falls in love with and marries Mrs. Pressman.
- Christopher Meloni as Bob Kelly, Maggie s fiancé who coaches High School football.
- Lisa Roberts Gillan as Elaine, Ellie s secretary from Manhattan.
- Donal Logue as Father Brian Norris, the first groom who Maggie dumps at the altar. He later became a priest.
- Yul Vazquez as Dead Head Gill Chavez, the second groom Maggie dumps at the altar. He is a musician and car mechanic.
- Reg Rogers as George Bug Guy Swilling, the third groom Maggie dumps at the altar.
- Kathleen Marshall as Cousin Cindy, Maggie s cousin who isn t married.
- Jean Schertler as Grandma Julia Carpenter, Maggie s grandmother and mother of Walter. She is an avid runner.
- Sela Ward as pretty woman in bar.
- Garry Marshall (uncredited) as softball first baseman
- Laurie Metcalf (uncredited) as Betty Trout
- Larry Miller (uncredited) as Kevin, New York bartender
- Emily Eby (uncredited) as reporter
- Linda Larkin as Gill s girlfriend
Production
The film was in development for over a decade. Actors attached at various times: Anjelica Huston, Mary Steenburgen, Lorraine Bracco, Geena Davis, Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock, Ellen DeGeneres, Téa Leoni (for the role of Maggie); Christopher Walken, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas (for the role of Ike) and Ben Affleck (for the role of Bob). Director Michael Hoffman was attached. The film used a number of callbacks to Roberts’s and Gere s prior work, Pretty Woman. These references included the reframing of the store scene where she was blocked from buying the clothes. Writers Elaine May and Leslie Dixon did unused rewrites.
Much of the film production took place in and around historic Berlin, Maryland, which was made over to become the fictitious town of Hale, Maryland. Main Street in Berlin as well as some of the landmarks such as the Atlantic Hotel were left nearly as-is during production, while some of the business names on Main Street were changed.
Coco Lee performed the theme song, Before I Fall in Love.
Release
Box office
The film opened on July 30, 1999 with $12 million on its opening day. In its opening weekend, Runaway Bride peaked at #1 with $35.1 million.
By the end of its run, the film had grossed $152.3 million in the United States and Canada, and an international gross of $157.2 million, altogether making $309.5 million worldwide.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 46% based on 87 reviews, with an average rating of 5.31/10. The website s critics consensus reads, Cliche story with lack of chemistry between Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. According to Metacritic, which assigned the film a weighted average score of 39 out of 100 based on 29 critics, the film received generally unfavorable reviews . Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A− on an A+ to F scale.
The Los Angeles Times wrote: Runaway Bride Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott script is so muddled and contrived, raising issues only to ignore them or throw them away, you wonder why so many people embraced it. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2/4 stars, saying: After seeing Gere and Roberts play much smarter people (even in romantic comedies), it is painful to see them dumbed down here. The screenplay is so sluggish, they re like Derby winners made to carry extra weight. The New York Times said: More often, the film is like a ride through a car wash: forward motion, familiar phases in the same old order and a sense of being carried along steadily on a well-used track. It works without exactly showing signs of life.
Soundtrack
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performing Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | I Still Haven t Found What I m Looking For |
|
U2 | 4:40 |
| 2. | Ready to Run |
|
Dixie Chicks | 3:52 |
| 3. | I Love You |
|
Martina McBride | 2:54 |
| 4. | Maneater |
|
Hall & Oates | 4:32 |
| 5. | From My Head to My Heart |
|
Evan and Jaron | 3:13 |
| 6. | Blue Eyes Blue | Diane Warren | Eric Clapton | 4:42 |
| 7. | And That s What Hurts |
|
Hall & Oates | 4:03 |
| 8. | Never Saw Blue Like That |
|
Shawn Colvin | 4:39 |
| 9. | You Can t Hurry Love |
|
Dixie Chicks | 3:07 |
| 10. | You Sang to Me |
|
Marc Anthony | 5:26 |
| 11. | You re the Only One for Me |
|
Allure | 4:04 |
| 12. | Before I Fall in Love |
|
CoCo Lee | 3:44 |
| 13. | Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day)? |
|
Billy Joel | 1:59 |
| 14. | It Never Entered My Mind |
|
Miles Davis | 4:02 |
| Total length: | 54:57 | |||
Notes
- The soundtrack peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 Charts on August 20, 1999.
- Track information and credits verified from Discogs, AllMusic, and the album s liner notes.
| Year | 1999 |
| ReleaseDate | 1999-07-30 |
| RuntimeMins | 116 |
| RuntimeStr | 1h 56min |
| Plot | A reporter is assigned to write a story about a woman who has left a string of fiancés at the altar. |
| Awards | Awards, 6 wins & 10 nominations |
| Directors | Garry Marshall |
| Writers | Josann McGibbon, Sara Parriott |
| Stars | Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack |
| Produced by | Robert W. Cort, Ted Field, Mario Iscovich, Scott Kroopf, Gary Lucchesi, David Madden, Tom Rosenberg, Ellen H. Schwartz, Karen Stirgwolt, Ted Tannebaum, Richard S. Wright |
| Music by | James Newton Howard |
| Cinematography by | Stuart Dryburgh |
| Film Editing by | Bruce Green |
| Casting By | Gretchen Rennell |
| Production Design by | Mark Friedberg |
| Art Direction by | W. Steven Graham |
| Set Decoration by | Stephanie Carroll |
| Costume Design by | Edgar Pomeroy, Albert Wolsky |
| Makeup Department | Hallie D Amore, Angel De Angelis, Richard Dean, Leslie Fuller, Janice Kinigopoulos, Barbara Lacy, Champagne Lawerence, Carol Meikle, Randy Houston Mercer, Peggy Nicholson, Bradley Stenson |
| Production Management | Carole Fontana, Margaret Hilliard, Alecia LaRue |
| Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | Tommy Harper, Scott Marshall, Maggie Murphy, Ruth A. Redfern, Ellen H. Schwartz, Tommy Harper |
| Art Department | E.W. Bradford, Emily Crupper, Mike Cunningham, Keith Darwin, Marion Kolsby, Paul Mason, Charles E. McCarry, Thomas Minton, Larry Misselhorn, Debbie Nolan, John E. Ovington, Rick Young, Wally Adee, David Almeleh, Sean Bernard, Kathy Brunswick, Carl Catanese, John Davis, Susanna Glattly, Ted Lubonovich II, John W. Morgan, Ted Nolan, James F. Oñate, Jane Patterson-Loper, Lucinda E. Pealer, Missy Berent Ricker, Robert Schleinig, Brandon Speace |
| Sound Department | John H. Arrufat, Bill Baldwin, Bob Baron, Gary C. Bourgeois, Jeff Clark, Scott Curtis, Thom Coach Ehle, Roger Fearing, Tammy Fearing, Jim Fitzpatrick, Paul Flinton, Robin Harlan, Jason King, Courtenay Marvin, David McDonald, Joe Milner, Sarah Monat, Myron Nettinga, Carin Rogers, Timothy P. Salmon, Bill Schnee, Robert L. Sephton, Randy Singer, Thomas W. Small, Mike Szakmeister, F. Scott Taylor, Robert Ulrich, Keith A. Wester, David Williams, Kerry Dean Williams, Paul J. Zydel, Steve Bartkowicz, Alison Sanford |
| Special Effects by | Gary Zink, Christine Onesky |
| Visual Effects by | Billy Woody, Michael Curtis, John Lafauce, Matt Linder |
| Stunts | Michael E. Boyle, Gary Combs, Tabby Hanson, Marguerite Happy, Adrienne Pfeiffer, Jack Carpenter, Jamie Sue Johnson, Adam Neuwirth |
| Camera and Electrical Department | Wayne Arnold, Paul C. Babin, Ron Batzdorff, Kenny Carceller, Dean Citroni, Tom Connole, Thomas Crawford, Jeffrey De La Rosa, Greg Fausak, Martha Fay, Ian Fox, Carlos Omar Guerra, Michael R. Gurasich, Richard Klompus, Kim Kono, Dickinson H. Luke, Richard Mall, John R. Manocchia, Niles McElroy, Dave Mikutsky, J. Michael Muro, Dominic Napolitano, Dayton Nietert, Leigh Rathner, Mike Schwake, John Seravic, Blackford Boots Shelton, Bob Spore, Stuart Stein, Skyler Tegland, Rand R. Vargas, Ted Ayd, Keith Bernard, Rob Koch, Thomas Loizeaux, Larry Markart, George Maxwell, Keith Weiner, Chris Williamson |
| Casting Department | Cary Anderson, Erica Arvold, Maryellen Aviano, Barbara Harris, Pat Moran, Lee Genick, Gary Wheeler |
| Costume and Wardrobe Department | Johnetta Boone, Robin Borman-Wizan, Tommy Boyer, Sabrina Calley, Bruce Ericksen, Bruce Reik, Fran Vega-Buck, Linda M. Boyland |
| Editorial Department | Andrea Bottigliero, David Feldman, Paul Kieran, Robert Malina, Liza McDonald, Theresa Repola Mohammed, Matvey Shatz, Jeff Stroot, Shannon Reid Wynne, Ray Boniker, David M. Katz |
| Location Management | Brett Botula, Linda Heyman, Annie Noel Applegarth, Kelley Finn Blum, Walter Cohen, Rob Coughlin, Guy Efrat, Caprice Ericson, Walter S. Hall |
| Music Department | Pete Anthony, Jeff Atmajian, Brad Dechter, Sandy DeCrescent, James T. Hill, The Hollywood Studio Orchestra, James Newton Howard, Jo Ann Kane, Tom MacDougall, Chris Montan, Shawn Murphy, Jennifer Nash, Kathy Nelson, David Olson, Jim Weidman, Booker White, Tom Boyd, Tom Brown, David Campbell, Denise Carver, Daniel Gold, Mark Graham, Jim Hoffman, The Hollywood Studio Symphony, Allen Sides, Louise Di Tullio |
| Script and Continuity Department | Carol DePasquale |
| Transportation Department | Ronald Baum, Wendy S. Hallin, Tony Raimondo, Tom F. Thomas, Jack Carpenter, Stephen A. Latina, Dana Schisler |
| Additional Crew | James Anderson, Ilan Arboleda, Dawn Barkan, Michael Bilog, Susan Bradley, Brian Cooper, Steve Cowie, Carlos De La Torre, Emily Farrand, Matthew K. Grigsby, Heather Hall, Rachel Hudgins, Jeff Johnson, Erin Kaufman, Jerry Kiesewetter, Sandy O Neill, Tim L. Pearson, Rex Peterson, Ryan Rayner, Jennifer Reiss, Renee Rigenhagen, Michael Roccuzzo, Devon Sedlacek, Suzanne Weinert, Randall Wilson, Ellen Wolff, George Doherty, Don Feldstein, Kim Garman, Grant Grabowski, Scott A. Green, Herbert Hoover, Pankaj Kothari, Robin Meier, Thomas Moore, Pliny Porter, Jodi Shapera, Sally Jo Sousa, Sara Thornberg, Audrey Wells |
| Thanks | John C. Paredes, Curtiss Taylor, Sue Wells |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
| Companies | Paramount Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Interscope Communications |
| Countries | USA |
| Languages | English |
| ContentRating | PG |
| ImDbRating | 5.6 |
| ImDbRatingVotes | 98856 |
| MetacriticRating | 39 |
| Keywords | maryland,wedding,journalist,bride,columnist |