User Reviews

Runaway Bride is just a good romantic comedy. Yes, the director and the two big name stars are the same as the film's 1990 counterpart, but even though the two films have striking and almost offensive similarities, Runaway Bride has a good enough story that I refuse to believe that it relied on the success of its predecessor.

Julia Roberts is Maggie Carpenter, a hardware store owner (a laughable profession surpassed only by Denise Richards as a nuclear weapons specialist in The World Is Not Enough. Yeah RIGHT!), and Richard Gere is a newspaper columnist (Ike Graham) who has been fired for printing a supposedly false column about a woman who consistently runs out on her marriages. When he travels to the tiny town where she lives to learn more about her life and possibly get his job back, he finds that there is more to her than just a newspaper column.

By the end of the film, there is such a huge media hype about Maggie's wedding that it's a wonder that Ike wasn't honored for his 'false' column about her. Joan Cusack has never looked and acted better than she did in this movie, delivering a wonderful nasally performance that was strangely heartwarming.

Runaway Bride had all kinds of wonderful scenes. I particularly liked the wedding rehearsal scene. The look on Christopher Meloni's face was priceless! There were so many good things about this film that I am able to overlook the superficial look of unoriginality. If you just look past the director and the two big names, the story itself is not at all like any other film. There will, of course, be the inevitable cynical comparisons to Pretty Woman, and these complaints are understandable, but people who condemn Runaway Bride as a rip-off of Pretty Woman or some sort of re-make are simply not looking at the film, but only at the names on the bill. This is a very good romantic comedy, and it should not be missed simply because of a superficial comparison to Pretty Woman.

Runaway Bride is an enjoyable romantic comedy. Yes, it isn't perfect, the story is very predictable and repetitive, the direction is perhaps a little too leisurely in some parts and there are parts when very little happens. But it is a very well played romantic comedy at that.

The script is full of very funny one-liners and quotes. Whilst I had a few problems with the story, the script was fine. Julia Roberts makes the most of her role as the title character, and Richard Gere, her co-star in Pretty Woman, is his usual charming self as the somewhat over familiar love interest, and Joan Cusack is enjoyable as Roberts's friend who gives her the odd piece of advice throughout the film.

All in all, not too bad. It is predictable, like I have said too many times already, but it is well played and well scripted, so not so bad to pass the time. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of the worst mainstream romcoms I've ever seen. The movie follows big city columnist Ike who writes a story about small town Maggie who's become a local legend for how many times she's run away from weddings leaving her groom to be at the alter. After Ike loses his job he goes to Maggie's home town to seek vindication and sparks supposedly begin to fly.

Runaway Bride is a bad movie. It has unlikable characters played by uninvested actors acting out an unbelievable premise in a chemistry free and toxic love story that honestly feels more stalkerish at first than like a genuine meet cute. The movie costs $70 Million none of which can be seen on the screen and its humor alternates between cringing Disney channel "wah wah" shenanigans to folks "oh gosh" small town type humor, and to rather creepy segments including a sequence where Ike obtains a topless photo of Maggie and won't give it back. I HATED this movie and wanted to throw my TV out the window after watching it. Joan Cusack however was enjoyable and what few laughs I did get came from her. She's an underrated actress.

When a film has great dialogue and the actors to add credibility to the script they are given, then I would say 8 times out of ten I will take that film over big budgeted special effects laden films that are high on the latest CGI technology and short on entertainment. Of course some of the most entertaining films are one that can combine the two(Armageddon, Deep Impact, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark.) But when you put a film like American Pie or this one up against films like The Haunting and Wild Wild West, I'll take American Pie and Runaway Bride any day of the week and twice on Sundays. This is just a fun film and it is one that entertains right to the very end.

This is not a retread of Pretty Woman and the two leads do not reprise their roles from the aforementioned film. It is directed by Marshall and it has some of the same supporting cast, but that does not make it a replica. Hector Elizondo is a wonderful actor and he adds panache to any film that he takes on. So it is smart to use some of the same formula that made a film such a success. Gere has done some of my favourite performances in film, some of them being Dennis Peck from Internal Affairs and also his character from Primal Fear. You can add Ike to that resume. Here, at first he is someone that you are not so fond of. He seems to have slimy intentions. As all reporters, he seems to be looking for a story and damn who he hurts in the process. But then we get to meet him for real. When he interacts with small town folks, he has a side to him that is humourous, warm, caring, empathetic and charming. And in a way he is almost like Maggie. Because at first when we meet her, there really isn't much to like about her. She is exactly what everyone says she is. She commits to a marriage and then at the most inopportune time, she ditches her fiancee and runs off. That is not someone that I would choose to call a friend. But as the film moves forward, we see some of what it is that has her hesitant about marriage and then we get to see similar traits that Ike has. And we learn to like her. I also liked the fact that the screen play was intelligent enough not to make us hate some of the guys that she was going to marry, especially the fourth one. He seemed like a decent guy that was just a little too into his sports, and she wasn't. But that is no reason to hate a guy, it just means that he isn't quite what she was looking for. And in films, when the screenplay calls for the woman to start disliking the man, it makes the man do things that are just plain ridiculous so that we can start to hate him and the new couple can now get together with the audiences approval. But we don't get that here. The fourth guy never really does anything to be an ass, and he even shows support to the two would be lovers at the end. That was refreshing. I also wanted to mention grandma and Joan Cusack. Grandma had many of the funny lines in the film and she was a joy to watch. And as usual, Cusack steals every second of screen time she has with anyone. It's not just that her part is written homourously, it's that she carries it so well. I love watching Joan Cusack on screen and this is a perfect role for her.

Garry Marshall is great for this kind of film and he doesn't miss a thing in here. He and his wonderful cast do an excellent job of keeping us entertained and humoured for 2 hours and I am glad I saw this film.

Runaway Bride is sweet, romantic and it will make you want to hug your partner after the movie. And if you aren't dating or married, it will make you want to fall in love. It is a great film and I highly recommend it.

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.

Despite its formulaic and silly story, Runaway Bride is still a charmer. Julia Roberts has a charisma that buoys up every scene that she's in, even though Richard Gere comes off a little wooden and I don't completely buy their blooming relationship. This romantic comedy swings for the fences and, despite not hitting a home run, it's a movie I wouldn't mind watching again every now and then.

I found "Pretty Woman" charming, and I suppose I still do, but in one respect its storyline is contrived. (In ONE respect? I hear you ask. Well, maybe more than one, but only one that worries me.) This much of the standard formula a light love story MUST follow: (a) boy falls in love with girl, (b) girl falls in love with boy, (c) obstacle, (d) union. Timing is surprisingly unimportant. It doesn't matter when (c) is established - it can be before the curtain rises, or half an hour before it falls - nor does it matter if (a) and (b) are simultaneous, or over an hour apart. (And obviously it doesn't matter which one comes first. Even the order c-b-d-a is acceptable.) The trouble with "Pretty Woman" is (c). So she's a prostitute. So what? It's a pity that twentieth-century writers have somehow acquired the idea that external obstacles are less interesting than internal ones: it isn't true, and in any event, internal obstacles are harder to draw convincingly.

Which is why (FINALLY, I get to the point) "Runaway Bride" is a more pleasant confection than "Pretty Woman". Believe me, you don't know how surprised I am to find myself writing this. Before I saw the movie I was all but certain it would be deathly stale. The premise - love blossoms between an insulting newspaper columnist and a serial jilter he writes about - screamed, "This will spend two hours going nowhere" at me ... and the curious thing is, now that I've seen the film, I can't even remember why I found the idea so unpromising. Maybe I was unduly swayed by the last Julia Roberts romantic comedy I saw, "I Love Trouble", which was at once thin, bloated, and flat.

"Runaway Bride" is none of these things. It's over two hours, but none of this is bloat: it takes its time because it NEEDS this time, given obstacle (c), to convincingly establish (a) and (b). The film doesn't waste our time any more than it wastes our own. I was never bored; very often I was even basking in the glow. Tastes in romantic comedy are hard to justify or defend, so I'll leave it at that.

Awesome movie! A very funny romantic comedy, with a good resolution. Roberts and Gere have great chemistry and should have an award for it. Never a boring part, always action! Must see for romantic comedies! A few suggestions not appropriate for children, but over all it was pretty clean. Joan Cusac did an excellent job as well, playing Robert's best friend. Very real and believable movie, with plenty of good morals. Overall it is a hilarious movie that keeps you laughing and has you repeating lines constantly until you laugh even more. It is older, so there are a few dated things, but it isn't that bad. Once again, hilarious. Good family things too. This rates up there with You've Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping. A must see for all!

Following up on the huge romantic hit "Pretty Woman," Richard Gere, Julia Roberts and Hector Elizondo reteam to produce yet another romantic comedy called "Runaway Bride."

Nobody lost a step or missed a beat as Gere, Roberts and Elizondo teamed up with newcomers Joan Cusack and Rita Wilson. The cast performed with such perfection it seemed like they were performing as it happened for the first time. I commend the casting director and the producer for putting together an excellent cast that really gelled and had chemistry that was like magic.

I must say that "Runaway Bride" was much more charming than "Pretty Woman." I still enjoyed "Pretty Woman" but the updated version had a certain charm and a twist that was lacking in the first film.

I can't say what the twist is without giving away too much, you'll just have to see it to find out.

This was a cute film with a unique way of telling a plot that seems to have been done before on the silver screen.

Committing to a relationship means getting married, but if you are not up to being committed than it can mean you have ‘cold feet'. Well in this movie the bride to be has anything, but cold feet. She might as well be wearing running shoes down the alter, as that is what we get to see, not once but many times, and it is a funny thing to watch as well.

Ike Graham is a big-city newspaper journalist who causes an uproar with an unflattering and wildly erroneous story about Maggie Carpenter, a small-town woman whose reputation for leaving men stranded at the alter has made her a local legend! But while Ike plans to prove he was right about Maggie all along… and Maggie plans to even the score with Ike.. neither expect the sparks that fly when they finally meet!

Now considering that Pretty Woman was one of Hollywood's biggest films of the eighties, and with good reason, it was always going to be difficult to cash in on its success for a second time. I believe that ‘Runaway Bride' was trying to do such a thing. Although I personally enjoyed this film, I can see why some people might not have. It did not have the same appeal that audiences everywhere had for Pretty Woman.

Perhaps the cast was in some way responsible for the movie being a popular choice for movie-goers to want to see. Undoubtedly, the onscreen presents of both Julia Roberts and Richard Gere is a big deal for movie fans. I can see why, this film for me backs up that relationship. Roberts is a star in her own right, who deserves all the accolades that come her way. You can not help but like her and that great smile. Gere has had a very good career also. With movies that include The Jackal, alongside Superstar Bruce Willis, Final Analysis and Primal Fear.

I enjoyed the story that was presented to audiences in this film. Having a girl that continually runs out on her husband to be is an interesting concept, which was well adapted to the bigscreen. Though I would hope in real life that a girl as gorgeous as Maggie Carpenter is, would not bolt for the church door when you are about to commit to her for your whole life. The story for this movie was written by two people, Josann Mcgibbon and Sara Parriott. I feel they both

Director Garry Marshal also deserves a mention. You could feel (well I did at least) some part of Pretty Woman coming through in this film, and this undoubtedly was because of Garry. He has done some incredible work which include movies such as The other sister, Beaches and TV shows the caliber of Mork and Mindy, Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.

This movie also had some good lines when it came to the issues of love, relationships and how men and women interact with each other. The one line that stands out the most would have to be when Maggie asks of Ike –

`Is there one ‘right' person for everyone?'

I love his response -

`No, but I think attraction is mistaken for rightness.'

I totally agree, because I think people can make so many mistakes when it comes to looking for that right person. That is the reason, I believe, for the high separation/divorce rate. You need to be able to act like you always do around someone, in order to be able to say they are in someway ‘right' for you, because if you cant then there is no point even trying to make a go with them.

The music of ‘Runaway Bride' was of significance to me, so much so that I did not realise how good that it was the first time. Martina McBride's tune of `I love you' was an obvious favourite from the film, with other artist including Coco- Lee, the Dixie Chicks, with a great rendition of the classic hit `You can't hurry love' , and U2. This is one soundtrack I definitely want to add to my collection.

So the lesson this movie gives to its audience is that marriage might not be for every person. However, it also show that you can overcome your difficulties in taking the next step in your relationship, if that is what has to be or wants to be done, by open and honest with your partner. Warning: For anyone who is about to get married or starting married life this might not be your film, then again it might just be too. If you like a laugh then you should say ‘I do' to what I think is a delightfully engaging romantic comedy!

Rating: 8/10 or 4 Stars

This is a thoroughly contrived film, but a pleasant watch nonetheless. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere still exhibit an easy going chemistry after their blockbuster 'Pretty Woman'. This film though isn't as good. The characters are superficial, and the story unbelievable. However, a lovely romantic sound-track and some soothing romantic moments between the two likable stars carry the film. The humor is mild but generally works. The supporting cast including Hector Elizondo and Joan Cusack work hard to elevate mediocre material using effective comic timing. A pleasant watch at home.

Overall 6/10

As I've had occasion to say in other reviews I've written, I'm not particularly fond of romantic comedies, although I believe I can appreciate quality and value when they're there. During the pandemic, when we were all shut up at home against our will (I handled it well, but I had friends on the verge of a nervous breakdown), a friend of mine spoke to me about this film and said he didn't like it at all, because it gave viewers a negative message, trivializing the act of leaving someone at the altar. At the time, I thought it was strange, but I ended up not seeing the movie. I saw it now, and I tend not to agree with my esteemed friend.

The script begins with a disagreement between a woman from a small town and a writer and journalist from the big city, when the latter writes, in his newspaper column, about her and the succession of fiancés she has already abandoned at the altar. Obviously offended, she responds to the article, causing him to lose his position at the newspaper. Of course, he doesn't give up: he goes to that city and decides to investigate her. The rapprochement between the two will eventually lead them to an unlikely romance.

In fact, I think my friend took the film too seriously. Anyone with intelligence understands the difference between a joke and something serious, so I don't think anyone will take the movie seriously. Also, the movie was released in 1999, and we are in 2022... in the present times, who is the couple that thinks about getting married? There are, of course, but they are few in a world where jobs, homes and romantic relationships are less planned to last a lifetime (it's one of the problems of the modern world, in my opinion, but it's the truth).

The film relies heavily on the performances of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, who we've already seen together in great shape in "Pretty Woman". Personally, I liked "Pretty Woman" a lot more, as the characters were much more palatable. Here, we essentially have a duel of egos between two stubborn people who will eventually see the good in each other. There is also a very high degree of predictability in the story told, but this is one of the recurring problems in romantic comedies, where characters almost invariably end up at the altar. Despite all this, the work of Gere and Roberts is quite satisfying and will be able to please the fans of the genre.

On a technical level, the film doesn't stand out or bet particularly, preferring to play it safe and keep a very conventional aesthetic and look. It's almost like the dish of the day in that cafeteria where we have lunch every day, after work: made to be cheap and to please most customers. So we have sets, costumes and filming locations that are simply regular, standard cinematography and a bland soundtrack. The film stretches the script, there are pacing problems and moments when the film falls asleep due to sheer lack of subject matter. Much better is the design of the dialogues, quite witty and well-written.

When I first saw this movie, following the wonderful "Notting Hill," I was less than thrilled. However, I have watched and watched and watched "Runaway Bride" and it really is a witty romance. What is particularly poignant about the film is the chemistry between Gere and Roberts. Though it seems very fast, it is completely natural for fans of "Pretty Woman," who saw these two fall in love a decade earlier.

Roberts is wonderful in this movie. She is completely comfortable, natural, and highly believable as the spunky Maggie Carpenter. Gere is cocky, weathered, and attractive as the misguided Ike Graham. The plot is predictable, but the first act is snappy and the climax is well-done. It may not please most people on the first run, but rent it again and you'll begin to see the subtleties that make it great.

This movie is supposed to be hilarious. It's not. It is a cute ROMANTIC-comedy. Anyone who knows anything about this genre realizes and understands this does not indicate some psycho babbling funny, teenage, chick flick. It is actually both romantic and entertaining. I enjoyed it greatly. The unfortunate problem with reuniting great actors in a movie after already having a success is that everyone expects some great magic and to relive that same thing. However, each movie must be taken on it's on frames so there...Anyway, most will recall the team up of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in two similiar yet completely different films known as Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. I like both of these films for thier own independence not relying on the previous to get them through the next. Now, with that said, Runaway Bride is good movie. It's not great, but it is a good movie. And it touches many subjects that are life relevant. Sure it exaggerates it and makes it glamorous but all movies do and it's necessary to make it believable. Kind of ironic, ain't it? Anyway, go rent this one or buy it or whatever and then you'll know what I'm talking about.

Runaway bride, which is the second romantic comedy starring Gere and Roberts, somewhat works in its own way. I mean the script is a little weaker than I would have liked, it doesn't suck, but it had the necessary potential to be more than it turned out to be. Joan cusack was likable as ever playing the best friend role, as she usually does, but that's OK, because she really suits that type of movie character. Also, the chemistry between the leads isn't as obvious here as it was in pretty woman, I just didn't feel it as much in runaway bride. That is one of its biggest issues, not enough on screen romantic chemistry between Gere and Roberts. Some of the movie is kinda funny and amusing, but other scenes are kinda tedious. Also I did enjoy Christopher Meloni, so I'll give him a good shoutout, he was funny, rugidly attractive, kinda dopey at times, and macho, he fits his character pretty well. 6/10 for runaway bride.

I'm normally a huge Julia Roberts fan and while I found this romantic comedy entertaining enough, it cannot compare with her fabulous earlier movie, Pretty Woman, also starring Richard Gere. Nor did I care for it as much as her other comedy romances (most notably Notting Hill) or most of the Meg Ryan ones, especially Sleepless in Seattle.

The story revolves around a lovely young woman, Maggie Carpenter, who has left a series of three would be grooms partway through their wedding ceremony. A reporter named Ike Graham gets fired after writing an exaggerated article of half truths on her story, so to salvage his career, he travels to her small hometown, where he attempts to ferret out her true tale and get the scoop on her upcoming fourth nuptials. Needless to say, Ike does not prove very popular with his journalistic subject, Maggie, as he harasses her family & friends for info. However, he begins to feel protective of her when townsfolk mock her track record of jilting her fiancé at the altar.

Julia Roberts is invariably appealing & sympathetic in her roles, and typically this proves true in her portrayal here of Maggie. Richard Gere is competent as the journalistic vulture, Ike. I don't fault the lack of chemistry as much as the story, which simply isn't as good as Pretty Woman.

Of course romantic comedies are never exactly bastions of realism, but this tale where such a young woman has already run away from three weddings and is now embarking upon number four, really seems too far fetched even for this genre. One would suspect that any prospective groom would be quite leery by now, and why does Maggie keep planning these gala ceremonies if she suspects she might ultimately get cold feet? All in all, it's a cute, light hearted, & entertaining movie with some good scenes, but definitely not the best of its genre. For sure, it lacks the magic of Pretty Woman but judge this one on its own merits.

Nine years after their smash PRETTY WOMAN, director Garry Marshall reunited his stars, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, in RUNAWAY BRIDE, a watchable 1999 romantic comedy which is more than anything, a reunion of the PRETTY WOMAN stars (including Marshall good luck charm Hector Elizondo) in a featherweight comedy that borrows liberally from more than half a dozen superior romantic comedies that I can think of, including PRETTY WOMAN. Roberts plays Maggie, a small town free spirit who has a reputation for planning large elaborate weddings and leaving the groom at the altar at the very last second. When Masggie gets engaged for the fourth time, word of her story reaches a big city newspaper writer (Gere) who decides to come to Maggie's intimate little hamlet to cover the wedding and well, you can guess the rest. The on screen charisma between Gere and Roberts is still there, but this time they have a rather limp screenplay to work with that doesn't really play to their strengths as farceurs. In addition to Elizondo, Joan Cusack does steal every scene she is in as Maggie's best friend and there are also effective turns from Paul Dooley as Maggie's dad and Christopher Meloni as fiancée #4. It's passable comic fare, but if you're looking for another PRETTY WOMAN, you will be disappointed.]

In PRETTY WOMAN, Julia was a prostitute and the public embraced the film. So, naturally, in this film they made her, in some ways, even more unlikable--as a selfish woman who makes it a habit to leave men at the alter. Again and again, she walks out of these men's lives at the last possible second and we are asked to care about her? Frankly, after leaving nice guy after nice guy, I just didn't like her. Plus, this being a formulaic film, you KNOW that despite all this, Richard Gere MUST in the end marry this bimbo! You don't totally hate his character, but considering that he knows all about her past and he STILL wants to marry her, he is in the end revealed to be a total fool.

In romance movies we are often asked to suspend disbelief. I can do this and often do with films. But, in this case we are asked to suspend our brains! This I cannot do and encourage you to demand more from a film.

While from a technical aspect this isn't a horrible film, but the message it gives viewers is.

"Runaway Bride" reunites "Pretty Woman" stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts with their director on that film, Garry Marshall; it does not aspire to be art, but neither is it especially warm or witty or funny. The picture creaks along like an antiquated piece of romantic machinery. Roberts plays an alter-shy would-be bride whose actions have intrigued newspaper man Gere. When he goes to meet her to write his story, naturally he's smitten by her nearly-hidden vulnerability (she rebels at her own feelings for him, saying, "You wouldn't know love if it bit you in the armpit"--easily the single worst line in the picture). The soundtrack selections are a heavy-handed lot, from the U2 song which opens the movie to Miles Davis' "It Never Entered My Mind" improbably underscoring a romantic moment (the jazz instrumental is actually more appropriate for a breakdown scene). The stars do have great chemistry, the supporting cast is colorful yet not overly-eccentric, and it's a fine bauble for anyone in the mood for a generic romantic comedy (and, true, it's probably better than "Pretty Woman", which I didn't particularly like). However, from a filmmaker's standpoint, "Bride" seems to have been concocted from a connect-the-dots book. They didn't make this movie to stand the test of time; it's disposable. **1/2 from ****

I am really becoming tired of coming across some 'generic' users' comments about movies such as: 'With a bigger budget, this film would certainly have been better'Runaway Bride, in my opinion, perfectly belies this too many heard statement: I wonder how many millions of dollars have been USELESSLY WASTED to make this stupid, boring and absolutely not funny movie: it is overwhelmed by clichés and extremely stupid dialogs with a thousand times overused storyline. Moreover, I also wonder how many millions Richard Gere and Julia Roberts 'earned' for their BAD ACTING. But, of course, many people will unfortunately still give some credit to this piece of garbage, for the only reason that the director Gary Marshall had directed 'Pretty Woman' nine years before and that he cast Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. However, here I say: STOP! What is more important than money and will always be in order to make a good movie is THE BRAIN and I fear that this time Mr Marshall lost his. I also sympathize with probable thousands of hundreds of people who walked out of the theaters feeling robbed of their money and with others who will buy the DVD (Moreover, with this awful NTSC standard) Fortunately, I am extremely glad I didn't have to pay a single cent for it, because I saw it on TV. but I still feel that they STOLE TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE, which is infuriating me enough. So I sharply encourage people who think like me to give a 1 to this so-called movie to send it to where, despite its big budget and misbegotten pretension, it belongs: THIS IS A PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR THE IMDb BOTTOM 100!!!