Valentine’s Day is a few days away, and what would it be without a feel good love story film review? Marry Me releases this weekend, and it will be a great choice for date night. Will it make it to the Oscars next year? No. Does it make a whole lot of sense? No. But it is a sweet, feel-good story, and worth a watch.
The movie features Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers), Owen Wilson (Loki), Sarah Silverman (Wreck-It Ralph), Michelle Buteau (Rick and Morty), and John Bradley (Game of Thrones). Lopez plays Kat Valdez (basically herself), a famous musician and influencer who is having a very public wedding that very, very publicly goes south. In the middle of what should be her wedding, in front of millions of people, she sees Wilson’s character, Charlie, and asks him to marry her, right then and there.
Clearly, that is a pretty unbelievable story, so to accept anything in Marry Me, you have to go into it with a certain suspension of disbelief. Charlie is a divorced math teacher, Kat is a three-time divorcee. Clearly a match made…in a studio. Lopez doesn’t have far to stretch to fall into the role of Kat. She is charming, sweet and conflicted, though a little spoiled, and does it well.
I will say, I’m a sucker for Owen Wilson in a romantic role. I’ve seen him in plenty of comedic movies and shows like Loki, Zoolander, and Wedding Crashers, but whenever he falls in love, I melt. Neither Kat nor Charlie end up being the bad guy in the relationship. We really just want it to work out for the best, even when Kat gets swept up in some emotional choices. We hate Bastian (Maluma) though. He is the worst. Wilson’s Charlie is a relatable, kind father and teacher. You can’t help but fall in love with him, and neither can Kat.
The supporting cast is a lot of fun, and probably what makes the movie better than it should be. Chloe Coleman (Gunpowder Milkshake) plays Lou, Charlie’s daughter, and she is very supportive of the new, budding relationship. Silverman plays Parker, a huge fan of Kat’s music, and friend to Charlie. Sometimes her characters can be brash and overwhelming, but she was an excellent comedic relief. Just the right dash of Silverman.
“A little bit of romance and a few laughs thrown on top are the recipe for Marry Me…”
Stephen Wallem (Nurse Jackie) plays another teacher at Charlie’s school, who is also a huge Kat fan. John Bradly traded his place on The Wall for a position as Kat’s manager, and I really loved him. His role was perfect, and he covered the bases of a panicked manager and caring friend well. Essentially, the other characters are there to make us smile and be the push Charlie ultimately needs in the end. And that’s not even mentioning cameos from celebrities Jimmy Fallon and Jameela Jamil (The Good Place).
The previews and synopsis for the movie are a pretty dead giveaway of the storyline, and there aren’t many twists and turns. Basically, you head into the film knowing exactly what’s going to happen, but you still want to see the feel-good story through anyway. I think movies like this are important in the film industry. A little bit of romance and a few laughs thrown on top are the recipe for Marry Me—a light, fun movie that people will enjoy.
With a stacked cast, Marry Me is sure to bring smiles, especially over Valentine’s Day weekend. That being said, anyone particularly critical of fantastical, unlikely love stories filled with holes should probably steer clear. Though the characters and story are endearing in Marry Me, we have seen them countless times before, and I’m sure we will continue to in the future.
