License to Wed - Review

By: Subhadeep B
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The plot of the movie revolves around the character of Reverend Frank (Robin Williams) who puts an engaged couple Sadie Jones (Mandy Moore) and Ben Murphy (John Krasinski) through a tough pre- marriage course to find their eligibility to be married in his church.

The young couple meet at Starbucks and quickly fall in love with each other. Following their family traditions they are supposed to get married at St. Augustine"s Church by Reverend Frank. He makes stringent rules for the couple and even listens to their bedroom discussions with the help of Choir Boy played by Josh Flitter. They are put through ridiculous test such as to drive a vehicle blind-folded on each others instructions so as to develop the trust factor. They are also made to go through communication tests where they also learn to insult the in-laws.

The most grueling test however comes when they are tested for parenting. Both are sent shopping with a pair of remote-control-operated mechanical babies that cry, dribble, and perform other bodily functions on cue and as expected it gives Ben a tough time and he bangs the toy on the glass sales counter. These funny tests take a toll on the relationship it shows signs of problems.

The end is very predictable and the movie fails to deliver a punch even towards the end. Robin Williams tries to create humor in non existing situations to bring the audience back into the movie but fails in his attempt. There are many questions which remain unanswered as to why the character of Frank get forgiven in the end? How does he manage to break so many laws? How can a girl not react to her bed time gossips being listened by some one?

The script is very weak and lacks continuity on many occasions. The acting apart from Robin Williams is average, John Krasinski looks out of sorts and cold in the movie, however the young actor Josh Flitter does a decent job. Over all the movie fails to impress the audience and you need to be a mad fan of the actors to like the movie.

Genre – Comedy/ Romance
Year – 2007
Director – Ken Kwapis
Cast - Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Eric Christian Olsen, Christine Taylor, Josh Flitter
Country - USA