JULIE LOWRANCE -- REEL CRITIC

Go straight to the reception!

In Nora Ephron’s “Sleepless in Seattle,” Rosie O’Donnell’s character,

by way of an epiphany, declares to Meg Ryan’s character: “You want to be

in love like in the movies.”

As a hopeful romantic, I agree. And that ever-illusive, unobtainable,

fantastical state is precisely why romantic comedies exist for their

viewing audience.

Romantic comedies may be the most difficult film genre in which to

achieve accolades and success. They’re formulaic and predictable. The

viewer realizes that the leading man and the leading lady, after going

through obstacles, will confess their love for each other and unite. The

difficult task for a romantic comedy is to surprise the audience.

With preset expectations, we crave for the magical banter between the

film’s precarious love interests. We yearn for a dreamy, not quite

believable, story. We count our pocket change, excavate between our couch

cushions and don our baseball caps and sunglasses to experience great

silver-screen romances more than once.

Having odds stacked against them, some are guaranteed to fail, take

“The Wedding Planner” for example.

In “The Wedding Planner,” Jennifer Lopez plays a high-strung,

prepared-for-every-mishap wedding coordinator. She’s a consummate

professional aiming for corporate partnership. Within her well-structured

life she barely has time to play Scrabble at the local YMCA and certainly

has no time for a relationship, even when prodded by well-meaning

friends.

That is, until she meets Matthew McConaughey, a seemingly transparent

Prince Charming. Of course he has a secret, and you guessed it -- he’s

the groom in her next make-or-break partnership production.

There are no surprises in “The Wedding Planner.” Because of a weak

story, it lacks cohesion. Minor characters are introduced for no other

reason but to apologize for the story’s deficiencies. Scenes become

vignettes without appropriate set-ups. Obvious afterthoughts prevail in

an attempt to patch numerous plot holes.

Unfortunately even the main characters aren’t well developed, nor are

they well suited for each other. McConaughey and Lopez lack magical

chemistry. Lopez portrays a pedigreed workaholic but still frets over not

having a relationship. McConaughey portrays a pediatrician who withers

under pressure from his fiancee.

In “His Girl Friday,” director Hudson Hawk was able to emphasize the

conflict for women when deciding between love and a professional career

with sharp, witty and equal repartee. That doesn’t happen here.

Wonderful character actors surround Lopez and McConaughey for much

needed comic relief, especially Joanna Gleason as the befuddled mother of

the bride. But it’s not enough to save the movie.

So, when planning your Valentine’s Day celebration. May I suggest

staying at home and renting a nice romantic comedy? Try a classic: “It

Happened One Night,” “My Man Godfrey,” “His Girl Friday” or “Pillow

Talk.”

Or try a more recent film: “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in

Seattle,” “Pretty Woman” or . . . the list goes on.

I’m confident that there will be new romantic comedies to add to my

list. And I’m just as confident that “The Wedding Planner” will not be

one of them.

o7 “The Wedding Planner” is rated PG-13 for language and some sexual

humor.

f7

* JULIE LOWRANCE, 40, is a Costa Mesa resident who works at a Newport

Beach overnight aircraft advertising agency.