Wedding Bells (2005)

Wedding Bells: Directed by Nisha Ganatra. With Heather Graham, David Sutcliffe, Taye Diggs, Sandra Oh. A travel writer (Graham) who begrudgingly assumes control of her father’s wedding magazine finds the new experience might just change her take on love.

“Director Nisha Ganatra and writer Tassie Cameron seem to have most of their experience in TV movies so this little slice of the industry is a change for them. Would that it were wholly successful because it seems as though both had a fine idea for something to say but just didnu0026#39;t know how to make it work. And again, blame the PR folks for making a cover for the DVD that not only seems silly, it has little to do with the story inside.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePippa McGee (Heather Graham) is a travel writer, a hedonist, and an independent woman who avoids relationships like the plague. The film starts with a goofus dash for a wedding in which she is once again a bridesmaid on the run. After the ceremony she jokes with her best friend Lulu (Sandra Oh) who is equally against long term relationships beyond a quick shag, and she also meets one Ian (David Sutcliffe – Under the Tuscan Sun, Testosterone, Happy Endings etc), a handsome if shy young man who though attracted to Pippa, sees her as dangerous territory.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePippa soon discovers that her father Malcolm McGee (Bruce Gray), a wealthy successful owner of a magazine conglomerate, is ill, has a heart attack, and though the father and daughter have had a negligible relationship, Pippa offers her help. Of course, her assignment is to be editor of u0026#39;Wedding Bellsu0026#39; magazine her departed mother started, and Pippa takes on the epitome of everything she loathes about relationships and marriage and tries to make a go of it. She discovers that Ian is her fatheru0026#39;s vice president and thus in charge of her new and loathed assignment. Pippa partners with the handsome magazine photographer Hemingway Jones (Taye Diggs), has a fling, and becomes close friends and partners in an attempt to change the look of the wedding magazine. There are far too many subplots to discuss, but suffice it to say that changes occur in the personalities of everyone involved and the ending, while entirely predictable, has enough humor and warmth to make a good evening out of a shaky story.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHeather Graham handles her u0026#39;challengingly badu0026#39; role with great aplomb: she is a delight to watch. The remainder of the cast does their best with the lines theyu0026#39;re given. This is a bit of fluff, aimed at the u0026#39;chick flicku0026#39; devotees, but it has its moments. Grady Harp, July 06”