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New York electrician Matt Dillon (as Gus DeMarco) wants to buy a bowling alley in Brooklyn, with his buddies from work; but, he doesn't have the money. To get his share of the bucks, Mr. Dillon must either sell his beloved Corvette, or marry off his alimony-collecting wife. If Dillon can find "Mr. Wonderful" for ex-wife Annabella Sciorra (as Leonora "Lee" DeMarco), he can stop payments. Making her ex-husband's job more challenging, Ms. Sciorra has hooked up with married college Professor William Hurt (as Tom). Sciorra has returned to school, and is learning Latin. Meanwhile, Dillon is dating sexy nurse Mary-Louise Parker (as Rita).

This Anthony Minghella film will be very disappointing if you're looking for anything approaching the caliber of "The English Patient" or "The Talented Mr. Ripley". As good as they are, director Minghella and his bickering leads, do simply nothing with this ordinary, predictable story.

There are a few nice moments, like a young downs syndrome couple sneaking a kiss as NYC subway light flicker. But, It's difficult to believe Sciorra suddenly dating the series of men recommended by Dillon. And, it's hard to fathom Dillon giving up a woman as desirable and intelligent as the gainfully employed Nurse Parker (a part filmmakers should have considered making an "airhead"). Second-stringers, like Parker and Con Edison worker David Barry Gray (as Pope), are more interesting to watch than the stars.

***** Mr. Wonderful (10/15/93) Anthony Minghella ~ Matt Dillon, Annabella Sciorra, Mary-Louise Parker, William Hurt

"Mr. Wonderful", predictable and obvious like most films of this genre, tells of a NYC hard hat electrician (Dillon) who tries to marry off his exwife (Sciorra) so he can put his alimony money toward his stake in a bowling alley. The film received several good reviews and works on many levels where similar films fail. "Mr. Wonderful" has an excellent cast, doesn't get too sappy, is well crafted and reasonably smart, and has a fresh and fun kind of "feel" to it. An enjoyable watch for romantics in need a break from hardcore drama.

I expected this movie to bore me within the first five minutes, but I had an afternoon to kill and there was a rerun of a home improvement show I could watch. I got a pleasant surprise and never did check into ways to repaint the kitchen. I found the plot to be original because of Dillon's machinations to get another guy the girl. He's not much of a matchmaker, but he seems to sincerely want hi ex-wife to be happy. The end was predictable, but Sciorra and Dillon are convincing as angry ex- spouses who have gone in different directions and the numerous character actors fill in the occasional boring spots, especially Dan Hedeya - I like anything he does though, so I am biased.

I just watched this on TV and enjoyed it as much for the cast as well as the light hearted story.

Seeing a thinner younger James Gandolfini with Annabelle Sciorra years prior to the Sopranos was a surprise as well as seeing Vincent D'Onofrio as a shy singing druggist instead of an intense detective or someone on the edge of sanity.

The rest of the supporting players are a tribute to the talent pool available to producers who need to fill background roles with actors with as much talent as the leads.

Luis Guzman does a great job as always along with Dan Hedaya, Bruce Kirby and William Hurt. There is even a too brief appearance by Saverio Guerra as the landscaper driving the truck. If you wondered where you saw him before it was as the laughable Bob character on Ted Danson's enjoyable series Becker.

this is a passive movie by ace director anthony minghella, the movie has an awesome star cast and they all give competent performances early in their careers.

the movie does not have much of a plot and though the story seems veers to a cliched and predictable end, there are enough minor twists that abound in the movie, making it quite an enjoyable watch. the standout features of the movie include its tight script, terrific lines and smart performances.

the plot in itself is no great shakes but this movie is a fun watch for a relaxed evening.

an enjoyable and pleasant 7!

This is a very pleasant romantic comedy with a good cast, lots of good performances. Look for James Gandolfini in an earlier role as a shy lover.. .The premise is very believable. Matt Dillon's character is divorced, has killer alimony payments, but would like to invest in a bowling alley with his buddies. He has a girlfriend with a child, but hasn't quite committed. He has minor quarrels with his ex-wife, and it truly looks like there is no love lost between them! The plan is to find her a husband, a Mr. Wonderful, so he won't have to pay alimony any more, but when she finds one, he discovers he wants her back, says the video jacket. Matt Dillon puts in a very convincing performance as a working man, "fix-it" kind of guy who doesn't understand his more intellectual ex-wife; Annabella Sciorra is wonderful as his ex-wife, going to college and working with plants; William Hurt puts in a great performance as her married professor and lover; and Vincent D'Onofrio is excellent as the pharmacist who remembers her from high school. But I didn't feel that the ending was convincing, unlike other great romantic comedies, like "You've Got Mail", "While You Were Sleeping", or "Sleepless in Seattle".

Mr. Wonderful is a fun underrated movie with such a good cast. Thinking it was going to quick "time killer " while I enjoyed my cup of coffee. It's funny and romantic. Seeing a young James Gandoldini with Annabella Sciorra on a date was a good surprise. (Future lovers on The Sopranos) Being a big fan of the TV show it was such a treat . But other then that Matt Dillon the Star of the movie is surrounded by such a great cast. Mary Louise Parker , William Hurt , Vincent D'Onofrio, Dan Hedaya, and Luis Guzman. I think it's underrated in spite of the

Matt Dillion plays a electrician who wants to buy a bowling alley but just can't afford because of the Alimony dues to his ex wife. So he takes the task to play match maker for his wife. Such a funny romantic movie to kick it with the girlfriend/date. I believe it's a underrated movie in spite of the 52% Rotten Tomatoes Meter. Well I liked it.

It's true, this is not a well cast movie. Matt Dillon seems to schlump through it, and has very little chemistry with Annabella Sciorra- HOWEVER! The supporting roles are delightful. Mary Louise Parker, so good in Naked in New York and Fried Green Tamales, shines here and makes you wish she'd played the lead. As does Vincent D'Onofrio. The guy who directed The English Patient made this many years before, and he's obviously become a much better film maker. This is a remake of a foreign film, I think from Brazil, but it doesn't really come together.

Perhaps I am a little late with my writeup of this, a favoured movie in my specially selected permanent collection. I have read the other reviews, however I cannot agree, because this is a BIG hearted not light hearted comedy drama, and there is PLENTY of chemistry between the stars Annabella Sciorra and Matt Dillon. She is just lovely to look at, beautiful and totally believable. Mary Louise Parker is also delicious, the acting is great, the storyline very likable, timeless, then and now. Mr Minghella became famous with the recent Breaking and Entering, The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley but I like this one very much. Others in the cast warmly supportive, include William Hurt and Dan Hedaya. James Gandolfini has a simple non violent role, Vincent D'Onofrio is absolutely wonderful in his adoring song to Ms Sciorra. His performance jumps out at you, Oh Vincent... your eyes will water. You have the price of the movie in that one scene. If you are into relationships, you will appreciate it... falling in love, being in love, two people living together, then drifting apart, you just want them to get back together again. It's a romantic fantasy for adults. Take my advice, rent it, buy it. Comment from Malcolm in Toronto 30th June 2007

Anthony Minghella's sophomore feature, and easily his least well known film. It's not too hard to see why. It seems like a pretty generic romantic comedy. I would say that's being unfair, though, as the characters are a little better written than you would expect from the genre, and there is a little more emotional connection, too. But, in the end, it opts for formula instead of trying to figure out a more believable solution. It should be mentioned that this is the only film Minghella directed in which he didn't have a hand in the screenplay. The film stars Matt Dillon and Annabella Sciorra as a divorced couple. Sciorra relies on alimony payments to live, and Dillon is unable to move forward in his current relationship with Mary Louise Parker or to invest in a bowling alley which his friends want to buy. The solution: find a suitable partner for the ex to marry, thus ending alimony. For a long time, it didn't seem like the movie was lame enough to have Dillon fall for his ex-wife, but, alas, that's what eventually happens. Personally, I was so smitten by Mary Louise Parker that I was especially disappointed. Then again, Dillon does come off as kind of a jerk, so I guess I didn't really care with whom he ended up. It's still moderately entertaining, but the straw that breaks the camel's back is the transcendently awful smooth jazz score. Apparently, the composer isn't even listed in the credits (at least IMDb doesn't list who wrote it), but this person deserves to be beaten.

This movie is very cute and Matt Dillon is, of course, very good.He plays his role as an electrician very well. The role of his friend is also played very well and strangely enough the two love interests of his ex-wife's were very well acted( the professor and the pharmacist.)However, his girlfriend and his wife, in my opinion, were not well cast at all and neither one had much chemistry with Dillon. The girlfriend came off as whiny and the wife as a helpless sap at times. However, I enjoyed the film. It was clever and romantic.

A Con Edison electrician in Manhattan (Matt Dillon) needs money to buy/renovate a bowling alley with his four partners and so tries to find a husband for his ex-wife (Annabella Sciorra) so he can stop paying alimony. Mary-Louise Parker plays his girlfriend while William Hurt appears as the ex's beau, a college professor. Vincent D'Onofrio is also on hand.

"Mr. Wonderful" (1993) is a solid enough romantic drama with some amusing touches set in the Big Apple. It's a great movie to see Manhattan in the early 90s, big hair and all (e.g. Sciorra). It successfully establishes the main characters and you buy into their story.

On top of this you get Parker at the height of her beauty, which the director doesn't fail to tastefully display on a few occasions. Speaking of the director, Anthony Minghella would go on to direct notable films like "The English Patient" (1996) and "Cold Mountain" (2003). Unfortunately he died prematurely at the age of 54 from a hemorrhage following surgery to remove tonsils & neck cancer.

The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot in Manhattan & points nearby.

GRADE: B-

Wonderful comic acting, well-played....it perfectly meets the expectations you'd have of a pure entertainment romantic comedy. Matt Dillon is especially good and displays a depth to his acting that had yet to be seen when this was first released. A little gem that deserves to be seen.

Okay so this is not Oscar material, but it is a sweet film just the same. I count this as one of my favorite movies, although let me state I have about 1,000 favorites! Coming from an Italian family I feel like I know these characters so well- Matt Dillon is adorable and very believable as Gus, the guy who needs to stop paying alimony to his ex-wife Lee so he can go into a business opportunity with his friends. Gus realizes the only thing to do is find Lee a new husband...a Mr. Wonderful! This of course leads to some very funny situations- The supporting cast is also great with Vincent Dinofrio (Law & Order-Criminal Intent)in one of his early roles. A terrific romantic comedy!

As if you can't tell what's gonna happen right from the beginning. The plot is: A divorced man named Gus (Matt Dillon) wants to marry off his ex-wife (Annabella Sciorra) so that he can stop paying alimony and buy into a deal to replenish a bowling alley. Meanwhile, his set-ups lead to many disappointments and disaster dates. It also causes him trouble with his girlfriend (Mary-Louise Parker) who eventually breaks up with him. This movie is so predictable it hurts. There are so many dead-giveaways to the ending that even I could predict it. (Tee-hee.) Besides a few almost-humorous moments, this movie is boring, lifeless, and mediocre. The performances are OK, however there is no real chemistry between the characters and we don't get to see much character development. I swear, if it weren't for that adorable Matt Dillon, I would never watch this movie.

This film deserves ten stars just for the great music.

I don't understand the low reviews here for this fine work by Anthony Minghella. The only weak point in the film for me was Annbella Sciora. Matt Dillon was perfect as the working class hero and his boys were all fun to watch. Luis Guzmán was brilliant as always although he was a minor player, as always. This was the first time I saw Mary-Louise Parker and she was perfect as the great girl but taken on the rebound. I love the fact that they all have regular jobs with a working class dream of buying a bowling alley. Why is it so hard for Hollywood to portray middle and lower middle class people in films? It's sort of a dumb premise but the film goes way beyond that initial tagline.

Compare this to most rom-coms with their completely moronic premises and nothing-to-say stories, and I think this little movie fares well. Even the music is cute. The dumb part about trying to fix up his ex so that he doesn't have to pay alimony should have been scrapped because the film didn't need it, and in its defense, they didn't take it too far.

Matt Dillon plays Gus, a divorced man who works as a city electrician. The main drain on his finances is the alimony and school tuition he is paying his ex-wife. When some co-workers wish for him to be part of their plan to purchase a bowling alley, Gus realizes he can't fiscally join the group unless he is able to marry off his former wife. Hence, he begins a search for "Mr. Wonderful". Meanwhile, his ex-wife Leonora is involved with a handsome, married college professor who has no intention of getting a divorce; Gus' new girlfriend resents the time he is spending away from her. Is there a way out of this tangled mess?

While the principal actors do an effective job in their roles, the movie is agonizingly slow-paced and without much humor. The main characters are also unsympathetic and never give the viewer a chance to get caught up in their lives. There is a surprise ending but, not many viewers will stick it out to discover what it is. Recommended only for Matt Dillon fans and for those with indiscriminate movie tastes.

I watched this movie for the first time tonight in November 2021, almost 30 years after it was made. I loved it.

The cast was excellent, the themes were very relevant and the characters strangely relatable. Some have complained about a predictable plot. I somewhat agree with this, but can't say that I come across many movies where the ex-husband is trying to find ex-wife a new husband. I found it kind of hilarious.

I love the evolution of the main characters and their relationship. It's wonderful to watch people grow and realise important things about themselves, whatever the future may hold. Would recommend.