I Me Wed

This Canadian production sadly crosses the line between funny and silly and ends on the wrong side of it. Not even Doris Day in her many years as a professional virgin would have thought of something like this.

Ericka Durance after a good deal of ribbing from her friends about her being one of the remaining few who has not gotten married decides to strike what she thinks will be a blow for feminism. She announces she's going to get married, but to herself since no one satisfies her exacting standards for a mate quite like she does. This is probably a formula that narcissistic people all over the world should follow, but for Ericka this was just a moment of pique.

For a living Ericka restores and flips houses and on the job she meets for the first time her contractor's son, Paul Popowich. Now that's making her rethink the silly idea she's had, but by now it has mushroomed and a major TV program is going to sponsor the whole thing now. And what will Paul think when he finds out.

The players Popowich, Durance and the supporting cast are sincere enough and attractive enough, but life just isn't breathed into this whole silly idea. And I'm not sure why they decided to locate the film in Boston since it was shot in Toronto and Ottawa with an entire Canadian cast. Other than some lines about the Red Sox this could have taken place just about anywhere. Popowich's weekend job as tour guide could have been just as easily identified Canadian with him driving the horse and buggy as Isaac Brock for example. Did he have to be Paul Revere?

As an American, if I were Canadian I might just be a little put out at films that are shot in Canada all the time and then located in America. Even I could recognize parts of Toronto and Ottawa from both being there and newsreel films.

But mainly I Me Wed is just a very silly idea that might go for a half hour television comedy, but not a feature length film.

Isabel Davies (Erica Durance) is a happily single house flipper in Boston. She's tired of the setups by her mother and her best friend Amy (Cara Pifko). She decides to get married to herself with the help of her gay friend despite her mother and Amy's consternation. She starts to fall for her contractor's son Colin (Paul Popowich) but she continues with the wedding. She goes on a TV talk show and becomes a media sensation.

I really like Amy and her relationship to Isabel. That's the more fascinating story. Isabel's story is kind of ridiculous. She wants a small wedding but she goes on a TV talk show. Also the drama is based on very little danger. She really only has to tell Colin but she can't bring herself to do it. Colin is the perfect guy and Isabel isn't facing anything overwhelming.

Isabelle flips houses in Boston. This means she buys fixer-uppers, has them renovated, and sells them for a profit. She seems happy, and yet her friends and her mother Lillian think she needs to get married. Never mind that Isabelle doesn't want a relationship with a man, and Jim is just the latest loser she has dated.

One day Isabelle says to her best friend Amy that she loves herself, honors herself and cherishes herself. So Amy says she ought to marry herself. Isabelle thinks that's a good idea, and she begins planning a ceremony. Her obviously gay decorator friend Bill is SOOO excited and gets an online certification to perform a ceremony. Amy and Lillian, and most people, think she's being crazy. But feminists think Isabelle's action is "empowering". National talk show host Nancy Singer hears about the plan, and Isabelle goes from being one of those people who makes fun of the wackos on the show to ... one of the wackos on the show.

But will Isabelle go through with it? Her contractor Roy has a son Colin, who works for his father and conducts horse and buggy tours of Boston in 18th century costume. Colin calls Isabelle "Izzy" despite her protests, but they soon find out how much they really like each other. So will there be a groom at the wedding?

Erica Durance is fantastic--cute, funny, intelligent, tough but feminine. If you've seen her in light-hearted "Smallville" episodes, you know pretty much what to expect. Her chemistry with Paul Popowich is enjoyable but a little different from the sarcastic, superior attitude of Lois Lane around Clark Kent.

Everyone else in a leading role does such a good job, there's no point in singling anyone else out. Maybe the flamboyant Tom Allison. He is SOOO gay, in both senses of the word.

This is fluff, of course, but really well-done fluff. Don't expect Golden Globe caliber, but this is good romantic comedy.