THE WEDDING STALKER/PSYCHO WEDDING CRASHER
TV Movie (2017)
BASIC PLOT:
Jenna Kravitz (
Heather Elizabeth Morris) is not the woman you want making your wedding gown. She has a tendency to become fixated on "the perfect groom". Her current obsession is Glenn Cooper (
Jason Cermak). He's the soon to be husband of Marci Belle (
Fiona Vroom), who happens to be having her custom wedding dress made at Jenna's salon. What could possibly go wrong?
WHAT WORKS:
*
Joan Van Ark plays Jenna's psychotic Aunt Daisy, and she does it with style. She hurls vile insults at Jenna with vitriol, it's melodramatic perfection!
*Marci (
Fiona Vroom) finds lipstick (not her color) and cheap cologne in her bed, and confronts Glenn. In typical male fashion, he gets angry. Women's distrust of men is deep seeded, from centuries of experience. There are several plot lines that work here, based on this distrust. Whether it's cheating or inappropriate sexual behavior, women are hard wired to believe the worst of men, even if it's not true.
*There are three types of movies on Lifetime. This is the second type, melodrama. According to dictionary. C o m, the definition of melodrama is "a dramatic form that does not observe the laws of cause & effect and that exaggerates emotion & emphasizes plot or action at the expense of characterization."
In other words, this is a PERFECT MELODRAMA. The characters are not so well defined, but their motives are. If you watch this movie with that in mind, you'll like it a whole lot more. You're not supposed to take the over-the-top motives too seriously, it's pure silly entertainment. STOP LOOKING FOR EMMYS FROM LIFETIME MOVIES!
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
*Jenna "runs into" Marci at the golf course. Marci doesn't remember Jenna at first, but once she does, she invites Jenna to her honeymoon luau party. This whole scene is flawed, and I'm not sure anyone would invite this strange woman anywhere.
*Scott Harrison (
Robert Salvador) is one of Glenn & Marci's oldest friends. He's kind of a tool, but because he's the life of the party, Marci thinks Scott will bring Jenna out of her shell. On their date, Jenna feigns an assault, and runs to Marci & Glenn's house. Marci believes Jenna when she claims Scott attempted to rape her. Glenn does not. If you've known someone this long, you wouldn't be so quick to believe it. Marci also lets Jenna stay the night after the "assault". It's not plausible you'd disbelieve one of your oldest friends, and let a complete stranger stay in your home.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
*IF you can understand the art form that is melodrama, and you like that type of entertainment, you'll like this. If you are looking for lots of believable characters and motives in your TV movies, then give this a pass. This is very middle of the road, made-for-tv, melodramatic faire.
CLOSING NOTES:
*This is a Made-For-TV movie, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.
*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.
