The Perfect Wedding

The Perfect Wedding is extremely stupid, very badly written and acted, totally unbelievable fluff. It's a gay clone of every Doris Day movie made half a century ago, but even stupider. Day had millions of devoted fans, as does this movie, apparently, but I don't fit in either group.

The only person in it who is even worth looking at is Roger Stewart as Roy the loser. He's fascinating and very, very attractive, but he's wasted on a stupid role in a stupid movie. I'd never seen him before, so discovering him is the one good thing I got from this movie and almost compensates for not being allowed to give it zero stars. All the other actors (and their characters) are as boring as mud - especially the two toothy, brainless Frog Prince mimbos in the middle.

For all those self-hating gay men who can't survive long without a fix of total unreality and shallow, sloppy, bogus, nauseatingly predictable "romance", this movie should prove almost as satisfying as heroin.

"The Perfect Wedding" presents a simple, straight-forward romance that doesn't try to be anything it isn't. The entire cast is wonderful, the production values are high, and the film combines the straight story line and the gay story line perfectly. The impending wedding of the straight sister perfectly balances the blossoming romance and drama of the gay brother. I've been craving a gay romance without all the tortured souls, internalized homophobia, and convoluted drama. This fit the bill perfectly. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Also be sure to watch "Plan B" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1408972/), a great romantic comedy that will really move you.

"The Perfect Wedding" is a film for select viewers, as the main characters in the film are gay and it's clearly a gay romantic film. However, if you are open-minded you're sure to have a terrific time watching this very sweet film. The movie is not a big-budget Hollywood release though despite its humble origins and relatively cost, it does deliver because of the writing as well as some of the acting--particularly by James Rebhorn (in one of his last films) and the very handsome Eric Aragon.

Eric (Aragon) is coming home for Christmas...not just because of the holiday but so that the family can plan the wedding for his sister, Alana. However, one of the guests coming as well is a very uncomfortable one for Eric...his former lover...a man he clearly wronged due to his infidelity and alcoholism. Eric has been clean and sober but this is still going to be a difficult situation. It's also difficult for his -ex...so difficult he recruits a friend to come along and pretend to be his steady boyfriend. However, soon friend finds himself falling for Eric and vice-versa...a very, very difficult and messy situation! Eric clearly does NOT want to continue hurting people and works to avoid this...but there are definite sparks. How does this as well as the wedding work out in this romantic film?

The film is well worth seeing...and I recommend you check Netflix to see if it's still streaming. My only reservations are that the film is not perfectly polished and 'big'...but who really needs that if the romance works so well like it does in this one?!

By the way, if you are wondering, when the film was made in 2012, gay marriage was not legally recognized in Florida. And, if you are wondering, yes, Sarasota, Florida (the location where the film was shot) IS paradise...and I enjoyed seeing that a nice film was made only a few minutes from my house.

This film could have been make for Hallmark. While it's predictable, one dimensional, and not overly engaging, there are some nice elements, especially since it was made in 2012. The same-sex romance was completely normalized and had nothing to do with the conflict. This was before same-sex marriage was legal in the US. Not all of the actors are perfect models types. There are also some unanswered questions. I'm not even sure why some are in the storyline. If you want something light in the background where everyone's happy in the end, go for it!

It was so cute and sweet without being flamboyant or over the top like so many gay themed movies are. It also lacked the 'drowning in angst' that is the other extreme for gay movies, where it seems like there is simply no upside to being gay and all you can do is hate yourself before you commit suicide or die of a drug overdose. It wasn't just the romance I liked, though - I also liked the straight sister's fiancé and her little wedding in the backyard, and the parents dealing with a family medical issue. I understand why some people wouldn't like it, because they equate 'cute' with 'sappy'. And that's fine. But for anyone who likes cute and sweet and a little fluffy, I'd highly recommend this film. You can find it on Netflix to stream.