Do You Take This Man

About 20 minutes into Do You Take This Man I was thinking it'd be an OK film for mindless viewing. But as it progressed it became a real chore sitting through it.

There's nothing interesting about the story and actually there's really not much of a story. The attempts at making the film seem complex and dramatic feel like an amateur's idea of what makes for a good plot.

Except for one of the main guys being highly irritating the rest of the characters are so forgettable as to be difficult to even notice. The irritating main charactrer is passive aggressively needy, subtly working to be the center of attention and ready to fly off the handle if things don't go his way. Even his love for his soon-to-be husband feels self centered.

The film looks OK though the house it's shot in has a lot to do with that. The music, though spare, is incredibly manipulative. It felt like the music was nudging me and whispering "This is sad...This is warm and meaningful...

If you want something queer to watch and you like TV drama you might enjoy this. Anyone else really shouldn't bother.

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The primary flaw with this movie is that there is no character development of the two leads. We don't know much about them on the eve of their planned wedding, yet we are expected to cry a river when trouble in paradise arises. Acting was alright. The stand out was the actor playing Jason. He seemed like the only polished pro on the set. The most memorable part of the script was what the dad had to say about his son's gayness. His thoughts were logical, rational and caring....and not a perspective that is typically heard. Pretty low on production values as it was shot mostly in one interior location, a house in LA. In the end, the director should have kept Jason, fired the rest and searched for a better script with better character development before expecting the audience to care about two guys getting married.

"Do You Take This Man" (2016) Whoa! I must have been in an extra sappy/romantic mood this evening.....because I was sobbing tears of joy at the end of this film. And, YES I am talking about the "ugly cry" sobbing....not the cute misty-eyed variety! LOL This film opens the day before Daniel and Christopher are to be married. The tension and drama are revving up in preparation for the "Rehearsal Dinner" (but since there was no Rehearsal I felt it should have been called the "Wedding Eve Dinner"?) that Type- A/Perfectionist Daniel is preparing. On the guest list: Daniel's parents, sister, and best friend; and Christopher's two best friends. SURPRISE! Christopher's friends have flown in his estranged BFF from childhood. Enter chaos. This film really tackles some deep stuff about love, family, relationships, communication, forgiveness, trust, and committment. It is an emotional roller coaster ride through surprises, secrets, hidden demons, fear, joy, love....the whoe gamet. AMAZING tidbits of wisdom given by Daniel's parents and recently divorced sister who realized "too late" how she contributed to the demise of her marriage. Ultimately a beautiful tribute to the power of true love. EXCELLENT casting!!! Anthony Rapp and Jonathan Bennett (who imdb says is from Rossford???) bring such chemistry to the screen. Alyson Hannigan (haven't seen her since "Buffy" days!) slips into the wise divorcee role like a hand in a glove. Mackenzie Astin, Sam Anderson, Lee Garlington, Thomas Dekker, and Marla Sokoloff round out the list of familiar faces in this project.

The plot is a bit of a bore but the message this movie offers is the reason for my high score.

And that message is - when it comes to marriage each partner should give 60%. Here we have two guys deeply in love with each other but each still wants it his way! That won't work and never will.

The script is fine and each actor competent in their role. Not each as believable as the other but the foundation of this film is it's message to the viewer.

This is a wonderfully heartwarming simply story about the day just prior to the wedding of two men who love each other deeply, but still have a lot to learn about love and marriage. The performance feel totally honest. As the grandparent of a gay woman, I was particularly impressed by the parents of one of the two men. I highly recommend this excellent film.