Reviewed by Jo Wood
Stars Robin WIlliams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Eric Christian Olsen, Christine Taylor,
DeRay Davis, Peter Strauss
Written by Kim Barker, Tim Rasmussen
Certification UK 12A | US PG-13
Runtime 90 minutes
Directed by Ken Kwapis
In recent years I've not been particularly enamored of Robin William's over-acting and often unfunny ad-libs, so it was nice to see an iota of restraint from him in this movie. Williams plays Reverend Frank, a family minister obsessed with readying young couples for marriage (think "carrying your bride over the threshold" lessons). So when Ben (Kransinski) proposes to Sadie (Moore) he is unprepared for the three-week grilling he endures so that they can wed in his fiancé's chosen church, St Augustines.
Rev. Frank proceeds to put the happy couple through their paces in some bizarre ways: causing arguments where once they didn't exist, putting a dampener on their sex life (rule number two, to rule number one's "write your own wedding vows") and manufacturing a rift with the in-laws. They're bugged, followed and generally intruded upon until Ben's nerves are so tattered he finds himself unable to write his all-important vows. At one point Ben and Sadie are given creepy (to say the least) prosthetic full bodily-functioning twins to take care of, resulting in some true comedy moments from Kransinski.
Talking of Kransinski, I keep wanting to call him Tim — and that's no coincidence, as his credits include playing the transatlantic reincarnation of Britain's beloved Tim from The Office. And my word, their similarities almost led me to distraction. His acting is particularly solid, given the material, and plays the only character I felt any affection for. Unlike the oh-so-tepid Sadie, who is supposed to be strong-minded and "organised" but comes across as weak and annoying. Genius casting comes, however, in the unlikely guise of Josh Flitter as the less-than-evangelical choir boy, or "Minister in Training". As the Reverend's henchman, this little bully is utterly terrifying.
There are some gems to be enjoyed — God's 11th commandment: don't be late; Ben's relationship with his best (married) friend Joel (Davis); and a surprise nod to us Brits as Paulo Nutini's These Streets strums out of a jukebox during a pub scene. This is the weaker cousin of super-funny Meet the Parents, a rom-nearly-com, as predictable as daybreak and cheesy as Wotsits. Licence to Wed is non-offensive and feel-good, but in parts tepid and banal.
• Official Site
• Licence to Wed at IMDb
• Watch the trailer: WMV | RM | QT
• Take the Licence to Wed Compatibility Test