The Wedding Planner (released in theaters on January 26, 2001) is a quintessential early-aughts romantic comedy that helped define the visual and narrative language of the genre for a new millennium. Directed by Adam Shankman, the film is a polished, saccharine, and ultimately irresistible fairy tale set against a backdrop of San Francisco high society.
It arrived at a pivotal moment for its lead actors, successfully transitioning its stars from rising talents to undeniable icons of the “rom-com” era. With its focus on the meticulous details of love and the messy reality of timing, the film balances slapstick humor with a genuine, starry-eyed sentimentality.
Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) is San Francisco’s most successful and ruthlessly organized wedding planner.
She lives by a strict set of rules, believing that those who create the “happily ever after” for others rarely find it for themselves.
Her career-driven life is upended when her Gucci heel gets stuck in a manhole cover, leading to a heroic rescue by a charming pediatrician named Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey).
After a magical, impromptu evening together at an outdoor cinema, Mary believes she has finally found “the one.”
However, the bubble bursts when Mary discovers that Steve is actually the groom for the biggest account of her career: the wedding of the wealthy and demanding Fran Donolly (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras).
Forced to plan the nuptials of the man she loves, Mary must navigate a minefield of professional duty and personal heartbreak.
The chaos is aided and abetted by her eccentric assistant Penny (Judy Greer), her traditionalist father Salvatore (Alex Rocco), and a childhood acquaintance, Massimo (Justin Chambers), whom Mary’s father is desperate for her to marry.
The supporting cast, featuring Kevin Pollak, Fred Willard, Charles Kimbrough and Kathy Najimy, provides a comedic framework as Mary and Steve struggle to suppress their feelings during cake tastings and dance lessons.
As the wedding of the year approaches, Mary must decide if she will follow her professional schedule or finally take a chance on the unpredictable nature of true love.
Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner (Photo/Sony Pictures)
Reception for The Wedding Planner
The Wedding Planner grossed $13.5 million on its opening weekend, finishing No. 1 at the box office.
The film would gross $94.7 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
The Wedding Planner is cemented by its historical box office achievement; Lopez became the first woman to have a number-one movie and a number-one album (J.Lo) in the same week, a feat that solidified her status as a global superstar.
It is also remembered for launching McConaughey’s highly successful run as the king of romantic comedies, a “McConaissance” of a different sort that defined the first decade of his career.
The film is celebrated for its impeccable costume design and for establishing the “workaholic woman finds love” trope that would be emulated throughout the 2000s.
The Wedding Planner is viewed as a definitive artifact of Y2K cinema, praised for its chemistry-fueled leads and its unapologetic commitment to the joy of a happy ending.
