After a gay party planner discovers his brother is behind the governor’s speech against gay marriage, he decides to go on strike for equal rights.
Wedding Wars (2006)
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Since I missed John Stamos’ reportedly groundbreaking stage Master of Ceremonies in “Cabaret,” it was great seeing his work in this romantic caper. The man does light fare well, has a nice singing voice, and reportedly dances, too.
As Shel, Stamos sets the tone and carries this film along. What could have been a broad performance is toned down to a naturalistic style. He and Eric Dane as his brother, Ben, blend nicely, playing off one another with ease. The rest of the cast likewise does a good job.
The tone of this film, from Jim Fall’s direction to Mervyn Warren’s score, is reminiscent of the earlier “In and Out.” It was as though the latter film was studied carefully down to the last detail–which is a credit more to “In and Out” than “Wedding Wars.” Some of the situations are a bit silly, like the one-man-banner-carrying Shel at night with no one around. However, both sides of the marriage issue get due attention and, in the end, the “compromise” (about loosing the battle yet winning the war) is palatable.
The dance finale with gender-switching partners is cute (another throwback to “In and Out”) and the happy ending works smoothly. All in all a pleasant TV comedy.
About
Wedding Wars is a 2006 LGBT romantic comedy film about gay marriage, but also family and politics. It handles a very sensitive emotional issue both lightly and seriously. It stars John Stamos as the lead character, wedding planner Shel, Eric Dane as his brother, James Brolin as the Governor of Maine, Bonnie Somerville as the Governor’s daughter, a gay marriage supporter, and Sean Maher as Ted, boyfriend of Shel (Stamos). It premiered on Monday, December 11, 2006 on the A&E Network.
It was well-received by gay audiences and Stamos appeared on the cover of The Advocate to promote the film. Although it is not the first television movie to have gay themes, it is the first about gay marriage.[citation needed] The movie was filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Shel (Stamos), a gay party planner, agrees to organize the nuptials for straight brother Ben (Dane) to Maggie (Somerville), the daughter of Maine’s Governor (Brolin). After Shel finds out that Ben, a campaign manager for his future father-in-law, is behind the governor’s speech against gay marriage, he decides to go on strike for equal rights. Shel’s strike picks up steam and eventually spreads nationwide, leaving the impending wedding vows in the hands of a tacky planner and overall, in question..