On Screen: Marry Me
When I heard Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson were starring in a new rom com together, I could not wait. First of all, J. Lo doesn’t do things small scale, so I was finally getting the big budget rom com like we used to have. Plus, J. Lo is a rom com queen. Have you seen The Wedding Planner?? I like J. Lo in general, but J. Lo in a rom com is honestly her at her best.
Anyway, back to Marry Me. Some of my Slack romance writer friend group and I watched it together the day after it came both, all extremely excited. And I’m happy to report we all liked it (I think … no one said they didn’t).
So here is the set up:
Kat Valdez is an international pop star, set to wed her international pop star fiance Bastian (Maluma) on stage at her concert. The two have a hit single together (Marry Me). Moments before going on stage, Kat learns Bastian cheated on her. Reeling from the discovery, she picks a random guy (Charlie, played by Owen Wilson) holding a “Marry Me” sign from the crowd and marries him on stage (in this giant, gorgeous gown, might I add). Instead of admitting she made a mistake and further embarrassing herself, the two decide to fake the marriage for a while until things blow over. And then the sparks fly as they get to know each other.
First of all, I thought J. Lo and Owen Wilson had great chemistry. He’s a divorced math teacher with an adorable teen daughter. He was a really great counterbalance for that larger than life J. Lo superstardom. They were both adorable and fun to watch. (I like Owen Wilson a lot. I also like Luke Wilson a lot, but that’s a topic for another day since he is not in this movie).
Also, I loved that J. Lo really just leaned into that superstardom. She’s a huge pop star who has been married several times playing a huge pop star who has been married several times. Although I just feel like maybe J. Lo isn’t quite as down to earth as Kat is? Would she perform at a school dance? Who knows! Just throwing it out there.
It felt like the rom coms of the 90s / early 2000s. It’s fun! It’s over the top! There’s a funny, quirky best friend (Sarah Silverman), a really nice apartment there’s no way Owen Wilson could afford as a teacher, a dog name Tank, basically a J. Lo concert and dancing nuns! I mean, really, what more could you ask for?
I loved it. I want to watch it again. And please, give me more rom coms!
