LICENSE TO WED
US, 2007, 91 minutes, Colour.
Robin Williams, John Kraskinski, Mandy Moore, Eric Christian Olsen, Christine Taylor Peter Strauss, Grace Zabriskie, Roxanne Hart.
Directed by Ken Kwapis
The film-makers and the publicists have been at pains to explain how important marriage preparation is these days, that too many couples rush into marriage without knowing each other very well and with the presumption that divorce is an easy way out or even inevitable. One can’t really disagree with that.
Which means that the premise of License to Wed is very important.
But…!
How they have treated it is often quite off-putting.. They have created the character, the Reverend Frank, who is the last word (or the last gasp) on marriage counselling. He has his own program that the couple has to pass. His method is part showbiz, part con tricks and part prurient curiosity – along with a smart mouth for sexual innuendo that shows a worldly wisdom but also a leering sense of humour. So far, so bad.
Reverend Frank is played by Robin Williams, not quite in his frequent manic style, but manic nonetheless. Most churches will be eager to check what denomination he belongs to. He has married, so despite his collar, he is not a Catholic. His church has a Pentecostal choir and a more Protestant looking altar – though he is vested. Episcopalian? One presumes that most Episcopalians would hope not, especially because of his sidekick, a largish boy, always there, who is in training for ‘the priest of tomorrow’ and seems to presume that the main quality of priesthood is fascist demanding of obedience. He is quite creepy.
Reverend Frank uses role-playing, gestalt therapy exercises which are played for disbelieving laughs rather than realism. Where most would be aghast (even though it is also meant to be funny) is the Reverend’s bugging the couple’s room in case they had premarital sex – enabling him to knock on the door as preventative tactics.
The rather controlling bride-to-be (toothy and smiling Mandy Moore for whom any word of Rev. Frank is taken as infallible) is all for the course, especially the writing of the vows. The husband to be (John Krasinski) finds it all exasperating and can’t write vows – and we tend to be on his side. When he punches Frank out, one is tempted to cheer. But, of course, it all ends well because (happily) they do get to know each other, (unhappily) because Frank will be part of their lives from now on. Unless he is in gaol for stalking or some such crime.
