Amazon.com
Best known as a comedian, Stella’s Michael Ian Black makes his directorial debut with Wedding Daze, AKA The Pleasure of Your Company. In the prologue, Anderson (Jason Biggs) dresses up as Cupid and proposes to his perfect girlfriend, who promptly keels over. A year later, he's still in mourning. Meanwhile, Katie (Isla Fisher) is also seeing a seemingly flawless fellow, and though her mother (Joanna Gleason) pressures her to accept his proposal, Katie has her doubts. The next day, she meets the unemployed Anderson at the diner where she works. On a dare, he asks her to marry him. Not only does she accept--she moves in with him. They make for an odd couple, but not as odd as their parents: Katie's stepfather (Matt Malloy) is a Jewish inventor, while her birth father (Joe Pantoliano) is a Buddhist convict; Anderson's parents (Margo Martindale and Edward Herrmann), on the other hand, are very happily married (suggestive words send them into a sexual frenzy). Clearly, Anderson and Katie's differing backgrounds create a momentary stumbling block, but their breakup lasts as long as their courtship--blink and you'll miss it. Denied a US theatrical release, Wedding Daze is a rough-around-the-edges, if sweet-natured romp. At the very least, it's superior to other wedding-oriented comedies of the time, like the crass License to Wed. There are a few unnecessary gross-out gags, but an appealing cast--including Rob Corddry as a good-natured deputy--distract from the more awkward moments. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
