You can get past the absurd premise, the two-dimensional minor characters, the clunky script and the plot incongruities. What you cannot get over is the biggest failure in this film - trying to make Richard Gere funny. He isn't funny. Pretty Woman works because he is the straight-man who melts and opens up because of the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold. Here, he is supposed to deliver ironic asides and sarcastic put-downs, and it just does not come off. It is unfathomable why these actors showed up for this. In every interview I have ever seen with a successful actor, they always say their reason for choosing a film is the script. If the story is fresh, challenging and engaging then nothing else matters. What made Gere and Roberts think this would add a new dimension to their CVs? You can only imagine they saw an easy way to cash in on the PW thing, and went for it. A real, real shame.
Review of Runaway Bride
