Cast: Matt Dillon, Anabella Sciorra, Mary Louise Parker, William Hurt
Director: Anthony Minghella
Producer: Marianne Moloney
Screenplay: Amy Schor and Vicki Polon
Cinematography: Geoffrey Simpson
Music: Michael Gore
U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
It's very difficult to do a romantic comedy right. Because the outcome is never in doubt, the plot becomes little more than a conveyance -- a means to an end. As a result, no matter how strong the storyline is, there are limits to its effectiveness. Successful romantic comedies work because of solid performances by the actors, well-rounded, developing characters, and that certain je ne sais quoi (often referred to as "chemistry") which allows the audience to believe, however momentarily, that these two people are actually in love. Happily for those who enjoy this sort of movies, Mr. Wonderful meets the criteria.
Once upon a time, Gus (Matt Dillon) and Lee (Anabella Sciorra) were happily married, but that was before a separation, a court settlement, and alimony. Now, Gus wants to enter a business venture with four close friends, but he can't find the funds because the terms of the divorce stipulate that he has to put his ex-wife through college. The only solution he can see (and even he acknowledges it to be a long-shot) is to get her married again so he no longer has to pay the alimony. Lee, however, is involved with a married professor (William Hurt), and that makes Gus' job all the more difficult. Adding to his problems is a certain instability in his own life -- his girlfriend, Rita (Mary Louise Parker), wants to move in with him, but Gus is experiencing difficulty making a commitment. Of course, what's obvious to the audience from the beginning, but takes the characters much longer to figure out, is that the pair who split up still love each other.
Mr. Wonderful is a generally well-written romance that's more of a light drama than a comedy. Most of the silly cliches and ridiculous plot elements that commonly clutter up love stories are absent. Instead of forcing the characters into silly situations created solely to spark laughter, this movie tries hard to place Gus and Lee in believable circumstances that allow their personalities to emerge. Because, as the writers and director Anthony Minghella (who made Truly, Madly, Deeply) obviously realize, for this type of movie to work, it's necessary for the audience to care about the people on screen.
And we do care. Not only about the principals, but about some of the minor characters as well. While the script clearly shortchanges William Hurt's Tom, reducing him to a philandering husband having an affair with a student, Mary Louise Parker's Rita is more fully developed. The actress excells in tragic roles (she played much the same sort of person in Grand Canyon), and her scenes often contain an element of pathos. There are times when the viewer sympathizes far more with Rita than either Gus or Lee. Throughout Mr. Wonderful, she is the victim.
At first, the choice of Matt Dillon and Anabella Sciorra might seem odd, but the two work well together. Their chemistry is not sexually-charged, and it's clear that there's something more than physical between them. They connect, which is not the case for Gus and Rita, or Lee and Tom.
Mr. Wonderful does the little things right, which is also important. Although highly symbolic, when electricity is used in a literal sense (Gus works for New York City's Con Edison power company), the technical details are in order. There are also a number of small scenes that, taken on their own merit, work very well (the meeting between "Funny Face" and "Mr. Wonderful", the charity auction, Gus' breaking his wedding dishes to prove his love for Rita).
The failings of Mr. Wonderful are the same things that are wrong with just about every other movie of this kind -- sentimentality and a tendency towards silliness. Mr. Wonderful doesn't aspire to be anything more than it is, and such a simple, uncomplicated presentation, coupled with likable characters, makes this film a fine example of light, romantic entertainment.
© 1993 James Berardinelli