What Do The Critics Say?

"If for any reason your wife or girlfriend - or both - try to drag you to this thing, break up with them instead. It would be less painful." Pete Hammond MAXIM "It's a fun romp on the road to matrimony. Robin Williams is always a delight, and this is no exception." Francine Brokaw MOVIEWEB.COM "wait for the zany outtakes during the final credits." Susan Granger SUSANGRANGER.COM "A misguided, not to mention mean-spirited, premise for a story." Josh Rosenblatt AUSTIN CHRONICLE "Williams' Reverend Frank is so obnoxious that he'd empty the pews as fast as this dreadful movie will empty theatre auditoriums." Frank Swietek ONE GUY'S OPINION

"It is only the latest attempt by a Hollywood studio to pander to prurience and piety in a single gesture, and to avoid giving offense by treating all possible factions of the public equally, which is to say like idiots." A.O. Scott NEW YORK TIMES "A pleasant enough diversion for anyone who likes their comedies as light and fluffy as their popcorn." Sue Pierman MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL "The movie is plodding, predictable, formulaic and, worst of all, not funny." Claudia Puig USA TODAY "the best part of the movie was when Robin Williams got socked in the jaw. Couldn’t agree more." Ella Taylor L.A. WEEKLY "License to Wed might have been a cutting comedy; instead it's a mild embarrassment for all concerned." Brian Webster APOLLO GUIDE "Krasinski and Moore are an adorable couple, but marriage material they aren't, especially since they're given a mere ten minutes to form a full-fledged relationship before Williams breathlessly barges into the picture." Stephen Saito PREMIERE MAGAZINE

The Inside Story "To get a driver’s license, you need hours and hours of classroom instruction, a learner’s permit, behind the wheel training, and so on. But, to get a marriage license, all you have to do is show up at the courthouse and pay. This gives the bride and groom much more time to focus on the truly important things, like finding the right venue, the best photographer, the hippest DJ etc," director Ken Kwapis smiles. "Who cares if you end up in divorce court a year later as long as the wedding cake was to die for?" "There’s been a recent surge in popularity of marriage prep classes, which teach couples how to communicate fairly, balance finances, keep the romance alive, etc," says producer Nick Osborne. "In our movie, Reverend Frank teaches the course, and he’s the kind of guy who’ll find the hot buttons in your relationship and push them until they fall off. It’s his attempt at curbing divorce by weeding out the bad couples." "This is a very real-life situation. There are certain challenges of marriage that are common and unavoidable. Instead of dancing around them and hoping that everything just works out, a pre-marital exploration of these obstacles can increase the likelihood of a marriage staying together, and make for some pretty funny situations," notes producer Robert Simonds. "License to Wed" was inspired by a friend of co-screenwriter Kim Barker who was getting married and told her about a marriage prep course he was taking. "There was a particular church where my friend and his fiancée wanted to get married, but before the minister of the church would marry them, he required that they pass his marriage prep course. Then my friend described the minister and how he seemed a little off because he was swearing a bit in their first meeting, which made me laugh," Barker recalls. That led to Barker co-writing a story about a minister who takes his job a tad too seriously. "I’ve always been drawn to quirky individuals, especially those who aren’t afraid to do things their own way. I think most people exhibit a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder in one way or another, and Reverend Frank is no exception. His obsession is creating happy, life-long unions," Barker said, "or at least preventing divorces." With such a premiss, finding the right director would seem paramount. So what guidelines did they use. "The story has both simple comedic elements and complex emotional aspects at the same time. There’s a lot of physical comedy in the script, but we also wanted to provide the audience with a chance to be emotionally invested in the characters. Looking at his past projects, Ken Kwapis has a strong grasp of how to blend both comedy and emotion to great effect," Simonds notes. "Ken has a great track record, and he can handle a wide range of material," says executive producer Kim Zubick. "Whether it is a film like "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"’ or his work on "The Office", he knows how to make it work. What Reverend Frank does in this movie is very unusual; I don’t think many marriage prep courses are actually like this in real life, at least I hope not, but we are playing it as if it’s completely real. Ken was the perfect director to pull this off." The director revealed he instantly connected with the themes when he read the script. "It amazes me that even half of all marriages last these days. Most people see marriage as a day at the beach. Reverend Frank shows us all the blood, sweat and tears that go into making them work. Our film is a cautionary tale for the young and affianced, don’t dive in unless you know you can swim," he said. Finding the right actor to play Reverend Frank evidently didn't take long. "When I read the script, I just knew that Robin Williams would be ideal for the role. In addition to being an incredibly funny actor and comedian, he’s such a passionate and compassionate person," notes producer Mike Medavoy. "While Reverend Frank puts Ben and Sadie through some really trying situations, at the core, likeability was a key component for building the character." "Robin Williams was the perfect choice to create an irreverent Reverend. His ad-lib abilities, of course, are the stuff of legend. He can riff on anything in his path, which, more often than not, was me. You wouldn’t believe the number of ways you can mangle the name Kwapis. There is a method to Reverend Frank’s madness. No matter how perverse his tactics, his goal remains noble: keeping couples together," Kwapis said. Cast in the roles of the loving couple are Mandy Moore and John Krasinski. "The thing that really struck me about this script, and what made me want to be a part of this film so badly, was that whatever situation these characters found themselves in, it really felt grounded and relatable," says Moore. "I have yet to find myself in these situations for real; like getting married, but when I do, I’ll certainly be much better prepared!" "Mandy Moore could not be more winning in this part, and it gave a chance to show off her comedic skills. Mandy is daffy and real; she is Everywoman, but the funny version," says Kwapis. When it came to casting the role of Sadie's fiancé, Ben Murphy, Kwapis had one actor in mind. "I helped launch 'The Office' and knew from the moment I first worked with John Krasinski that he was a rare find, a perfect blend of comic actor and leading man. He was my very top choice for the role of Ben. John has an innate ability to be both funny and grounded. He is both understated and expressive. As fans of 'The Office' can attest, John really knows his way around an awkward pause." And it seems Krasinski really to be a part of "License To Wed". "When I heard that Ken got hired on to direct, it made me even more excited to do it," Krasinski realls. "I am completely and totally indebted to him for bringing me on." Moore described working with Krasinski as 'a treat'. "I’ve had a blast with John," she said. "We have a really good rapport. He’s so talented and such a sweetheart; it’s been such a treat to work with him." "I was very excited to work with Mandy," Krasinsk said. "She’s so sweet, and she brought such incredible warmth to the set." Producer Nick Osborne agrees the two work well together. "John was always on the top of the list for Ken, and when we screen-tested Mandy and John, we couldn’t have agreed more. We saw real chemistry between the two. We could see them as a couple struggling through the course together; for better or for worse." Critical to completing the premarriage course the young couple undertake is sticking to the rules, including not having sex until their wedding night. Williams notes this rule is "without a doubt, one of the hardest rules to follow for a modern couple, and that’s the beauty of the prep course. I especially like the idea of putting a young couple’s relationship to the test that way. Let’s just take that tool out of your toolbox and see what you have left. In the beginning of a typical relationship, the sex is everywhere, but after about fifteen or twenty years, it’s another story. Reverend Frank owes the high success rate of his class to his commitment to helping couples discover what it is in their relationship that will give it the staying power it needs to last through the years." Bringing another level of relity to their course is having to care for twin babies. No, not real ones. Mechanical twins controlled by Reverend Frank. "Handling the babies was pretty difficult," say Moore. "I would hope that they are actually more temperamental than real babies because they required a whole lot of maintenance, and battery changes. They were also really heavy and smelled funny. I was surprised at how much effort it took to make them work behind the scenes. There were four different people controlling one baby. Poor John, he had to do more scenes with the babies than I did." Krasinski reveles what happened in one scene. "There’s a scene where Sadie and Ben are in a department store creating their wedding registry, and while Sadie’s picking out dinnerware I’m stuck with the two babies, who suddenly decide to have a complete breakdown." How did the youngster find working with Williams? "I was a big fan of Robin’s, and had seen all of his movies. Even before I wanted to be an actor, I just loved, loved to watch his work. So to act in a film with him now is nothing short of surreal. And, he’s even funnier and more enthusiastic in person than he is on film," Krasinski notes. "Even though Ken was very supportive and gave us a lot of freedom on the set to improvise, I was still terrified to try things in front of Robin because he’s such a comic legend," Moore says. "But I was really impressed with him because he was so considerate of all the other actors and so collaborative." Synopsis

They've only known each other for six months but Ben Murphy can't wait to pop the big question to the love of his life, Sadie Jones. The right moment comes when he's invited to Sadies Mum and Dad's thirtieth wedding anniversary celebration. Inspired by the moment he drops to his knees and poses the question. An estatic Sadie accepts. Now they are engaged the young lovers can’t wait to start their life together and live happily ever after. The problem is that Sadie’s family church, St Augustine's, is run by Reverend Frank, who won’t bless Ben and Sadie’s union until they pass his patented, 'foolproof' marriage prep course. Consisting of outrageous classes, outlandish homework assignments and some outright invasion of privacy, Reverend Frank's rigorous curriculum puts Ben and Sadie’s relationship to the test right from the start with the first callenge; No sex until after the marriage ceremony. Forget happily ever after. Do they have what it takes to make it to the altar? And, can they survive Reverend Frank?

The Verdict "If you're a big fan of Robin Williams you're obviously going to enjoy every moment he's on the screen. But, if you aren't a fan of his style of comedy delivery, you may well wish you were somewhere else other than watching a screening of "License To Wed". For many people, Williams is fine in small doses. That is not the case in his latest film, which co-stars Mandy Moore ("Because I Said So") and John Krasinski ("The Office"). Sure there's a lot of laughs in "License To Wed" but they provide little sustenance. Fifteen minutes after the film ends they'll be forgotten. On the other hand, Williams fans will probably guffaw themselves silly all the way home. "License To Wed" is a mean spirited film. Reverend Frank isn't a nice character and, even though his actions are meant to come across as hilariously funny, they are in fact very ugly. For fans "License To Wed" rates 3 stars. Others should heed this warning - Watching "License To Wed" is a bit like stepping in dog poop. You instantly regret it! If you do manage to make it to the end, don't get out of your seat because the out-takes are quite funny. Pity the film wasn't. 2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "LICENSE TO WED" stars .......
Robin Williams ["Insomnia", "RV", "Happy Feet" and "Night at the Museum"]; Mandy Moore ["A Walk to Remember", "Saved!", "Romance & Cigarettes" and "Because I Said So"]; John Krasinski ["The Holiday", "Dreamgirls" and "Shrek the Third"]; Eric Christian Olsen ["Not Another Teen Movie", "The Hot Chick" and "Cellular"]; Christine Taylor ["The Brady Bunch Movie", "The Wedding Singer", "Zoolander" and "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story"] and Peter Strauss ["The Last Tycoon", "Nick of Time" and "xXx: State of the Union"] as Mr Jones.
"LICENSE TO WED" was .......
directed by Ken Kwapis ["Dunston Checks In", "The Beautician and the Beast" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"]; art direction by Andrew Max Cahn ["Rush Hour 2", "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story", "Red Eye" and "The Guardian"]; costume design by Dina Appel ["Mystery, Alaska", "Stuck On You", "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous" and "The Lake House"]; production design by Gae S Buckley ["Robots", "Open Range" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"]; edited by Kathryn Himoff ["Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me", "Live Nude Girls", "Sexual Life" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"]; cinematography by John Bailey ["Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood", "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants", "Must Love Dogs" and "The Producers"]; original music by Christophe Beck ["Garfield I & II", "The Perfect Man", "The Sentinel" and "We Are Marshall"]. Who's Who?

Robin Williams Mandy Moore John Krasinski Eric Christian Olsen Christine Taylor Josh Flitter DeRay Davis Peter Strauss Grace Zabriskie Roxanne Hart Mindy Kaling Angela Kinsey Rachael Harris Brian Baumgartner

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Reverend Frank Sadie Jones Ben Murphy Carlisle Lindsey Jones Choir Boy Joel Mr Jones Grandma Jones Mrs Jones Shelley Judith the Jewelry Clerk Janine Jim

Run Time 91 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Warner Bros - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.