Runaway Bride (1999)

46% of critics liked it
(83 reviews)
57% of users liked it
(415,330 ratings)

In 1990, Pretty Woman turned Julia Roberts into a star and gave Richard Gere's career a much-needed boost; for 1999, Roberts and Gere reunited with director Garry Marshall for the romantic comedy Runaway Bride. Roberts plays Maggie, who has left so many prospective husbands at the altar that she has… More In 1990, Pretty Woman turned Julia Roberts into a star and gave Richard Gere's career a much-needed boost; for 1999, Roberts and Gere reunited with director Garry Marshall for the romantic comedy Runaway Bride. Roberts plays Maggie, who has left so many prospective husbands at the altar that she has gained notoriety as "the Runaway Bride," and a reporter (played by Richard Gere) is assigned to write a story about her. He tracks her down to a small town in Maryland where she's spending time with her family and preparing to give marriage another try. However, the more time she spends with the persistent reporter, the more second thoughts she has about her fiancé (Christopher Meloni). Hector Elizondo, another Pretty Woman alumnus, appears in the supporting cast alongside Joan Cusack, Paul Dooley, and Rita Wilson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Garry Marshall
Written By: Josann McGibbon
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 30, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Jan 25, 2000
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy, Variety
Quite clever and appealing!
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Immensely likable!
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
Charm and stardust carry it past its blatantly manufactured quality.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
After seeing Gere and Roberts play much smarter people, it is painful to see them dumbed down here.
, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Marshall is too much of a softie; he meanders around the story, milking it for both sentiment and comedy and often tripping over himself in the process.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
A shiny bauble full of dead weight, gloppy good feeling and airless cliches!
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Cute romantic comedy OK for most older kids.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Runs a half-hour too long, and it drags through its multiple endings. Runaway Bride has plenty of delights, just a few too many.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
There's more friction than fire to Runaway Bride.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A satisfying romantic comedy that reveals that we can't open our hearts to love until we stop cheating on our true selves.

Read all 10 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Candy R

Richard and Julia team up again for a romantic comedy. Pretty Women brought them together initially and in this movie they still have a lot of chemistry. Julia wants to get marriied but finds it hard to commit. Richard plays a journalist who tries to find out why the bride to be… More
Richard and Julia team up again for a romantic comedy. Pretty Women brought them together initially and in this movie they still have a lot of chemistry. Julia wants to get marriied but finds it hard to commit. Richard plays a journalist who tries to find out why the bride to be ditched 3 men at the altar. Good movie.
Jason O

"Runaway Bride" was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Ike Graham (Richard Gere) is a reporter who is famous for writing notorious stories about women in the USA Today. He is assigned to write a story about Maggie Carpenter's (Julia Roberts) famous antics… More
"Runaway Bride" was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Ike Graham (Richard Gere) is a reporter who is famous for writing notorious stories about women in the USA Today. He is assigned to write a story about Maggie Carpenter's (Julia Roberts) famous antics at weddings. Maggie is known for almost getting married and then at the last second, running away from the wedding. Soon she meets Ike in person and both good and bad things take off from there. "Runaway Bride" is somewhat like Pretty Woman, but it's a little different. For one thing "Runaway Bride" has a lot more comedy. The story is intriguing and you'll be wondering when Maggie is gonna make her next runaway, or if she'll ever get married and not run away. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere do a great job of acting and they have a good supporting cast. That along with an interesting plot make this a good movie and I recommend anybody to watch "Runaway Bride" when you get a chance, it's a good movie. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000. Funny how a couple years later the real life runaway bride was all over the news, eh?
danny d

actually good, cool scene with miles davis record
Cassie H

Julia Roberts is too funny!!!!!
Taylor B

Run away from this movie.
Rachel F

Just an all around great film.
Dean M

My favourite screen couple reunites this runaway romantic-comedy is much hilarious.
Jason S

Eh.
Jose Z

this movie is fairly good, and with a couple that is a succes for itself, the plot was a little weak and it becames a little slow and boring until she runs away the it turns a little funny and entertaining
Leigh R

Sweet and funny!
Nate Z

[font=Arial][color=darkred]'Pretty Woman' has now been regarded as the ultimate romantic comedy and has a soft spot in most people's hearts. Mostly ones with estrogen pumping through their system. So the theory is to reunite the two leads, the director, even some… More
[font=Arial][color=darkred]'Pretty Woman' has now been regarded as the ultimate romantic comedy and has a soft spot in most people's hearts. Mostly ones with estrogen pumping through their system. So the theory is to reunite the two leads, the director, even some supporting characters and try to have lightning strike twice. And how it comes out depends on the chromosome make-up of the person you talk to.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Runaway Bride' never deserts the standard romantic comedy fromula. It never diverts from the path, and plays every note pitch perfect. Problem is I've seen this a hundred times before in a hundred different movies. So this all makes for a most predictable and unamusing exuse for the reunion. It also gives you the sense of a "been there, done that" well treaded feel.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]What the movie tries to do to give it some "distance" from most romantic comedies is to show that Julia has some kind of psychologiacl problems with marriage that remain the movie's mystery. The movie could've been autobiographical to Roberts, just ask Keifer Sutherland, and Lyle Lovett and... Too bad these problems are never fully looked at and when Richard Gere comes sweeping in and eventually takes away and wins over Julia, all her problems are suddenly gone. Wait just a minute, it's not that too easily wrapped.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The leads have good chemistry and there are some humorous moments, but this is a movie for people who like the paint-by-the-numbers romantic comedies. The ones that love the formula they can't get enough of. The ones that just want to smile and and be won over by the usual trappings. By all means go, this movie won't dissapoint because it never has the courage to try a different route.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]I have to quote Xfreek here for a little advice for the men dragged along. Besides cyanide capsules openly distributed at the entrance, there should be a sign out front saying "No one admitted without ovaries."[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=#8b0000]Nate's Grade: C[/color][/font]
Naughtia N

I don't know why but this movie never caught my interest. I went to the cinema to watch it with some friends and this has been the only movie I've ever fallen asleep to in the cinema. I found it boring and very predictable. I didn't care much for this movie.
Deb S

Maggie (Julia Roberts) is the bride who is so afraid of commitment that she literally runs out on her three grooms. Ike (Richard Gere) is the reporter who writes an article on the bride that it angers her. Upon reading the damaging article, which portrays her as a heartless… More
Maggie (Julia Roberts) is the bride who is so afraid of commitment that she literally runs out on her three grooms. Ike (Richard Gere) is the reporter who writes an article on the bride that it angers her. Upon reading the damaging article, which portrays her as a heartless man-eater, Maggie complains to the newspaper, which promptly fires Ike. Afterwards, he pursues her for a personal interview and falls in love with her in the process. Hector Elizondo (also of "Pretty Woman") co-stars along with Joan Cusack and Rita Wilson. Pretty predictable stuff here! I wanted to see more soul-searching by Maggie about her fears regarding commitment.
Nicolas K

Poor.
ashley h

I loved all the characters that aided the main 2 in this. not the best movie ever, but fun
Andrew F

A really creative, funny, and well-done romantic comedy. Julia Roberts is as good as usual.
Jason R

Garry Marshall directs Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in an attempt to capture the magic of thier first pairing which was 1990's Pretty Woman. Amazingly the chemistry between Roberts and Gere was still there and the film was very enjoyable, but lighting usually doesn't… More
Garry Marshall directs Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in an attempt to capture the magic of thier first pairing which was 1990's Pretty Woman. Amazingly the chemistry between Roberts and Gere was still there and the film was very enjoyable, but lighting usually doesn't strike twice and although Runaway Bride is a very well made and acted film it falls short of being anything but a mediocre romance.
Sunil J

It's cute. Not super romantic but pretty funny.
Erin C

Not as good as their first time together (Pretty Woman), but it was still a pretty cute movie.
Sarah B

Cash cow.