Movies
Bachelor, The (1999, Chris O’Donnell, Renée Zellweger)
Jimmie Shannon (Chris O’Donnell) is a confirmed bachelor but, as he approaches 30, he decides it’s time to marry and who better than long-term girlfriend Anne Arden (Renée Zellweger)? Unfortunately, his proposal is so clumsy, she dumps him, but there’s worse to come – his grandfather (Peter Ustinov) dies, leaving him $100m – on the condition he marries by the time he’s 30, remains faithful for at least ten years and produces a child. With just 30 hours to go, Jimmie has to woo Anne all over again. And to complicate matters, when his plight becomes public, thousands of white-gowned women clutching bouquets are on his trail.
Gary Sinyor’s romantic comedy is loosely based on Buster Keaton’s 1925 classic Seven Chances and includes the scene where Shannon, like Keaton, is pursued down the street by thousands of would-be brides in a classic sight-gag. But the rest is fairly straightforward, with the two leads misunderstanding each other until the last reel when true love wins through. Along the way, there are nice support performances from Ed Asner, Hal Holbrook, James Cromwell and, in particular, Artie Lange as Shannon’s best friend Marco, plus cameos from Mariah Carey, Jennifer Esposito and Brooke Shields as Shannon’s ex-girlfriends.
production details
USA | 101 minutes | 1999
Director: Gary Sinyor
Script: Steve Cohen, Roi Cooper Megrue,
cast
Chris O’Donnell as Jimmie Shannon
Peter Ustinov as Grandad James Shannon
Marley Shelton as Natalie Arden
Brooke Shields as Buckley Hale-Windsor
James Cromwell as The Priest
Renée Zellweger as Anne Arden
Artie Lange as Marco
Hal Holbrook as Roy O’Dell
Ed Asner as Sid Gluckman
Jennifer Esposito as Daphne
Jason Aaron Baca as Groomsmen #3
Katharine Towne as Monique
Rebecca Cross as Stacey
Stacy Edwards as Zoe
Mariah Carey as Ilana
Sarah Silverman as Carolyn