The 1997 romantic comedy “My Best Friend’s Wedding” was one of the few roles that cast Julia Robert’s, otherwise known as America’s Sweetheart, in a bad light. Temporarily, anyway.
In fact, test audiences “hated” her character as they watched her attempts to sabotage her best friend’s wedding after realising she was in love with him. Playing opposite Cameron Diaz, the younger woman set to steal away her beloved, Julia’s character was originally supposed to find a new love interest at the end of the film. As it was, she ended up dancing in the arms of her gay editor and friend, George (played by Rupert Everett).
So why could audiences not bear to let her find the love she was so desperately seeking? According to director P.J Hogan, they didn’t want to let her off so easily.
“They wanted her dead,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “They just couldn’t understand her motives.”
By not allowing her character to find love elsewhere, other than in her friendship with George (which wasn’t a bad option, in our opinion), audiences were able to forgive her for the selfish, devious actions that almost lead to her ruining the wedding.
Hogan told EW: “That one scene somehow gave the audience permission to forgive Julianne. Those last five minutes really made the whole movie work.”
While the studio didn’t want Julianne to end up completely alone, they couldn’t risk belittling her behaviour and passing her off into the arms of a new love. Instead she accepted her wrongdoings and let her best friend go – and restored her place as Hollywood’s Sweetheart along the way.
After all, gay or not, what’s so bad about ending the night dancing with a gorgeous man who loves you?
By Abby Williams, Excalibur Press
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