As far as the canon of great romantic comedies goes, you will struggle to find any more iconic than My Best Friend’s Wedding, which has come to be viewed as one of the most effective entries into a genre that has become somewhat oversaturated to the point where it has lost the spark that made it so popular in the first place. P.J. Hogan, venturing to the United States after the radical success of Muriel’s Wedding, collaborates with screenwriter Ronald Bass to craft a bitingly funny and heartfelt ode to the subtle art of jealousy and vindication, all filtered through the lens of an upbeat and hilarious romantic comedy that has come to be viewed as nearly definitive of a generation, inspiring so many later works that its influence is not only obvious but extremely important. The film follows the story of Julianne, who is living the life of her dreams as a food writer in New York, spending her days flirting with the high society life that she has always aspired to having, with the only aspect missing being the perfect man, who she claims is her best friend based on the longevity of their companionship and how they have always been there for one another when it was necessary. However, he reveals very soon that he is about to get married to another woman, which launches our protagonist into an existential crisis as she travels to their wedding, hiding her intention of breaking up this relationship for her selfish reasons. What follows is an outrageously funny series of misadventures that become increasingly tense, as well as showing a different side to someone who acts out on impulse rather than logic. Hilarious and heartfelt in equal measure, and extraordinarily influential for several reasons, My Best Friend’s Wedding sets the gold standard for the genre, becoming beyond iconic and proving that a simple idea, when executed well, can be brilliant, and lead to a timeless work of art.

As we find with just about any genre, there isn’t a precise formula to making the perfect romantic comedy, and we have seen active attempts to determine whether this is actually the case – and the results have ultimately led to the creation of some of the most bland and derivative works imaginable. However, there are consistent elements that, when tempered correctly, can result in a truly exceptional film. The reason why My Best Friend’s Wedding works has to do with the combination of simplicity and its refusal to complicate something that is much better suited to a more straightforward execution. Something that we notice almost immediately is the speed at which this film establishes its major themes and begins to develop them. There isn’t any time or space for needless exposition or unnecessarily long introduction, with the film cutting to the chase almost immediately. Within the first ten minutes, the groundwork has been laid down and we are well on our way to the core of the story, with the film moving at a breakneck speed, which is quite unusual for a genre that tends to sometimes spend too much time on details rather than getting to the core of the narrative, which is what everyone came to see. Hogan is a fantastic director, and his greatest asset is that he makes films that hit their stride almost immediately, making them lean, economical stories that waste very little time and prefer to spend it focusing on the ideas that push the story forward, rather than pandering to the sometimes heavy-handed emotions that usually tend to make their way into lesser versions of these films. Being able to establish a simple premise and maintain that same attention to detail while still being focused on moving the story along is a great skill and one that we see frequently being employed in this film, which is one of the many reasons it works so exceptionally well.

Many have made the mistake of genuinely believing that My Best Friend’s Wedding was designed exclusively as a star vehicle for Julia Roberts, who was at the peak of her popularity, having become a darling of audiences and critics alike, leading to several acclaimed films that performed extremely well at the box office, making her one of the most profitable actors of her generation. We can’t deny that a lot of the appeal of this film comes from the fact that she is occupying the leading role, but it does a disservice to both the film and her performance to simply reduce it to yet another romantic comedy since there is a lot more going on in both the film and the work she does in it. Roberts’ greatest asset has always been her undeniable charisma – that bespoke, beaming smile and her distinct personality, which is the perfect blend of neurotic and scatterbrained, intelligent but slightly eccentric in a way that makes her both relatable and elusive, depending on the viewer’s perspective. In a long career that saw her traverse many genres, it is perhaps My Best Friend’s Wedding that contains the definitive Roberts performance – she has never been funnier or more charming, and the best decision the film made was allowing her to play a slightly thornier character whose flaws are clear, but never get in the way of our enjoyment. She’s joined by Cameron Diaz, who was towards the start of her career (having been great in films like The Mask and Head Above Water), and who would eventually also come to be known for her irresistible charisma on screen. The pairing of these two icons of American cinema was enough to consolidate My Best Friend’s Wedding into the history of the genre, and the addition of the effortlessly charming Rupert Everett, who is reminiscent of a young Cary Grant in the sheer debonair sophistication and impeccable comedic timing he brings to the film, only supplements an already terrific comedy that contains a strong ensemble, each member of the cast (even those in small roles) contributing to the general sense of hilarious controlled chaos that defines the film.

The combination of a great story that moves speedily along while still paying attention to the aspects that matter and these brilliant performances allows My Best Friend’s Wedding to be a lot more engaging than we may have initially imagined. There is an idea that this era of romantic comedies, while popular and acclaimed, is defined by being meaningless and lightweight, purely superficial affairs that lack weight. This could not be further from the truth, since even though much of the appeal of this film comes through in the depiction of a fairytale romance in which the protagonist always gets a happy ending (like many others that are considered equally as definitive of the genre), there are numerous layers that drive the narrative forward, some of them genuinely quite complex, at least in theory. The film may be a delightful comedy of manners, but a lot of that humour comes from a slightly more complex place. Bass is a journeyman writer who was behind the screenplays for several terrific films, so it stood to reason that a romantic comedy written by him would have some deeper purpose. This is not merely a film built on the “boy meets girl” premise, but rather one centred on two individuals who are at very different points in their lives in terms of growth, and who suddenly realize their friendship, which they had previously viewed as ironclad and untouchable, is changing, which is a terrifying realization. As a species, we view the idea of change as uncomfortable, and we often tend to find ways to preserve it, which is why we are obsessed with the idea of nostalgia. My Best Friend’s Wedding looks at the relationship between two people who may have shared a common love in the past, but who have grown in different directions – one remains stagnant, whereas the other has moved on. This is the source of the hilarious conflict at the heart of the film, but as it progresses, we find that it is a beautiful and revealing account of friendship and how it can change over time, and that a shift in a dynamic doesn’t necessarily mean that a friendship is weaker, rather that it is just different. Hogan explores these ideas beautifully and allows them to build up to feel genuinely very moving.

It has been a quarter of a century since My Best Friend’s Wedding, and it is still not showing any signs of being irrelevant, the genre still being very much inspired by the off-the-wall madness and unquestionable charms of this delightful romp of a film. The reasons for its success are so obvious, that it almost comes across as negligible – a strong storyline, performed by fantastic actors who deliver exceptionally strong, nuanced work that is balanced, honest and perfectly calibrated to the overall tone of the film, as well as being easily manipulated to fit the tempo of a particular theme. Anchored by exceptional performances by Roberts and Diaz, as well as the scene-stealing supporting work of Everett (who proves just how important secondary roles tend to be), all of whom deliver astonishing work that enrichens Bass’ wonderful script by adding layers of humanity, My Best Friend’s Wedding is an absolute triumph. It is a very easygoing, entertaining film that does not take itself too seriously but rather chooses to examine its subject matter with a lot of conviction and honesty, which is more than enough to keep us engaged and interested. The gold standard of romantic comedies, this film has remained relevant for years, and it is likely going to continue to influence generations of writers and directors who see the appeal in these films as both entertaining stories and meaningful examinations of deeper themes in which ideas can be explored without heavy-handed commentary, but rather through a genuinely charming and upbeat comedy.