Kiss the Bride ** (2007, Tori Spelling, Philipp Karner, James O’Shea, Joanna Cassidy, Tess Harper, Robert Foxworth) – Classic Movie Review 13,948

The daft but entertaining 2007 American gay romantic comedy drama film Kiss the Bride stars Tori Spelling as the bride who finds her groom (James O’Shea) had a high school lover (Philipp Karner) and invites him to the wedding.

‘Guess who’s coming out for the wedding?’

Philipp Karner and James O’Shea star as Matt and Ryan, who were best friends and lovers in high school. Ten years later, Matt is a successful editor and chief photographer for the LA lifestyle magazine Queery, but memories of Ryan get in the way of progress of his new dates. The two men have lost contact, but Matt receives a shock invitation to Ryan’s wedding to a woman back in their conservative Arizona hometown. He decides to go (otherwise there wouldn’t be a film). Matt still likes Ryan, but Ryan seems to have lost that loving feeling. It’s all a bit awkward for the bride (Tori Spelling), but it turns out she can handle it.

Director C Jay Cox’s 2007 American film Kiss the Bride is a daft but sometimes amusing and harmlessly entertaining gay romantic comedy drama. It is likeable and enjoyable enough, but it could be so much more. There are some good performances, some super one-liners along the way, but they let the film slip out of their hands in the final stretch heading towards the irritating, unsatisfying ending. The desperate attempt to find a different ending is commendable but is going to leave pretty much everybody unsatisfied.

The eager-to-please top-billed Tori Spelling does a neat job of keeping it going nice and light-heartedly, main character player Philipp Karner is appealing as the handsome gay hero, kind of low key and introspective, and James O’Shea provides the beefcake as the man they both love. But some esteemed actors from the old days are wasted in rotten old person’s roles: Joanna Cassidy, Tess Harper, Robert Foxworth. They are slightly struggling, but that isn’t fair, they haven’t got enough to do to be struggling, certainly nothing decent enough to do.

Ty Lieberman’s bright but patchy script was the product of Outfest’s first Screenwriters Lab. The script is serviceable but could maybe have done with some further workovers.

The film premiered at Outfest on July 23, 2007, and then had a US limited release on April 18, 2008.

Running time: 100 minutes.

It seems exceptionally harmless, but it is R rated, perhaps for some suggestive dialogue.

The subtle and superior 2015 American drama film Like You Mean It is written and directed by Philipp Karner, and he also stars.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,948

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