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Table 19 (DVD)

I wasn't going to review this movie but I had opinions, so here we are.  Before I get to those opinions, let's get some business out of the way.  This movie stars Anna Kendrick, June Squibb, Craig Robinson, and Lisa Kudrow.  Table 19 is a romantic comedy that isn't very romantic.

The premise of this movie is that Eloise (Kendrick), after breaking up with the best man who is also the bride's brother, is ejected from her role as maid of honor despite having assisted in planning half the wedding already.  After much conflicted back and forth, Eloise decides to attend her oldest friend's wedding.

Upon arrival at the reception Eloise is seated at table 19, the table at the back of the ballroom, mere feet away from the restrooms, the table where "all the random people who should have RSVP'd their regrets are seated."  And indeed her table-mates are random.  There's the bride's childhood nanny, a couple who know the bride's father through the diner business, the bride's father's white collar ex-convict nephew, some random, awkward teen boy for whom I never did catch his connection to the bride's family, and Eloise, the bride's brother's ex.

Throughout the evening as Eloise struggles with residual feelings of hurt and awkwardness over her ex, both her own secrets and those of her table-mates are revealed.  And they each hide secrets of varying degrees of painfulness.  But don't worry because everything (mostly) works out with a happy ending.

Now.  My opinions.  [Warning: there are spoilers.]

If "Huck's" general shadiness isn't a clue, then I don't know what is.  He's presented as Eloise's purported potential love interest only to be outed as the groom in the other wedding the hotel resort is hosting.  !!!  Seriously.  Dude is macking on some other random chick on his wedding day.  I'd say that does not bode well for that particular union.

Eloise and whatshisname-the-ex's reconciliation would have had more of an emotional impact if the movie had done a better job of selling them as a star crossed couple who would eventually live happily ever after.  Instead they oversell the ex as a big jerk, who is no real prize.  And the big reveal that turns Eloise's table-mates and ultimately Eloise in his favor is lame.  So lame.  When the two love birds reunite it's anti-climactic.  Seriously.  Why.  Why is this movie even?


--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

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