Jenny's Wedding (2015)

Jenny's Wedding is an utter, tone-deaf disappointment. Tragically behind the times and generally flimsy. The theme may have been more appropriate 15-20 years ago. But now? It's beyond tired. "Mom, they were kissing! In public! Can you believe it?" You must be kidding.It's SO CLEAR that this movie was not made by any queer women, and none of it is believable. The supposed lesbians have zero chemistry...they have long talon fingernails for crying out loud! I wouldn't even recommend this movie to parents struggling with their daughter's sexuality because the characters are all so unlikable and pitiful. IF you are a queer person hoping this movie will offer a decent representation, don't waste your time.

Jenny's wedding is a straight person's attempt at making a gay hallmark movie. Sad, filled with stereotypes, and Alexis Bledel. I found this movie on my quest to find a lesbian-centric film that wasn't overly sexual (looking at you, Blue is the Warmest Color) and had a happy ending where both girls were alive. (The wedding was a bonus) Unfortunately, I was let down. This movie is not good, even by hallmark movie standards. Katherine Heigl must have mixed up plaster and her foundation because her acting left so much to be desired, I actually felt bad for Alexis Bledel's character, Kitty, for falling in love with an OBVIOUSLY straight statue. One thing that this movie did get right? Straight People and their antics. Kitty is called Jenny's roommate up until literally, the day of the wedding.

Even telling what this movie is all about is a spoiler. Jenny is our girl next door belonging to an "ordinary" family who grew up in a closely knit neighborhood. Jenny does get married but not as per her parents expectations. She is gay, a fact that she kept away from her family all along until her as well as her family's attempts at getting her set up on dates with random guys pushes all of them to frustration. So at her father's behest she finally decides to tell her family who she was dating. This is a coming out story of a woman who was openly lesbian in the city but all sly when it came to her family and locality. It's about how the parents reacted when their favourite child threw something at them that they just didn't understand. When Jenny tells her to her mom who she was particularly close to she wasn't so much afraid of her being gay as she was of what "people will think". Its clear from the fact that she asks Jenny not to tell this to anyone except her father right now. She is worried of her life in that community where she has lived all along.Jenny's father's reaction is equally baffled although he rests his gun on the mother's shoulders and would rather talk about how her mother was getting hurt rather than his own confusion and resentment. They are baffled that they never understood this about their child. This is a textbook reaction of parents that they are "ordinary" people and they don't get it. The movie was very down to earth about handling this subject from the POV of a regular family. Tom wilkinson and Lind Emond as the parents were extremely believable. It was amusing to see how the father couldn't look on as the brides kissed after cutting the wedding cake although he had come around to accept his daughter's sexuality. Katherine Heigl's performance as Jenny was good. Her partner performed by Alexis Bledel didn't have much to do except look on supportingly. It was taken for granted that her parents had no objection and all was well at that front. This movie is not an out and out war cry for the LGBT community. It is not corny Or prudish nor is it overtly sexual. It is targeted at those people who dealing with the uncommon sexual inclination that they do not understand. They they never have come across in their known circles.These are regular people who do not deal with the ultra liberal ideas that come with cosmopolitan life. I see a lot of critics panning this movie. Someone blamed it of dealing with "too much sheltered people". But that is the fact. Not everybody lives sex and the city kind of life. Majority of people live an ordinary low key life and yes a "sheltered existence". Someone has to make a movie about that kind of people too. A movie's degree of impact varies based on the context and complexity of the situation addressed in it and not every movie will address the most complex even though talking about the same issue. Not every gay person evolves to be a LGBT revolutionary and not all families are utterly rejecting although they have their sets of challenges. This movie is a low key drama which is very identifiable and extremely approachable.

Apparently Katherine Heigl has attracted a bunch of people who don't like her for whatever reason and therefore don't like any movie she's in. I have always found her an appealing screen presence.This movie is about a lesbian coming out to her family and how they all react and come to terms with it. Jenny's family is portrayed as both very conventional and very oblivious. A bit hard for me to believe that with the exception of her brother, the thought that Jenny is lesbian never crossed any of their minds.This is not academy award material, but it is a good movie with a very good cast. The movie is, to use an overused phrase. "fair and balanced", showing the point of view of everyone in the family with none of them being either a villain or a saint.I would definitely recommend this movie.