Synopsis

A successful food writer is stunned when her longtime best friend announces that he is marrying a young heiress. Realizing she has loved him all along, she rushes to Chicago and becomes the maid of honor, secretly trying to break up the couple before the ceremony. Her schemes grow increasingly desperate as she confronts the difference between wanting someone and genuinely wanting their happiness.

Factoids & Trivia

• Released by TriStar Pictures on June 20, 1997, the film became a major commercial success, earning nearly $299.3 million worldwide against a reported $38 million budget.

• The screenplay was written by Ronald Bass, who also produced the film. The story gives its romantic-comedy lead unusually selfish motives, allowing the central character to function as both protagonist and antagonist.

• The soundtrack prominently uses songs written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, including "I Say a Little Prayer," "Wishin' and Hopin'," and "What the World Needs Now Is Love."

• Diana King's reggae-influenced version of "I Say a Little Prayer" became closely associated with the film and reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

• The wedding reception karaoke sequence became one of the movie's signature scenes. Its deliberately awkward ensemble performance contrasts with the polished musical numbers normally expected from a romantic comedy.

• James Newton Howard received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score.

• The film received three Golden Globe nominations: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress - Musical or Comedy, and Best Supporting Actor.

• Official remakes were later produced in China in 2016 and Mexico in 2019. The story also influenced several other international romantic comedies.