Product: The Bachelor (1999)
Rating: 2.0
Bad Story Wastes Good Start and Excellent Cast
It would be nice to be able to tell people that "The Bachelor" is a funny, interesting story about a man facing the inevitable commitment of marriage with fear and trepidation. It would be nice, but it won't happen, because while this movie starts with a good premise and then gives the viewer a strong half-hour of entertainment, it ends up being a tedious film with too many cliches, weak characters and an all to predictable ending.The story of Jimmie (the usually good Chris O'Donnell), who finds himself moving closer and closer to losing his prized bachelorhood as one by one his friends get married off. Jimmie finally decides it is time to propose to his long-time girlfriend (the beautiful, talented Renee Zellweger) despite the fact that he is not ready to settle down. Predictably, his proposal goes badly and he is forced to deal with the consequences of his actions. The immediate aftermath of the proposal is very funny, and if the movie had stuck to following these two characters attempts at repairing their romance, this could have been a very good movie. Instead, the movie slants off in a "Brewster's Million"-type storyline involving an inheritance that can only be earned with a marriage and children. Jimmie's search for a bride is not interesting, not funny and the end is way too predictable.It is especially unfortunate that the makers of this film chose to take the movie where they did, because it wastes a very good cast and fails to take advantage of a nice chemistry that O'Donnell and Zellweger showed early in the film. Zellweger's performance is as good as any she has given and O'Donnell does as much as he can with his poorly written character. With Ed Asner, Hal Holbrook, James Cromwell (who's scene with O'Donnell in a boat is the only good part of the last two-thirds of this film) and Shani Engum, the supporting cast is filled with capable actors who are given nothing to work with. It would have been nice to see this cast put together in a good film.Overall, despite the good start and fine cast, this movie does not provide good entertainment. It is too bad, because it could have been so much better.