Let not a precious moment pass you by

I have this unfortunate propensity, nay, addiction, for falling in love with friends. Because I can relate to the characters who fall for their friends. I find myself immensely enjoying movies exploring this theme — When Harry Met Sally, Object of My Affection, Keeping The Faith, My Best Friend’s Wedding, to name a few. Local examples include Aga Muhlach and Sharon Cuneta’s Kung Ako Na Lang Sana, and the recent John Lloyd Cruz-Bea Alonzo starrer Close To You. Among the movies mentioned, my all-time favorite is Julia Roberts’ My Best Friend’s Wedding.

The story revolves around two best friends, Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) and Michael O’Neil (Dermot Mulroney), who, when they were in college, made a pact to marry each other when they, upon reaching the age of 28, have not yet found a partner. A month before Julianne’s birthday, Michael announces that he is getting married in a week’s time to a woman he met recently, Kimberly “Kimmy” Wallace (Cameron Diaz). It is then that Julianne realizes that she is actually in love with her best friend and that she cannot afford to lose him. Michael asks Julianne to be his “best man.” Julianne flies to Chicago and starts plotting schemes to try to break the wedding up and steal the bride’s groom.

The movie centers on Julianne’s various ploys to keep the wedding from taking place and win back her Michael. Her plans, the way she carries them out are hilarious. For instance, Julianne brings the couple to a videoke bar, which she knows Kimmy hates, and tries to put Kimmy look awful when she asks her to sing. Put on the spot, Kimmy tries  her best to sing, even though her singing is terribly off-key. Instead of being turned off, Michael finds this endearing and cute. Also, Julianne tries to make Michael jealous by introducing George Downes (Rupert Everett), her gay friend, as her fiancé. Julianne and George are invited by Kimmy’s family to lunch, and George starts to sing The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup, I say a little prayer for you. Immediately, the whole family chirps in. Soon, even the pianist joins in and the people from the nearby tables.

Julianne’s antics are comic. There are lots of falling over, lots of clumsiness. Julianne falls off the bed when she learns her best friend is getting married. She tumbles upon a cart of food as she steps off the elevator. She speaks with George over the phone at the top of her voice, causing embarrassment to the latter, who is holding a formal party.

Julianne almost succeeds in breaking the couple up when she sends a poisonous e-mail to Michael using Mr. Wallace’s computer. When Michael calls the wedding off, Julianne swoops in and admits her feelings in the hope that Michael will choose her over Kimmy. Anyone who has fallen in love with and has been rejected by a friend would know how Julianne must have felt at that time. In a heart-wrenching way, Julianne confesses: “Michael… I loved you. I’ve loved you for nine years, I’ve just been too arrogant and scared to realize it, and… well,  now I’m just scared. So, I realize this comes a very inopportune time but I really have this gigantic favor to ask of you. Choose me. Marry me. Let me make you happy. Oh, that sounds like three favors, doesn’t it?”

Indeed, it is  painful to watch Julianne admit her feelings to her friend than watch her heart break as Michael says he does not feel the same way.

Despite the fact that the movie is clearly a comedy, it is one of the saddest movies I have ever seen. I have watched it several times, and even though I have come to the point that I have memorized the sequence of the scenes, I still cannot help but cry at particular scenes. Worthy of note is the scene where Michael and Julianne ride on a tourist boat and the two are talking about how things between them will change because of Michael’s marriage. Michael quotes Kimmy saying “If you love someone, say it, right then, out loud, or the moment just passes you by,” and for a moment, Michael peers into Julianne’s eyes as if waiting for her to say something. But Julianne remains mum. Michael then takes Julianne’s hand and dances with her, humming The Way You Look Tonight.

The movie is also accompanied with a powerful soundtrack which never fails to pull at the viewer’s heartstrings. The movie opens with a fresh and comic musical number featuring a bride and her bridesmaid telling us that wishing and hoping and thinking and praying and planning and dreaming each night of his charm won’t get you into his arms. What one needs to do is hold him and kiss him and love and show him that you care.

The ending of the movie elicits   varied reactions from people. Some love it for it is realistic. And some don’t like it because it thwarts their expectation. But it is just as it should be. Julianne has let the perfect moment pass her by, and because of this, the man of her dreams has slipped by her fingers. To anyone, who seems to be portraying the role of Julianne in real life, the comedy is the saddest of movies.