Four Weddings and a Funeral, one of the best romantic comedies of all time, celebrated a major milestone last year. With that in mind, I decided to go back and watch the iconic 1994 movie written by Richard Curtis and directed by Mike Newell to revisit the timeless story of friendship, love, death, and the impact each has on us. And while it was an incredible experience rewatching this beloved movie, it did get me thinking about the one major issue I have with it.
So, what’s my problem? Well, as you can probably tell by the title of this piece, I think that Hugh Grant’s Charles totally made the wrong decision at the end of the movie when it came to whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Though it’s not enough to make me hate the movie (that’s impossible), I do have to talk about it.
Four Weddings And A Funeral Is A Near-Perfect Romantic Comedy, And I Love Almost Everything About It
Let me get this out of the way – I think Four Weddings and a Funeral is a near-perfect romantic comedy, as well as a great story about the power of friendship, love, and life. I love almost everything about the movie from the heart-wrenching funeral scene to the great performances from the likes of Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Hannah, and everyone else.
Like Richard Curtis’ other screenplays, this highly-rated rom-com finds the perfect balance of humor and sorrow, comedy and drama, endearing friendships and new relationships. It’s not too short, and not too long, but somewhere in the middle that makes it as much fun to watch the fourth, fifth, or sixth time around as it was upon first viewing it all those years ago.
However, Charles Sacrificing Everything To Be With Carrie Was Not The Right Move
I’m all about following your heart and doing what you think is best, but come on, Charles sacrificing so much and putting himself through so much to end up with Carrie (Andie MacDowell) at the end of Four Weddings and a Funeral was not the right decision. It's not that she's a bad person (because she is nice and caring), it's just that these two people seem to bring out the worst in one another.
Though I have to admit that there is an undeniable spark and instant attraction when the pair first meet at Angus and Laura's wedding, it also feels like they are so caught up in the idea of this relationship that they let go of all sense, sensibility, and rationality. There also always seems to be something that one is withholding from the other (most times it's their feelings, while others it's an engagement or other key information), which isn't really the best way to carry on with a lifelong partnership like this.
If anything, it shows that these two have some serious commitment, trust, and communication issues that they really should have worked on sooner before they essentially crashed each other's weddings and made messes of multiple lives and relationships.
It Could Just Be My Love For Kristin Scott Thomas, But Charles Should Have Ended Up With Fiona Instead
I’m a little biased about the whole situation because I love Kristin Scott Thomas, both in the role of Fiona, and in general. And yeah, I am fully aware that it makes for a more interesting movie and a better ending with Charles being with Carrie as the credits roll. However, I think that if Charles hadn't been so preoccupied with the ups and downs of his relationship with Carrie, he would have been able to see that the perfect woman was standing in front of him the entire time, and not just as a friend.
The scene where Fiona comes out and tells Charles that she’s been single all these years because she’s waiting for him is just so heartbreaking, simply because he doesn’t have the same feelings. Maybe it's me feeling especially sympathetic towards Fiona after having been in a similar situation before, or maybe it's because she's such a great character, but I feel for her. Not only that, I honestly feel that she and Charles would have made for a great couple. Maybe Richard Curtis will write a "what if" treatment one of these days.
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a wonderful rom-com that I'm glad I rewatched after all this time, but I stand by my argument that Charles ended up with the wrong girl in the end. If you want to revisit this film that made more at the box office than you would have guessed, it’s currently one of the best free movies streaming on multiple platforms.
