The only problem is, we are all human, and like all humans we have some inherent flaw. For Maggie, it is running from the altar. She simply cannot go through with the wedding and either runs, rides a horse or escapes by some other creative means. The variety with which each wedding scene was played out gave the movie a feel of intense creativity.

There was more going on in this movie than you would ever imagine on the first viewing. While I recommend you watch the movie first, the director Gary Marshall's narration and sense of humor in the commentary version is not to be missed. You will so enjoy seeing how the movie was made, what scenes were cut out and why some of the ideas were carried through the movie, e.g. the "bell" theme. I literally watched the movie and then watched it again in the commentary version.

On occasion, you do find a great romantic comedy the whole family can enjoy. If only more movies were made this way! Julia's smile and the superbly creative script gave this movie a good dose of down home appeal. You really would not mind living in this town, it is so cute. The outdoor scenes are gorgeous and great effort went into making sure everything looked perfect. Don't worry about the guys, this movie has plenty of sports scenes for them and Maggie's fourth husband to be is a sport fan and coach.

While being pulled into imagining how Maggie and Ike will get together, you start to care about the characters. The development of the characters takes great acting, great writing and superb directing. This movie has all three. The one part of the movie I did think was strange was the part where Maggie has kept all the engagement rings. That to me would not happen too often in real life, but we women enjoyed seeing them nonetheless. To be truthful, women have secret desires which are revealed in parts of this movie. Gary Marshall says in his commentary that part of a relationship is learning from each other and becoming a better person. That is what I loved about this movie. The characters fight for each other, their friends are there for them through the good and the bad times and they accept that no one is perfect.

The movie starts out with Maggie literally bolting from her wedding on a horse and then with Ike Graham trying to finish writing an article for his newspaper column in New York. He meets an interesting character who tells him all about a girl from Hale, Maryland who they call the Runaway Bride. After reading his column, Maggie writes a witty, humorous letter and in no time Ike is on the road to her town to get the real story. Convinced he will catch her running from the next wedding, he accidently falls under her spell. One of the best lines in the film is when Maggie is not interested in talking to Ike and simply says: "I'd love to stay and chat, but I still have my job." This bantering is so amusing and I loved the playful scenes, which if you watch all the way to the end of the credits, you will see another one!

I thought the music was very appropriate for each scene. Yes, there was some very familiar music, but that made the movie more fun. There were also a host of familiar actors which gave the movie a sense of "I know these people!" I loved the slapstick and the quirky facial expressions of Maggie's best friend. There are some great "girl talk" moments as friends tell each other honestly how they feel.

Julia Roberts brings a childlike joy to this movie and her smile is worth the cost of this DVD! Richard Gere has never looked better! Then there are also scenes with a cat which to me shows Ike's sensitive nature. He is not too sensitive however to stand up for Maggie and also go after what he wants in life. This is definitely going to be on my list of favorite romantic comedies. Yes, you might guess the ending...but don't be so sure. Just when you think the movie is over, it begins again! Gary Marshall has quite a sense of humor and it shows. I laughed throughout this movie, I felt what the characters were feeling and I loved the plot. You won't see everything in the first viewing, so I highly recommend watching the commentary version.