Movie Profile: LICENSE TO WED (2007)
| Attribute | Details |
| Title | License to Wed |
| Release Date | July 3, 2007 (USA) |
| Director | Ken Kwapis |
| Writers | Kim Barker, Tim Rasmussen, Vince Di Meglio |
| Genre | Romantic Comedy |
| Runtime | 91 minutes |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Box Office | $70.2 million worldwide |
| Lead Cast |
• Robin Williams (Reverend Frank Dorman) • John Krasinski (Ben Murphy) • Mandy Moore (Sadie Jones) • Eric Christian Olsen (Carl) • Christine Taylor (Lindsey Jones) |
Trailer
Plot Overview
Ben Murphy (John Krasinski) and Sadie Jones (Mandy Moore) are a newly engaged, deeply-in-love couple who want to get married at Sadie’s family church, St. Augustine’s. However, the church’s highly eccentric, charismatic, and intrusive pastor, Reverend Frank (Robin Williams), refuses to bless their union unless they complete his famous, rigorous, and unorthodox “marriage preparation course.”
Desperate to secure the only available wedding date over the next two years, Ben and Sadie agree to his extreme conditions. What follows is a series of bizarre, exhausting psychological tests designed by Reverend Frank and his young assistant (Josh Flitter) to push the couple to their absolute breaking point.
From forcing them to care for incredibly creepy, crying robotic twin babies, to banning them from having sex before the wedding, to secretly bugging their apartment to listen to their private arguments, Reverend Frank systematically wreaks havoc on their relationship. As the wedding day approaches, Ben begins to lose his sanity, forcing him and Sadie to decide if their love can survive the ultimate pre-marital boot camp.
Behind-the-Scenes & Trivia
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The Office Connection: The film was directed by Ken Kwapis, who was a key director for the hit American sitcom The Office. He brought along The Office star John Krasinski for the lead role, and the film even features cameo appearances from other show alumni, including Angela Kinsey (Angela) and Mindy Kaling (Kelly).
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Robin Williams’ Improv Energy: True to form, Robin Williams heavily structured his performance around improvisation. Many of Reverend Frank’s wildest rants and bizarre comedic beats were created on the spot by Williams during filming, keeping Krasinski and Moore genuinely off-guard.
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The “Creepy” Robots: The mechanical babies used in the film’s most famous comedic sequence became a memorable piece of late-2000s comedy imagery, intentionally designed to look as unsettling and frustrating as possible to break Krasinski’s character.