Jenny's Wedding (2015) User Reviews

Baffled why everyone is trashing this movie

[Trufflesss · 7/10 · 3 August 2015]

Reading many reviews about this movie including some of the comments in the forum, I have came to a conclusion that many have either not really seen the movie, or made preconceived idea that the movie is bad because Katherine Heigl is in it. Add that that is a LGBT movie, than the movie really must be that horrible.

But, I have seen the movie and I liked it.

If you watch the movie with open mind, then you would actually see that the theme of the movie is quite great. It's a story about a family who had no idea that daughter/sister was a lesbian. That she is getting married to her "room-mate", who turns out wasn't really room-mate but her girlfriend of 5 years. It's a story of family coming to terms and dealing with facts, that they had been lied to for a long long time. It's very hard coming out to your family, because you never know how they will react, or say, or think of you. And this is why it has taken Jenny so long to come out to her family. Her fathers reaction is a very big reason why many stay in closet. A lot of reviewers say that Bledel and Heigl do not have chemistry. Considering that they shared very little screen time together, there really wasn't much time for it. And the movie really was not about their relationship.

It's not the movie of the years. It's not a movie that will earn countless awards. But give the movie a try, give Heigl a try because she was good in this role.

nice coming out movie

[willmurphy6663 · 7/10 · 20 September 2015]

5.3 is way too low for this movie. An emotional family drama dealing with an uptight family's anxieties and prejudices and although the film is a fantasy and on the side of the angels it plays out what should happen if a family had to turn round and accept what is unacceptable to them. It is nice to see a main stream film that is not just the usual tired romantic comedy.

The actors do a good job. Tom Wilkinson and Linda Edmonde are excellent as the parents and have the meaty roles to play as they have the difficult journey to take. Family dynamics are played out well as a background to the story as well as the social network that the parents live in.

Decent flick about coming out

[calb-05915 · 7/10 · 4 November 2015]

If you read the reviews or the trash from haters on these boards, you'd think this was a major stinker.

it's actually a decent movie. It is not a romcom and if you watch the trailer, it shows clearly the focus is not on the lesbian couple. this movie is about parents experience after their daughter comes out to them. This isn't something you typically see from Hollywood.

one thing i see is critics bashing the movie because it doesn't seem current with today's modern times of lgbt acceptance. sorry, i think these critics are out-of-touch and don't realize that yes, many still live in very conservative communities where being gay is not accepted, even in the states believe it or not. Even if parents are OK, it is difficult to instantly let go of your dreams for your kids having a *normal* life and worry about social scrutiny your kids and family will now face.

this is well acted, particularly by Heigl, Emond, Wilkinson, and Gummer as they have the biggest roles here. Too bad Bledel's character didn't have much to do. The music could have been bit more subtle and the ending seemed lacking a bit. Transitions at times aren't very smooth, but expected due to the low-budget.

if this movie actually got a change to be shown in theaters and marketed to general audiences (not just big cities), I could see this being a sleeper hit. But nowadays, only small movies that are considered Oscar contenders will get playtime in theaters. too bad. this is worth a look.

Disappointing and awkward

[tashsteeds · 2/10 · 29 December 2015]

I was genuinely excited to watch this movie - I generally enjoy Katherine Heigl films (I'm always up for a bit of unambitious cheese), and I'm a big fan of Alexis Bledel, so I was keen to see a movie in which the two play a lesbian couple, one of whom is coming out to her parents. Unfortunately, the film really didn't deliver. The relationship between Heigl and Bledel seemed like a bit of an afterthought: Their first two scenes together there seems to be no affection between them whatsoever. Not once do they so much as touch, and Kitty (Bledel) very unceremoniously leaves her fiancée to face her family alone after a rather disheartening speech about how Jenny (Heigl) has been lying to them for years. Only about half an hour in do we get a strangely platonic kiss and hug between the two. The reactions of Jenny's parents, too, seemed very strangely written for two seemingly loving, educated and non-radical parents in 2015. The writers seemed to rely more on generalized, seemingly unfounded coming out clichés as their reactions. These two things are what really bothered me about the film, and what made me feel as if this was a coming out movie written rather clumsily by a very straight person whose only grounding for this film has been taken somewhat awkwardly out of pop culture. If you want to watch a good LGBT film, I'd go elsewhere. This film means well, but is from such a strangely straight viewpoint that it's fairly painful to watch.

When appreciated for what it is; a lovely film.

[arewethereyeti · 7/10 · 22 August 2015]

Jenny's Wedding, for the most part, has been discarded and labelled below average amongst most film critics and the public, therefore I began watching this film with preconceived ideas. Films consisting of gay female relationships are sparse, and ones that are watchable are even rarer, however this happened to fall into both categories. The problem arises when viewers deem the focus of this film to be something different to what it is, many people comment on the lack of chemistry between Heigl and Bledel, whereas upon watching the film it is clear the lack of screen time they actually had together played a part in that, and the film is less about their relationship as such, and much more focused on Heigl's family and their relationships with each other and Jenny respectively. Needless to say it was a sweet, feel-good film that; of course, has a plot which has been done many times before, but still kept me watching until the end.

An under-appreciated film that I think will surprise you!!!

[urbanemovies · 19 December 2015]

Jenny's Wedding is an under-appreciated film that I think will surprise many of you. It is one of many fine quality films that I find myself asking: Why didn't this get more than just an extremely shallow limited release? It certainly deserved better than only grossing a paltry $6244 worldwide, especially considering the end product.

Piloted by veteran screenwriter-director Mary Agnes Donaghue (Beaches, White Oleander), the movie starts with a well written script. It is bolstered by fine performances across the board from a talented cast that includes Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson, Linda Edmund, Grace Gummer and Alexis Beidel. It's crew achieved high production values that would compare favorably with films 5 times their budget. It has all the ingredients to be a fine film and delivers on that promise.

Jenny's Wedding problem lies in Hollywood's inability to label it and know how to sell it rather than the film itself. It never meets the expectations unfairly placed on it by others to be a film it never pretended to be. It never was intended to be a laugh a minute comedy or a sappy love story or even a bold message film. It is an honest portrayal of how family members when placed in unfamiliar waters, may surprise or disappoint, themselves and others in how they act.

I think this film benefits greatly from being seen with out any expectations. I had the benefit of watching this film without seeing the trailer or reading the blurb, both which reveal too much about the story. I enjoyed how the story unfolded, the slightly surprising but not shocking plot twist, and the unpredictability of how family members act and react when conflict arises. It had a credible balance of painful and feel good moments that any normal family goes through. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Jenny's Wedding and hope you will too.

Who is She Getting Married to Again??

[spock-billy-spike · 5/10 · 13 August 2015]

I was really excited to see this movie, hoping that a decent romance movie would be made that I could enjoy but it didn't happen. The plot may well be about Jenny coming out to her parents but it actually focus's way to much on that. Jenny's fiancé 'Kitty' is a washed out character with little to no back story and emotion.

The whole movie is about her wedding or thats what the title is and she's getting married to a cardboard figure. Bedel did a great job with adding facial expressions to make up for the lack of lines but the script just bombed her character to hell.

The rest of the movie is actually decent, and the mother daughter relationship is okay if a little overwrought. It doesn't make up for the fact that the movie's premise sucks and flops and there's one recurring thing about grass that made this movie a 6/10 not a 7/10 because it was so f*&king stupid.

All in all, its okay and if you don't care what you're watching and want to throw some cash at the movie to entice other directors and script writers to make movies with LGBT members than do, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Very underrated

[davidhukill · 7/10 · 31 December 2021]

How this movie is currently averaging on 5.5 is beyond me. This movie is very well cast, directed, and written. Katherine Heigl sheds her reputation as a rom-com queen, and delivers an amazing performance. Tom Wilkinson, Linda Edmond, and Grace Gummer are superb in their supporting roles. This is a terrific story, that is very current, and well worth watching! Ignore the 5.5 average, and negative reviews - this movie is a winner.

20 Years Too Late

[caspian1978 · 5/10 · 31 July 2015]

What could have been a very important and thought provoking movie, Jenny's Wedding falls completely flat. Katherine Heigl plays herself as she has in most of her movies. Bomb after bomb has brought us full circle to her post Grey's Anatomy career where her celebrity wave is about ready to crash. Although it is another one of her typical acting roles that she has had since 2007's Knocked Up, the role of Jenny is one of her best opportunities to show that she is a good actress. However, the subject matter is beyond out dated to this point. If this movie was to come out in 1995, then the critics would have been talking about how taboo and thought provoking this movie is. To play it safe, Jenny's Wedding premieres in 2015 where the subject matter is no longer on the "front burner." The supporting cast is as strong as their leading lady. Ir should I say ladies. The Lifetime style direction only adds to the basic 90 minute movie that leaves the audience somewhat entertained and far from informed about the journey Jenny goes through to keep the love for her family. Nothing special nothing new. In fact, Jenny's Wedding is far from anything new.

Can we talk about how amazing Linda Emond is in this movie?

[amorgan-77658 · 7/10 · 7 April 2016]

I just happened to find this movie on Netflix and thought it sounded like an OK way to spend the evening. Overall, I liked the movie. I know it's not getting very good reviews, but I disagree. I will admit that it is VERY predictable, and some of the writing is so so...but I don't think those qualities are unique to this movie and I definitely don't think they ruin it. There are also a lot of reviews saying that it's dated, in the coming out aspect and the reactions of the family and neighbors. While I do think that the reactions of some of the neighbors are a little over the top (or a lot), overall, I think that this is still very much a reality for LGBT people choosing to come out to their family. Especially considering the film is set in Ohio. I'm from the midwest...so I know how closed minded and behind the times people can be!

As for the lack of chemistry between the leading ladies.... well, in case you missed it, this movie isn't about them. It's about Jenny's family coming to terms with everything. And I think this movie did a superb job with the family's characters and their reactions.

I think the acting in this movie is top notch and really saves the lackluster script. Grace Gummer and Katherine Heigl are both on their game. But what did it for me is Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond as mom and dad. Both of their performances were great. And I loved watching their relationship evolve during the course of the movie. Emond is my new favorite actress because of this movie. She gives an unbelievably believable performance in every scene that she's in, especially the coming out scene and the grocery store scene. Seriously amazing!

Overall, I'd say it's totally watchable.

No spoiler alert needed because this movie is so predictable

[danieladougan · 2/10 · 27 February 2016]

We've seen this movie before. A lot.

A man or a woman has come to terms with being a homosexual and has found a partner. He/she has hidden this lifestyle from conservative family for years...then finally decides to come out. Family tries to be OK with it, struggles, freaks out, and there's a big argument where the homosexual person breaks away from the family or is disowned. A straight person in the family has been living a lie of some sort, usually about their own marriage. Family comes around and supports homosexual person while welcoming partner to the family. Happily ever after. Roll credits.

Forgetting all of the MUCH better movies on this topic for a moment (many of them made decades ago), did Katherine Heigl not even watch the episode of "Grey's Anatomy" when one of the doctors came out to her conservative father and he freaked out? Because that's more or less the plot of this movie.

There are no surprises. No plot twists. Although this is billed as a romantic comedy, there is no comedy at all. I never laughed once.

The side plot about Jenny's sister (who, let's face it, looks more believable as a lesbian than Katherine Heigl or Alexis Bledel) and her unhappy straight marriage was a good opportunity for the movie to do something different than all of its predecessors...but it's a missed opportunity because A) they didn't spend enough time on it to fully explore it B) it's based on a really dumb metaphor in an attempt to appear "artsy" and C) Grace Gummer didn't sell it very well.

Then again, it may not be her fault -- the screenplay is so awful and cliché that I don't know if anyone could have sold it well.

This is a Hallmark/Lifetime movie that just happened to have some bigger names in it so it. You can find it on Netflix (as my fiancée did, unfortunately), but it's not even worth your time.

a good film for any parent of a gay child to watch

[supervillanova · 8/10 · 17 December 2015]

I want to first of all, thank Katherine Heigl for her bravery in doing this film. I enjoyed it.

One of the best lines said in this movie that any gay person can understand :

"Mom, you can pretend all you want that nothing has changed, but I have. And I am not lying about who I am to anybody ever again not even for you. Because if I do, I'll ruin what is good in me. You raised me to do the right thing and be proud of myself. Don't you want me to be that person anymore? The lying is over. You and dad are going to have to make up your minds about me because I am getting married, and I am going to have children I am going to have a happy and full life and I'm NOT hiding it anymore. So if you can't handle that it will have to be your problem from now on, NOT MINE." -end quote

Good Message, Poorly Casted

[cristina-ashley-35-251853 · 7/10 · 14 December 2015]

I liked this message overall, I think the story is great and I LOVE LOVE Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel so it pains me to say that the only thing wrong with this movie is them. They are not believable together as a couple, there is no chemistry and I absolutely feel like there has to be for a movie like this, a movie that relies so heavily on the main message being that Jenny is so perfectly and over the moon happy with Kitty. So happy and over the moon with Kitty that she would give up a family that she is so close with, namely her parents. I just didn't feel that with Katherine and Alexis, but, I liked the movie a lot overall.

Out with old ways

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 15 February 2017]

Katherine Heigl tries to stretch her acting muscles playing Jenny a lawyer who is openly gay, living with her female partner (Kitty) for some years but has pretended to be straight to her conservative family and passed her partner off as a roommate. At various functions people ask Jenny about boyfriends and she coyly answers about never meeting the right man.

When Jenny announces she plans to marry Kitty, her parents and sister freak out along with many people in the neighbourhood. Jenny feels isolated and even disowned by her parents.

The film has noble instincts but it is vacuous and dull. There is little hint of a genuine, loving relationship of any kind between Jenny and Kitty. The character of Jenny's sister is irritating going on about how it is always about Jenny seeking attention although there is a subplot where the sister faces the shortcomings in her own heterosexual marriage.

Thew film's sentiments just feel dated and many of the character are just insufferable.

Come out and watch it!

[Gordon-11 · 3 August 2015]

This film tells the story of a woman who lives in a conservative town. After being with her girlfriend of five years, she decides to come out to her family and tell them she will be having a wedding.

It is refreshing to see the Katherine Heigl, the current queen of romantic comedy performing in a lesbian film. It is certainly a different kind of romantic comedy. I think it is a great film because it is a story of acceptance, equality and love. The scenes of Jenny coming out are really beautiful, she is courageous and strong to break out of her life of deceit. Her parents' subsequent journey to acceptance is very realistic and memorable as well. What's more great is that the whole film is upbeat and emanates positivity. I enjoy watching "Jenny's Wedding", and I think it could even be a preparatory film for people considering to come out to watch as well!

A portrait of the not-so-young lesbians as a boring bland bourgeois couple.

[The_Melancholic_Alcoholic · 5/10 · 25 November 2015]

I suppose this really was about a woman called Jenny being wedded, even so, it lacked so much drama, it was a boring exercise. The lack of an angle on her wife to be feels totally unbalanced. The only thing we know about her is that her mother lives in Portland. We don't know about her job, her father, her background ... NOTHING! After all, it's about JENNY'S wedding, not about ... I forgot her name already, and I think it's the filmmakers intention that I don't look that up.

The only tension in this movie comes from waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever does.

I guess it was the filmmakers intention to show lesbians as normal as possible, but does that HAVE TO mean as boring as hell?

On a side note: Why are all lesbian roles played by heteronormative actresses, often married with chilluns??? And if it HAS to be those, how about a little skin? After all, we lesbians like to dream about unattainable stars as much as anyone.

It was all too movie-of-the-week, Lifetime crappy for my taste.

Oh well.

On hindsight, this isn't about lesbians at all. It's about conservatives coming to the shocking discovery that .....drumroll .... their own kids are MORE important than what the neighbors think, or their own nauseating prejudices. I mean, half or more of conservatives actually abandon their utterly vulnerable kids when they come out, and that is so un-Christian, it is Satanic.

The Melancholic Alcoholic.

I have 2 main beefs with this movie

[thewoodlandservices · 7/10 · 4 April 2016]

I have 2 main beefs with this movie. #1: based on the poster art, I expected this to be a romantic comedy. This expectation was bolstered by beef #2: it headlined Katherine Heigl, an actress (for me) known only for romantic comedies.

This movie is not a romantic comedy, it is a surprisingly good drama and even a somewhat realistic one at that.

Katherine Heigl does a credible job as a woman who has hidden her secret from her family most of her life. Tom Wilkinson is amazing as ever as the father who initially seems more bonded with his daughter than the rest of the family but during the story arc, has the harder time accepting certain truths.

The wonderful Alexis Bledel is woefully underused, but in the context of the scope of the story is understood.

Grace Gummer as the sister is incredibly believable. Her story could be a movie on its own (with a different poster artist!).

Recommended! Watchable. Enjoy!

ugh enough already

[cassidyorme · 2/10 · 27 March 2016]

the only reason i gave this movie a 2 is because Katherine hiegel looks good in her dress.. this movie is crap. its so bad.. one of the worst things about this movie is that is the music that is pretty meaningless yet whole scenes seem to be dedicated to just a stupid song. why?

this movie seems like it was written after two film executives had coffee one morning and said to each other is there any movies about gay marriage lets make one.. and that was it.. they paid some intern to write it and there's your movie..

this movie is so bad I'm sure there hasn't been one lesbian that has even connected to it so the question is who were they making this for?

So glad I watched the movie before reading these reviews!

[debbieonstjohn · 7/10 · 28 May 2018]

I really liked this movie and especially its content. To many, this is a sensitive topic. For some of my friends, it's reality. Some may not be able to see this as a good movie because of the reality. Heigel and the entire cast "fits" this movie and Im so happy to have it in my list of fave life changing monies!

good but couple not credible!

[lili_hamel · 3/10 · 29 May 2016]

The movie is good, well written and really accurate compared to what happen in real life from my experience of parents finding out one of their kids is gay (the "please keep lying", the "what did we do wrong??", ...). So for me the movie has a huge potential and all of it is erased by the choice of actresses to be the gay couple : Heigl and Bledel. These two actresses are good but I didn't believe for once second in their couple. Heigl is a mature looking woman and Bledel looks...way younger! Both are beautiful and talented but as the couple....I didn't buy it and it bothered me during all the movie so at the end I'm disappointed and sad to feel that way.

This shows that love can conquer all and the scene when the mom realizes that in the grocery store is very powerful.

[cosmo_tiger · 7/10 · 27 December 2015]

"She's not my roommate. We've been partners for 5 years now and we want to start a family." Jenny (Heigl) is finally ready to settle down and get married. She is happy with someone for the first time in her life, but when she tells her family things begin to fall apart. Her parents try to cover up her life and the small town they live in thinks this is the most scandalous event ever. Slowly Jenny's big reveal not only improves her life, but of those closest to her as well. This is a movie that is both infuriating and encouraging at the same time. Infuriating in the fact that, much like in real life, the worst sin someone can commit is to come out as being gay. Encouraging because it shows that love can conquer all and the scene when the mom realizes that in the grocery store is very powerful. This is not a typical Katherine Heigl rom-com, although it is still a little predictable. The acting is good in this but the message is the real reason to watch. Overall, a movie I liked more than I expected to, and I think it was because of the emotional aspect. I give this a B.

My main problem

[LizElze · 2/10 · 13 December 2015]

This film belongs in 2005, this is not how gay films/ people are written anymore. I believe this movie was made by a bunch of straight people who think they know how LGBTQIA+ people work but really don't and the people who will really enjoy this movie are just people who want to feel good about themselves because they posted a rainbow on facebook when gay marriage was legalized because "I support gay people". Now that's not a bad thing to feel good about there is still a lot of people who think gay people should be stoned to death but this movie is only enjoyable to a small audience when it doesn't need to be.

I'm going to compare it to another movie at this point, Imagine Me & You (2005), I LOVE this film it is very satisfying to see those 2 get together at the end and the build up that leads up. That is from the lesbian perspective, but the movie is also very enjoyable for most of the people around in 2005, accepting but still a little uncomfortable because it wasn't too much. It is a movie gay people and straight people can enjoy alike. Jenny's Wedding seems to have no idea what gay people would like to see in their movies using songs like She Keeps Me Warm, like yeah that song is about lesbians put that in. It really seems to distant itself from what it should be.

Another movie I will quickly compare it too is Carol. That was an AMAZING movie and what the top of gay movies is for this time in my opinion, I don't expect Jenny's Wedding to be the same as this movie which is getting noms from many different awards but I expect it to be modern. If you had shown me Jenny's Wedding and asked me what year it came out I would say 2004. But it didn't it came out 2015. There's a gap, there's a learning curve that hasn't gotten to Jenny's Wedding yet. Jenny's Wedding is how not to write a gay film.

That is my main problem with this movie.

A touching, moving story about how families can change

[jrcham94 · 9/10 · 12 December 2015]

It's tiring to read reviews that are not about the quality of a movie but instead are written to rehash a crowd mentality - in this case to trash Katherine Heigl, who is actually quite good in the film.

Jenny's Wedding tells the all-too-common story of a conservative Christian family that has tremendous difficulty in accepting a gay son or daughter. Even in 2015, otherwise loving family members can inflict guilt on their gay offspring rather than come to terms with reality. Jenny's Wedding captures this dynamic in a sensitive way that relates Jenny's story from the perspective of all family members (including Jenny's partner). All the acting is excellent, and the story's arc reveals changes that that are honestly earned, without sentimentality.

This film is a fine, underrated romantic drama that deserves to be seen.

Honest Portrayal of Family Behavior

[robbejtx · 6/10 · 3 September 2019]

Yes, I agree with other reviewers this isn't an earth shattering movie, but what it does do is show a realistic view of what both a gay person and their family go through when trying to deal with a child that comes out. I went through very much the same thing for years until I finally told my parents "it was either you love me for who I am or I walk out the door and never appear in their lives again." That was probably the hardest moment in both their and my lives but it defined who we were as a family. Luckily my parents came around at least a portion of the way, especially my Dad.

This is definitely a must watch for anyone who struggles with a friend, child or relative that has come out. Today it's not such a big deal and many more people accept it but what they may not know is that it's still a very hard admission and reality for the gay child. Accept. Love. And, embrace.

Great coming out movie to let your parents watch

[katrinacruz · 5/10 · 17 August 2015]

Having watched the trailer, i was actually pretty excited for this film to come out. I was excited about the premise and the fact that it had two awesome supposed female leads, got me quite intrigued. Unfortunately this movie fell short of all my expectations.

I have nothing against Heigl. In fact, i actually look forward to seeing her play her usual role in sappy chick flicks. What bothered me is that this should have been entitled something completely different. Where was the romance for the brides to be? I mean I seriously felt sorry for Bledel's character. She had very little to no story and just felt like she was an after thought. Even "Jenny" treated her like crap. Seriously, there was no talk from her end on how she felt about anything.

The only reason I'm giving this a 5 is because of its theme of acceptance from a traditional family. Given the fact that it is 2015, there are still plenty of people who choose to hide from their families because they feel their families would not understand and accept it. I think this would be a great conversation starter, for those who want to ease their family into their lifestyle. It's all about the freaking "grass" which really was the writers failed attempt at a metaphor for happiness. Lets face the fact, this movie really wasn't about Jenny or the wedding. It was all about her parents, who by the way gave fantastic performances.

I would also add their terrible musical scores with their terrible timing. How very predictable of you to use "I can't change."