The Accidental Husband (2008) User Reviews

Unexpectedly charming

[JaynaB · 7/10 · 16 February 2014]

Uma Thurman is sweet and funny, vulnerable and lovably flustered at times as a radio relationship advice host. She thinks she has relationships all figured out, not only those of the folks who call in to her show, but her own relationships as well. But oh, how wrong she is, not just about her upcoming marriage but about other people in her life as well.

Colin Firth as Richard is not putting his all into the performance, but then his character is supposed to be rather bland.

The chemistry between Uma's character and the fireman was sweet, and believable. He was a bit clumsy but well able to laugh at himself. His good heart and attachment to his friends came through in many small ways, and you knew he was basically a good man.

The modern woman with the ideal man and the sensible wedding all lined up (until someone else enters the picture) is a well-used plot but that doesn't stop this movie from having unexpected twists and charms along the way. I found it well worth the evening of relaxing in front of the TV.

Better Than Expected

[cliff314 · 6/10 · 15 March 2009]

The reviews for this movie had not been good, although reviews for romantic comedies are notoriously unreliable. RomComs are not high art, and while there is still an abundance of difference between a good RomCom and a bad one, they are light entertainment and benefit from being viewed as such.

Accidental Husband certainly had flaws, but was still a lot of fun. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a funny bloke, Uma is Uma (always at least good), Colin Firth is assured as always. I was impressed with an exchange between Jeffrey and Colin's characters which was unusually realistic for this sort of movie.

Some commentators have expressed displeasure at the fate of Colin's character because they like the actor, but it is only a character.

The involvement of the Indian family was slightly curious, but enjoyable, and Ajay Naidu put in a solid performance as Deep.

If you are after a RomCom and you can cope with a bit of logical nonsense, you should find this an enjoyable diversion.

Rather forgettable

[Gordon-11 · 6 January 2009]

This film is about a fireman whose wedding got called off due to the advice of a radio host. He is determined to seek revenge against the radio host who destroyed his life.

"The Accidental Husband" is not too bad. Uma Thurman is charming and adorable as always. The hair stylists deserve a praise, because in almost every scene Uma Thurman has a different hairstyle, and they all look good.

However, the plot is rather implausible. Patrick Sullivan's revenge is rather malicious, making him rather unlikeable. This sets the wrong tone for the film right from the start. The bald Indian guy tries so hard to be funny, but he ends up being annoying.

Overall, "The Accidental Husband" is suitable for a brain off evening. It's rather forgettable though. If it did not have big stars in it, it would be difficult for this film to attract viewers.

I enjoyed it. It is a nice story

[v-69125 · 7/10 · 11 January 2017]

I am still watching this movie at the part when Richard lets her be and the church - fire by candle story and I was like omg who would think about that lol. No explanation to guests that was awesome. And on top of that her prince charming is a fireman so as he comes to rescue her i guess he realizes she is his.

I have to disagree with most of the reviewers that this is a good romantic movie.. Its unrealistic because you cannot think that you have a guy as understanding as Richard and a lady so down to earth like Emma. Rather most people would expect the rich guy to marry the rich girl and the fireman to marry the latina shop assistant.. Too bad I guess! I liked the fact that she chose Carl, he did set out to bring her down but thats cool coz it taught her the lesson she needed. He was everything she is not and sometimes that is what you need in life, Richard on the other hand was like a brother, kind , understanding and concerned also they were similar in characters, whereas Carl brought out another side of her which made her happy. Nobody is perfect right so is the movie but it has a nice story... It is about adults who have crossed paths and changed each others lives... Nothing wrong with that.

And I shall be going ahead to the rest of the movie 10 mins!

Incoherent, Implausible and Silly

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 21 February 2010]

In New York, Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) gives sentimental advices in her radio talk show "Real Love". She is in the top of her successful career with many listeners; she is releasing her first book about things of love; and she is going to marry her editor Richard Bratton (Colin Firth) in a couple of weeks. When Emma advises her fan Sofia (Justina Machado) to call off her wedding with the fireman Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the broken-hearted man loathes her. His next-door teenage neighbor hacks Emma's documents and plays a prank with her, marrying Emma with Patrick. Emma seeks out her husband to annul their marriage and after meeting Patrick, she feels attracted by his free spirit. Emma sees herself in a crossroad and having to choose between the safety of a life with Richard or the crush for Patrick.

"The Accidental Husband" is an incoherent, implausible and silly romantic comedy. The senseless story begins with Emma seeking out Patrick to annul their wedding instead of her lawyer. Their romance is absolutely absurd considering the background, age and social class of Emma. The homely Colin Firth shows a total lack of chemistry with Uma Thurman and the character of Jeffrey Dean Morgan does not belong to her world. In the end, this forgettable flick is not funny and a waste of time. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Marido por Acaso" ("Husband by Chance")

Love and annulment

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 28 October 2014]

A romantic comedy with a slight Bollywood twist more for the fact that it features Indian characters in a more three dimensional way which is something Hollywood does not do often enough.

Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) a firefighter wants to teach radio host and love counsellor Dr Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) a lesson when she unwittingly got his fiancé to break up with him. Sullivan gets his neighbour Ajay to hack into the public record office and gets him married to Lloyd which causes consternation to her as he plans to get married to her perfect man Richard (Colin Firth.)

Lloyd meets up with the more rough, ready but happy go lucky Sullivan for an annulment but slowly both fall for each other due to some mixed up scenarios.

The film has enough of an unusual setting, some good charm between the two leads to make it work even though its slightly contrived. Colin Firth is rather wasted in a difficult spike in the wheel role, but I guess its one of the last rom-com's he made before his best actor Oscar win. Look out for support from some veteran character actors.

worth the watch

[jforjayaprashanth · 6/10 · 27 July 2013]

I watched this movie today on a DVD and was happily surprised.Its a typical Hollywood comedy with a boll y wood touch.The reason for which this movie title has so many Spoilers is probably because of the mix of cultures.And,people could'not accept it. Things I liked about the movie: *It was not predictable where you expect it to be(pardon the climax,its a Hollywood movie & sweet ending is in the rule book). *There were many hit and miss comedies in this movie but Ajay Naidu was as great as ever. *Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Thurman's characters were less motivated but realistic. *Finally the back ground score.........ooh it was awesome & perfectly synced with the situation(at least for me,it made my day completely light) actually when the end titles showed up for a moment I thought there was some problem in the audio of the DVD because of the "Swasame" song.

The movie is not as good as any signature Hollywood ROM-comes like, Proposal,Knocked up etc., but it was watchable & definitely funny.

It's a romantic comedy for God's Sake!

[Vergilya · 6/10 · 6 March 2009]

These days Hollywood is either going Kung Fu or Bollywood. This romantic comedy chooses the latter so here's another Holly Bolly hoo. Like it's predecessors The Guru, The Love Guru, Bride and Prejudice and even a wee bit of the Indian culture in Ghost World.

An outraged man Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) set himself out to teach the love counselor Dr. Emma Llyod (Uma Thurman) a lesson when she unknowingly influenced his fiancé to break up their wedding plans. But as you would have it, in the world of Hollywood romance they'd ultimately fall for each other despite the fact that the good doctor doesn't believe in the man of her dreams but the man of her reality and that she herself was about to be married. Colin Firth plays her beau but is lost in his wimpish, awkward world and it's nice to see the gorgeous and elegant Isabella Rosellini again with other veteran stars like Brookes Adams and Sam Shepard.

Morgan seems to be the guy who gets other people's girl in the end even in P.S. I Love You, I wonder what his third romantic comedy would be like. There's some elements of Down With Love but not enough to make it memorable.

You have to watch this movie with no expectations, no analytical mind and no preconceptions before you can enjoy the laughter and foolishness of being in love without reservations.

The worst movie I've seen in a long time

[ajacs33 · 1/10 · 14 June 2009]

This really is the rom-com version of painting by numbers...made by people who clearly can't count. Terrible script, bad acting (Uma is the main culprit and Colin Firth sleepwalks his way through it)...completely unrealistic characters.I found myself wondering how on earth this movie got the green light.It's got straight to DVD written all over it.

I couldn't believe the amount of quality actors who were in this. WHY - they must have known it was going to be a dog?

I know rom-coms are generally fluff by their nature, but this is rock bottom. If you like your movies to have any resemblance to how people actually behave in real life this will drive you insane.

Not funny and not romantic. My cat could have penned a better script.

Very funny

[vchimpanzee · 6 April 2020]

With all the deception taking place, this film turned out to be quite enjoyable. And then there was the physical comedy, which I liked a lot, though somehow Uma Thurman doesn't seem to be suited to this type of comedy.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan made a very appealing Patrick. You want him to get the girl. Sure, he's ordinary, but aren't most of us?

Thurman did an excellent job as a radio host, but I found her quite hard to take when she was on the air or when she was acting like she did on the air. In the "real world", and especially when she was drunk, I liked Emma a lot more.

Isabella Rossellini was surprisingly good as the woman Emma had to deceive to save her husband's job. Mrs. Bollenbecker appeared to be sophisticated and upscale at first but actually quite approachable and friendly.

There was nothing particularly wrong with Richard, and Colin Firth played him very well, but in a movie like this, you don't really root for someone uptight like him to get the girl. He was a good sport when he had to participate in the deception.

Sam Shepard made an appealing Wilder, a father to Emma who could have done a better job and was apparently doing something quite naughty. Emma just had to accept what she saw.

Later in the movie when it becomes clear one man is not right for one woman, they handle the situation in a mature way that seems out of place in a movie like this, and yet that's how it should be.

Overall, this was quite enjoyable.

Another Perfect Guy Dumped by an Unappreciative Woman.

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 30 September 2009]

One thing that bugged me as I watched this film was why, given that he is portrayed throughout as damn near perfect, fireman Jeffrey Dean Morgan's girlfriend decided to cancel the wedding. Most women would jump at the chance of snaring this living embodiment of all that is good about modern men – even if it meant jettisoning the one they were currently stuck with – but his intended bride for some reason prefers life on her own. Oh well, life makes little sense, so why should movies?

There's not much of substance about this film. The leads provide likable characters to root for, there are no bad guys and, while it struggles to raise any real laughs, it's entertaining enough and realises that most women prefer to go to the movies with their dates so throws in a few moments for their boyfriends. There's not much else to say, really: maybe he snores, or wears women's clothes or something

One of the only times I turned off a movie in disgust

[lindsay12866 · 1/10 · 1 December 2018]

I usually give movies a chance, even ones I know will be bad. But I couldn't not make it to the 15 minute mark. Both Emma and Patrick were extremely unliking. When Emma talked in a stupid baby voice and would not allow her boyfriend Richard to eat a chocolate bar. I hate how a woman controlling her man is seen as funny and empowering in tv/movies because if it was the other way round he would be seen as a jerk (or even an abuser)

Uncomfortable romantic comedy

[mamawhoban · 6/10 · 17 September 2019]

Although the acting was well done this movie has way too much distasteful, unethical behavior all the way through the show Really did not like the plot

So disappointed.

[mccalltracy · 1/10 · 28 November 2018]

If this movie were a "Hallmark special" rom-com starring the typical actors of that genre, I might have given this a 5. However, I had much higher expectations here, and my disappointment was that much greater. Sure, there was chemistry (sorry, other reviewers, but I think the chemistry was there) but the script was so week that the actors couldn't salvage it. And I know this film was released in 2008, long before "me, too" but even then the "meet cute" of this relationship is completely the opposite of cute. I was rooting for her to wake up and smell the coffee even without the predicate blue reveal. And the morality of the two leading characters (his maliciousness and her cheating) make them unlikeable. The sad thing is that I can clearly see how slight changes in scripting could have made this film palatable. All I could think (before I shut it off - so there's the grain of salt for this review) is that the Colin Firth character had a lucky escape. And the poorly integrated daddy-issues subplot? I have no words (ps. It was bad enough that I created an IMDB account in order to write this)

Thoroughly entertaining

[twistedvegan · 8/10 · 5 October 2008]

I nearly didn't watch this film because of the negative reviews that I read on here so I thought I'd set the record straight. I don't know if the previous reviewers had watched the same film that I did as I enjoyed every moment of it.

I watch a lot of movies and I am very fussy about what I watch. I don't normally watch this kind of movie as I would consider it to be a bit of a chick flick but I found this to be surprisingly good.

The story was very well written with lots of twists and turns and the comic timing was just right. Most films seem to have a bit of a slow section where you wish they would just get on with it but this film keeps you interested all the way through.

If you are a fan of films like Four Weddings and Bridget Jones then I recommend that you see this one. It has all the makings of classic, well written romantic comedy.

Left me smiling

[stones-201-753814 · 7/10 · 23 April 2019]

This film has a handful of wonderful actors and actresses in it that are always worth watching and the story is lots of fun. It left me smiling and I always appreciate that.

Jesus Christ!

[manicurist · 1/10 · 3 February 2009]

I have had an account here for a while now, but have yet to write about a film. I decided to change this today when I experienced a film, so sensationally dreadful in every aspect that i just had to write.

The Accidental Husband is literally one of the worst films ever made. Uma Thurman is beyond awful. How the hell does this achieve 5.6/10? If you are over 7 years old and actually enjoyed this, then Google "psychiatrist" immediately.

I'm going to stop now as I cannot quite find the words I am looking for. However, I must first implore everybody never to watch this junk. You have been warned!

Not Worth Wasting Your Time.

[Pratik112 · 2/10 · 15 March 2008]

The title mad me think that this would be a comedy. This was not to be - well, perhaps with one or two scenes but that's about it.

Emma Lloyd, a successful presenter on a New York Radio Station, presents a show that deals with people's love. However, one night she advices a caller on not to marry a man that she's known for five months. At the same time, Emma is engaged to Richard who is a successful publicist. But one night the rejected man, whose girl friend, on advice from Emma, thinks that its time to pay back and he asks his friend's son to hack into the State records and he asks him to register himself as married to Emma.

The idea and the concept of this story, is to an extent good. Thoug the movie stars Uma Thurman, Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, it lacks the depth of comedy that could have been generated. The characters played by Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are irritating and Uma Thurman looks like a Barbie doll who seems to be extremely rich for a presenter.

Conclusion. Not worth it - at least not worth wasting your time.

A Decent Romantic Comedy

[metallicar-698-281921 · 7/10 · 29 March 2010]

First off, people who see "The Accidental Husband" should remember that it's a romantic comedy, which means it's not going to be the most amazing movie on the planet. It seems like most of the people who have seen this movie expect to go in and see something wonderful, only to be disappointed.

Personally, I liked this movie because I watched it without thinking it was going to be amazing. I don't like Uma Thurman's acting, so I wasn't expecting a lot from her, and in fact hated her character until the end. I think by the end her character redeemed herself.

The characters that I did enjoy were the ones played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Colin Firth. I've always loved the two of them, and I think they played their characters extremely well. I liked them, and even felt sympathy for both of them at some time in the film.

While others didn't find this movie in the least bit enjoyable, I thought it was definitely a lot of fun to watch. I'd give it a try and watch "The Accidental Husband", keeping in mind that it's supposed to be a "feel good" movie not something mind blowing.

Accident that didn't wait to happen

[Lejink · 1/10 · 31 May 2010]

Yet another Hollywood chick-flick rom-com about a central character in a ridiculous far-removed from reality occupation - Uma Thurman - as a novelist-cum-radio-talk-show host to the love-lorn of New York who through coincidence, farce and of course true love finds herself spurning decent guy Colin Firth for the quirky charms of Jeffrey Dean-Morgan's smouldering fireman, whose love-life she explodes on-air, with some ill-considered eve-of-wedding advice to his confused fiancée.

Thurman and Vincent's characters are paper thin so far as depth is concerned and have no chemistry whatsoever, Sam Shepard is plain irritating as Thurman's young-at-heart right-on father plus just what the significance of having Morgan live above an Indian restaurant and thus interacting incomprehensibly with the many-membered family beneath is anyone's guess, other than to plague the soundtrack with numerous Eastern-sounding pop-songs. There isn't enough nous in the direction to paint up Colin Firth's character as a bad guy in any way, which might just have added a little tension to the piece.

I can only think the writer / director thought to splice together bits of Holly and Bolly-wood trademarks and hope for a trans-continental hit. If so, the target was missed by about the size of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans combined.

After a long wait to see this one, it was a bit disappointing but still, most romcom fans will like it

[inkblot11 · 6/10 · 22 December 2009]

Dr. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) is a psychologist with a popular radio call-in program, where she dispenses advice to the lovelorn. She herself does not have any problem in that department, for she is set to marry Richard (Colin Firth), quite a handsome and successful businessman. One day, a caller takes the doctor's advice and, realizing that she is not suited for her fiancé, Patrick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) she breaks her engagement. Fireman Patrick, who lives in Queens, in an apartment building run by Hindi immigrants from India, is mighty ticked off at Dr. Emma. He persuades on a teenage Hindi resident to hack into the records of the state of New York and "marry" him to Dr. Emma. Since Emma and Richard are about to get their marriage license, this will create complications. In the course of getting everything straightened out, it is understandable that Emma and Patrick meet each other. But, uh oh. Patrick likes what he sees and arranges for the good doctor to have many a tete-a-tete with him. What will be the result? Will Emma stay with Richard or will she fall for a handsome fire fighter? I liked this film, especially the concept, for the actual movie has quite a few flaws. The story zigzags and veers, at any given moment, and the dialogue is not very memorable. On the other hand, the cast is great, for Morgan, First, and especially the very beautiful Thurman do a nice, nice job. In fact, fans of Thurman's would be hard to find any film in which she looks more lovely and has a sweeter temperament. Costumes, too, are gorgeous and the production values are high. Therefore, dear fans of romantic comedy, do grab ahold of this one and watch it. You will most like what you see, even if you don't watch it twenty more times. But, all of you who disdain the proverbial "chick flick" will most likely be bored silly.

Sub-par, predictable, and boring...

[jville2 · 3/10 · 26 December 2008]

This film does not deserve a full review, so I will express my opinion by way of a few bullet points:

• Predictable and banal. - Dialogue and script could have been written by anyone who is half literate. - Nothing new, retreads old ground but poorly. - Gushy and silly without being charming or funny to redeem it. - A waste of 85 minutes.

Please watch something like "Love Actually" if you want a romantic movie with Colin Firth in it. Even the mediocre "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" has more going for it than this dud. Uma Thurman can be funny with the right script, but no one could have saved this trash.

Light, Fluffy and Fun

[MiaBlythe · 8/10 · 21 April 2009]

This film is a romantic comedy and it fulfills that purpose completely. Is it a deep film? No, but it is highly enjoyable. It was light and fluffy and exactly what I was looking for.

The only downside is that Uma Thurman gets BOTH Jeffery Dean Morgan and Colin Firth. Not fair.

In response to another comment about not using your analytical mind when watching. I would like to point out that in most romantic comedies the female character usually has to sacrifice part of her career in order to be with the man she loves. In this film however, she does not. Her career is not hindered by romance. This is a lovely change.

A nice change

[rps-2 · 6/10 · 11 March 2017]

Not either a great or a memorable film but a pleasant piece of fluff after a week of "heavy" movies and a day where just about everything went wrong. I wasn't in the mood for murders, stabbings, graphic sex, Nazis or natural disasters. This was a needed change with some interesting characters, a silly plot and a few chuckles. There is nothing particularly good about this film. The acting, writing and cinematography are adequate if unexceptional. It's humorous without being hilarious. But neither is there any violence, profanity or message. It fit the bill on a Saturday night when I didn't want to think too much.

Sugarcoated to the point where it got painful...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 20 December 2015]

Director Griffin Dunne managed to take the stereotypical how-to-make-a-romantic-comedy recipe and douse it with twice as much sugar than what was needed. And the end result was a less than mediocre movie.

While stories are usually sappy and predictable in romantic comedies, then the story in "The Accidental Husband" was just ludicrous. The concept idea of the story was just so far out there and unrealistic that it was more of a farce than an actual romantic comedy.

And throughout the entire movie there was just something missing from the recipe, and it was dragging the movie down. It felt as if even the actors and actresses themselves weren't buying into the storyline. So why should the audience?

Uma Thurman and Jeffrey Dean Morgan did good jobs with their acting, but there wasn't any particular chemistry between them on the screen. And it was a shame that Colin Firth didn't have a bigger role in the movie.

If you enjoy romantic comedies, then there are far better movies available than "The Accidental Husband".