Sadie (Mandy Moore) and Ben (John Kraskinski) meet in a coffee shop line. They are soon smitten with each other, eventually moving in together. When Ben proposes at Sadie's parents' anniversary party, everyone is happy. Yet, although Ben would like to get married in the Caribbean, Sadie has her heart set on being married at a church called St. Augustine's. Ben soon realizes that things are not going to be easy. That's because all engaged couples at the church must go through a rigorous premarital counseling program designed by Pastor Frank (Robin Williams). There will be no sex until the wedding, Pastor Frank decrees. There are sessions with other couples, where they play free word association games and are set up to pick fights with one another. Pastor Frank has a few secret strategies up his sleeve, too. At the end of the day, will Sadie and Ben be able to stick together? This is a movie that can be described by the phrase " a good time will be had by all". There is romance, humor, slapstick, and touching moments. The cast is very nice, with Williams doing a great job as the overly zealous pastor. The Chicago area setting is nice, the costumes adequate (I felt some of Moore's outfits were a bit lacking), and the production values quite fine. If you are drawn to romantic comedy, you will not want to skip a showing of this film. It is a good new addition to the repertoire. Fans of Williams will not want to miss this one, either, as he gives everyone a license to laugh and feel good about life.
Review of License to Wed
