‘JUST MARRIED’: A GOOD & BAD ROAD TRIP ROMANCE WITH ASHTON KUTCHER

Romantic comedies have the capability to lift a mood. And sometimes after a trying day, a popcorn flick is about the only cure for the day. So in that sense, they also have a kind of responsibility – loosely speaking, to actually be amusing. Too bad then, this doesn’t understand the “real” meaning of comedy. just married

Just Married (2003) Film Review

It’s love at first sight for Tom (Ashton Kutcher) and Sarah (Brittney Murphy). Ever since Tom hit Sarah in the head with a ball while playing a game of beach football with his buddies, they’ve been a thing. For Sarah’s wealthy family, however, it’s not a heavenly match. When the two suddenly decide they want to marry after a mere few months, Sarah’s mother tries to be supportive while her dad openly opposes it. Sarah gets her dream wedding despite her entire family wanting her to marry her father’s business protégé (Christian Kane).

Embarking on their perfect European honeymoon, the newlyweds quickly discover they must contend with some uncomfortable living conditions; transportation that barely holds their belongings; and each other!

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‘JUST MARRIED’: AN GOOD & BAD ROAD TRIP ROMANCE WITH ASHTON KUTCHER #MOVIES #ROMCOM #ROMANTICCOMEDY #ASHTONKUTCHER Share on X

Some movies really have no prospects, others I have too many expectations of, something that can often result in disappointment. This was something I rented on a whim and was neither excited nor unexcited. Basically Just Married is a big fluff piece that should have used its young, attractive cast to a better end. Kutcher and Murphy are cute together, and some of the other actors will be familiar faces. (They’re time on screen is short though, since this almost exclusively about Tom and Sarah’s literal journey.)

Seeing the love Tom and Sarah have results in some hilarious calamities and cumulates in touching moments, but once again after meeting and spending one whole afternoon together, they consummate their “relationship.” This tends to be an annoyance in films, or at least it is to me.  Some of the older audience can appreciate some of the more uplifting expressions. The comical mishaps (looking like sardines in a car; blowing out the entire electrical circuit at a hotel) demand laughter, but the scope of the movie is sad. Sad because of the lifestyle it tries to tell us if fine. As long as you want it, it’s okay to sleep around, don’t worry about the repercussions and never mind your heart being broke – go for it. Its ending may be adorable, but the message in getting there does need some help.

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Content: There’s sex after a first day date, and also jokes about sex toys, discussion about Sarah’s previous sexual partners and how she would compare them to Tom. The wedding night scene is more crude than sweet; after several mishaps the pair never can carry through with their plans to have sex while on honeymoon. Meeting a suggestively-clad woman at a bar, Tom takes her back to his room to “use the phone” and she winds up stripping off her top and bra before straddling him on the bed . There is drinking. Conversation revolves around sex and overhearing someone’s lovemaking. A brief drug reference results in a body cavity search (off-screen). The only noticeably missing element is terrible profanity. There are a few swear words and a rare few misuses of deity. The film is PG-13.