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戀愛嫁期
The Wedding Date

故事大綱

徵友！應該說是徵男友！更正確一點是俾錢你做一陣男友…

十萬火急搵男人的是單身靚女姬蒂（狄寶娜美臣飾演）。由倫敦搬來紐約的她一直孤家寡人，生活無聊，直至她收到妹妹從倫敦寄來的請帖，才心情大亂！晴天霹靂的不是妹妹嫁得出，而是兩年前飛起姬蒂的未婚夫竟然會做伴郎！

為了在衰男人面前威番次，為了盡show幸福Look，為了不再被姨媽姑嗲問到篤……姬蒂決定一擲千金，請來專業男伴力克（達慕梅朗尼飾演）做其臨時男友，一起出席婚禮。

姬蒂拖著力克回到倫敦老家，贏到眾人艷羨目光。力克亦交足戲，風度翩翩、談笑風生，為姬蒂化解不少窘局之餘，還分擔新娘心事，贏得新郎的歡心，取得「準外父」的信任，更迷倒在場所有女人……

拖住這樣完美的男人，世界也像變了！姬蒂開始戲假情真……

製作花絮
婚禮題材　層出不窮
婚禮是人生最戲劇性的一刻，也相信是最受歡迎的拍攝題材之一。由《４個婚禮１個葬禮》(4 Weddings & A Funeral)、《真的想嫁你》(My Best Friend's Wedding)、《我的大舊婚禮》(My Big Fat Greek Wedding)以至本片《戀愛嫁期》，很明顯，環繞婚禮的電影，往往為觀眾帶來無限驚喜和浪漫。正如導演姬莉喬娜說，某程度上，在婚禮上，大家都在「扮�洁v──好像嫁不出的姬蒂，請男伴來「扮幸福」，亦有人會「扮恩愛夫婦」、「扮成功人士」……這是一個很有趣的現象。

憑超人氣電視劇《Will & Grace》紅透美國的狄寶娜美臣，今回演繹「婚期遙遙無期」的姬蒂，也同意這一點，她說：「你想做到最完美，但最後總是麻煩多多，無一樣事如你所願；家人之間的微妙糾紛，更可視為喜劇材料。」

曾在《真的想嫁你》扮演茱莉亞羅拔絲異性好友的達慕梅朗尼就認為婚禮是全世界均感興趣的題材：「不是每個人也搞過婚禮，但肯定你去過婚禮，所以大家都會明白箇中的瘋狂。」

英國新晉才女導演操刀
作為英國新晉才女導演兼愛情喜劇能手，姬莉喬娜開拍前特別與一眾演員花了很多時間琢磨人物背景、性格等，才開始投入拍攝。此外，演員亦非常欣賞喬娜獨特的拍攝風格。美臣說：「導演認為最重要的是角色之間的感情與火花，所以在現場，她經常跟我開玩笑，又引導我們自己爆肚，你可以見到她這種既即興性又實驗性的手法，出來的效果很好。」梅朗尼亦表示：「她迫我們作故事，要我們想一下自己角色的過去是怎樣，結果不論戲內戲外，我和美臣的關係也熟絡了，合演時就更得心應手。」

英式美景　大晒冷
「就正如貝托魯奇拍《盜美人》(Stealing Beauty)時歌頌意大利本土一樣，我亦希望透過本片展示英國的自然美景」，導演喬娜憑著一份對國家的自豪，找來她認為最美的街道和建築物，其中要數以下三大場景，最引人入勝：

索立郡(Surrey County)郊區的Chilworth Manor：這座龐大又典雅的莊園，盡顯英國傳統婚禮的氣派，所以被用為片中主角度過婚禮周末的主景。

豪華水上屋(boat house)：驟眼看來，這「水上豪宅」好像是一庭建築物，但其實它是索立郡中絕無僅有的植物園。攝影師奧利華卻德斯(Oliver Curtis)第一次看到此實景時更驚叫：「簡直難以想像，世界上有那麼美的地方，白鵝、天鵝和樹木，都是人工不能實現的美景。」

索立最著名的大教堂：在索立一個景色如詩如畫的小鎮上，有一座建於12世紀的大教堂，戲中就是在這個宏大而富有歷史性的建築物內，舉行了婚禮。

此外，影片還在名勝The West End、Little Venice、Chiswick、Richmond、Hammersmith、St. John's Wood取景，全力綻放英倫浪漫。

天天下雨　美國演員取經英人
景色如斯美好，很可惜的是，英國天氣無常，在影片拍攝期間，更竟然日日下雨天！對於一眾美國演員，在陰霾的天氣下拍戲，簡直要向英國人取經。好像美臣，她便對英國人的反應嘖嘖稱奇：「他們的外套都有帽，又常備雨傘，每次下雨，都瀟灑自如。我習慣了美國穩定的天氣，所以起初下雨時，我也慌失失。」

梅朗尼亦說：「在英國拍戲，下雨是常事；但在荷李活拍戲，突然下雨的話，大家一定驚惶失措，像騷亂一樣。」

實際上，最受影響的是化妝和頭髮，幾位主角難免不停補妝、執頭。與此同時，攝影師卻德斯亦在統一全片的燈光上花了不少心血和時間，令觀眾看到的畫面是完美無瑕的靚人靚景。

情深卡士
愛情喜劇女殺手──狄寶娜美臣
棕髮大美人狄寶娜美臣(Debra Messing)憑美國超人氣電視劇《Will & Grace》打入民心，她在戲中演的室內設計師Grace與靚仔基佬律師Will誤打誤撞做了同居密友，因而搞出連場趣事。劇集自1998年推出而來便大受歡迎，至今已開拍至第四季。美臣亦憑Grace一角贏得2003年「艾美獎喜劇組」最佳女主角獎，以及2001年「美國演員工會」最出色喜劇演員獎。此外，美臣更連續６年獲金球獎（電視音樂劇/喜劇組）最佳女主角提名；四度獲艾美獎提名喜劇組最佳女主角；兩度獲「美國喜劇獎」提名最佳女主角等等。

1968年出生於紐約的美臣自小對演出深感興趣，在母親鼓勵下，她在麻省一間大學攻讀戲劇，畢業後往倫敦深造，之後再考入著名的紐約大學演藝碩士課程。

初出道時，美臣只是電視劇閒角，直至她在《紐約重案組》(NYPD Blue)及《宋飛正傳》(Seinfeld)客串演出後，才另人眼前一亮，並為她贏來擔正《Will & Grace》的機會。

美臣近年亦開始在影壇大展拳腳，譬如在《追命慌言》演李察基爾老婆、在《情場算死草》中演賓史迪拿未婚妻。繼早前為《加菲貓電影》配音之後，來年美臣亦會聲演Sony動畫《Open House》。其他作品還有與奇洛里維斯合演的《真愛的風采》(A Walk in the Clouds)，以及活地亞倫導演的《荷里活大結局》和《名人百態》(Celebrity)。

美臣剛於2004年誕下一子，現定居洛杉磯。

靚仔有本心──達慕梅朗尼
達慕梅朗尼(Dermot Mulroney)是圈中戲路最多元化又最搶手的演員之一，自86年從影以來，已演出過近四十多部電影及電視劇，當中最為人熟悉的是《真的想嫁你》(My Best Friend's Wedding)，片中他演茱莉亞羅拔絲的知心好友，俊朗不凡的外表殺死了不少女觀眾。不過，現實生活中，梅朗尼是「從一而終」型，他與演員妻子嘉芙蓮姬娜(Catherine Keener)結婚15年依然恩愛無比，與６歲兒子一家親。

梅朗尼曾演出的作品還有《薯嘜先生》(About Schmidt)、《神偷大話王》(Where the Money Is)、《肯薩斯的最後一夜》(Kansas City)、《疊影謀殺案》(Copycat)、《編織戀愛夢》(How to Make an American Quilt)。他亦經常演出電視劇，最令人難忘的要數《老友記》(Friends)中扮演Rachel(珍妮花安妮絲頓飾)的上司。

現時，梅朗尼正忙於兩齣新片。一齣是和戴安蓮(Diane Lane)及尊古錫(John Cusack)合演的愛情喜劇《Must Love Dogs》；另一齣則是和戴安姬頓(Diane Keaton)、嘉露兒丹絲(Claire Danes)合作的家庭式喜劇。

愛情片才女導演──姬莉喬娜
在英國皇家美術學院修畢「導演碩士課程」的姬莉喬娜(Clare Kilner)，在學期間已憑《Half Day》、《The Secret》、《Symbiosis》等多齣短片揚威英國、慕尼黑、墨爾本、瑞士等地的國際影展。1994年，她受聘於BBC的第４頻道，拍攝了短片《Daphne and Apollo》。1999年，她首次執導的電影《Janice Beard: 45 Words Per Minute》贏得一致好評；這部辦公室愛情喜劇更為她開了荷里活的大門。2003年，喬娜在美國拍了第二部長片－－青春愛情喜劇《初戀十五十六時》(How To Deal)，馬上被視為最有潛質的新進女導演之一。本片是喬娜第三齣長片。

Production Information

Kat Ellis (DEBRA MESSING) is looking for the right man.

NOW.

The position comes with a few requirements: willingness to travel, keen social skills, good looks, suave demeanor, sharp mind…and a tux. The qualified candidate should also have (though not required) the ability to make ex-boyfriends jealous, to turn heads whenever entering a room and to reduce any woman within eye- and earshot to a weak-kneed, besotted admirer.

Kat wouldn't be so urgently in need were it not for her spoiled, gets-everything-she-wants half-sister's wedding where the best man happens to be Kat's handsome ex-boyfriend. What's worse, the currently single Kat has to schlep all the way from New York-where she's made her life-to London, where her wildly dysfunctional family lives. That's one long, thankless trip to take solo.

And since the wedding is happening, oh, next weekend, Kat does what any enterprising single woman would do-she tracks down and hires a professional. So what if her solution crosses a few morally dubious lines plus costs her a tidy six thousand bucks which she'll have to drain from her 401K? And so what if her escort happens to be…well, an escort? Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Lucky for her that her hiring skills are pitch-perfect and she zeroes in on smooth heart-stopper Nick Mercer (DERMOT MULRONEY), one of New York's better known and in-demand professional male escorts who's quite, uh, well-equipped for the task. Once in England, the insightful and charismatic Nick-part actor/part shrink/part bon vivant-helps Kat navigate the choppy waters of her screwy family and caddish old flame Jeffrey (JEREMY SHEFFIELD) and convinces everyone he meets that he and Kat are, indeed, an item.

As Nick charms Kat's parents, Bunny and Victor Ellis (HOLLAND TAYLOR and PETER EGAN), her self-absorbed half-sister Amy (AMY ADAMS), Amy's fianc�me Edward (JACK DAVENPORT), as well as every living, breathing woman within a 100-kilometer radius, Kat too finds herself feeling things she's never felt before.

For Kat, what begins as merely a face-saving ruse with a dashing guy-for-hire-strictly a business arrangement-quickly starts to become more than she ever expected. But love doesn't come cheap…

In the tradition of such comedies as Four Weddings and a Funeral, My Best Friend's Wedding and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Wedding Date is a funny, touching and utterly romantic look at love, marriage, family and the sexy surprises life holds in store.

Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films Present A 26 Films Production In Association with Visionview LTD.: Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney in The Wedding Date, starring Amy Adams, Peter Egan and Holland Taylor. CLARE KILNER (How To Deal) directs from a screenplay by DANA FOX (her feature film screenwriting debut), based on ELIZABETH YOUNG's novel Asking For Trouble. Producers are NATHALIE MARCIANO, MICHELLE CHYDZIK SOWA, JESSICA BENDINGER and PAUL BROOKS.

Joining director Kilner behind the camera are director of photography OLIVER CURTIS, editor MARY FINLAY, production designer TOM BURTON, costume designer LOUISE PAGE and composer BLAKE NEELY. NORM WAITT, SCOTT NIEMEYER, STEVE ROBBINS and JIM REEVE serve as executive producers.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION...

For the cast and creators of The Wedding Date, the consensus is unanimous: a wedding is a surefire setting for movie comedy. "Even under the best of circumstances, weddings are stressful, funny, unpredictable events," says Wedding Date star Debra Messing. "Nothing ever goes the way you want or expect. Add the family dynamic into the mix and there are unlimited sources for laughs."

Messing's co-star Dermot Mulroney agrees: "Not everyone gets married, but it is kind of a universal event. Pretty much everyone has been to a wedding, so it's easy to relate to all the craziness."

Holland Taylor, who plays Messing's mother in the film, comments: "Weddings are a time when everyone is so anxious for things to go well that any little hitch can cause mass hysteria. Depending upon your vantage point, that can be quite amusing."

It was this "pressure cooker" environment that drew director Clare Kilner to the story to begin with. "I'm very interested in the public and private sides of people and how much they're prepared to show or mask in a given situation. I thought a wedding would be a really fun place to explore that kind of dichotomy."

The director was also attracted to the film's "dysfunctional family element" and explains, "I enjoyed the opportunity to present all the comic and dramatic contradictions within such a diverse group of relatives. Besides, almost everyone is pretending to be something they're not, which always carries great potential for humor."

In the film, Messing's shy and heartbroken Kat Ellis is "pretending" the most, and it's what excited the actress about the role. "I loved the idea of an 'everywoman' hiring an escort to help her create an illusion of a more exotic romantic life than she really has," relates Messing. "How everyone in Kat's world responds when she shows up with Nick [the escort] on her arm-because he's clearly a very handsome, dashing, sophisticated man-was really fascinating to me. Suddenly everyone looks at her with new, accepting eyes just because he's standing next to her. That kind of judgment is very real, and also very interesting to observe."

Grounding the film in reality was key to Kilner's direction of her actors. She notes, "I talked to the actors from the beginning about keeping their performances very truthful and not to overplay the comedic moments. I said, 'Be honest and the comedy will follow.'"

Kilner's unique style of direction was greatly welcomed by her cast. "She is really an actors' director," enthuses Messing. "Clare felt the characters' relationships would make the whole thing funny so, throughout, she had us improvise and play tricks on each other. She'd give us these 'little jewels' to work with to make you think differently about a situation. Her spontaneous and experimental approach was really rewarding."

"Clare had us making up things and filling in our characters' back stories along the way," recalls Dermot Mulroney. "For me, it turned out to be a great way to get to know Debra, both as a person and as a co-star. I think our chemistry really shows up in the work."

Says Amy Adams, who plays Messing's self-centered sister Amy, "Clare worked hard to make sure we understood all the relationships, how we relate to each other, what we have in common and what we don't have in common. She liked us to discover new things every day and gave us the freedom to try scenes different ways, but always made sure we stayed true to our character's basic nature-good or bad!"

And for Jack Davenport, who portrays Edward Fletcher-Wooten (a.k.a. "the groom"), he was surprised and pleased with Kilner's direction. "There is always the temptation with this kind of story that you would work out what function your character serves in the whole and then just plow ahead as faithfully as you can. But Clare was always keen that we deviate from that as often as possible. She gave us an enormous amount of room to grow."

Likewise, Kilner had high marks for her varied and talented cast. Though she'd previously never met Debra Messing, Kilner was already a big fan of her work on the hit TV series Will & Grace. "I thought Debra was brilliant on the show, so having her onboard the film was a huge pull for me," states the director. "She's an incredibly skilled and versatile performer. Debra has the ability to bring great sensitivity to drama as well as having crack comic timing."

As for Messing's leading man Dermot Mulroney, Kilner was equally impressed. "Dermot's a great actor, in both drama and comedy. He gave the role of Nick such humor, class and substance that it's hard to imagine anyone else in the part. He was a pleasure to direct." Kilner happily concludes, "All in all, I was blessed with an extraordinary cast."

Given that The Wedding Date's cast and locale is primarily British, the American actors had a bit of a learning curve during the filming. As Dermot Mulroney explains, "There were a lot of British terms being used like 'stroppy' ['unreasonably grumpy'], 'boot' ['trunk'] and 'lift' ['elevator'], which became pretty second-nature to us 'Yanks' after awhile. We'd all joke about the culture clash nature of the production and actually tried to bring some of those 'American actor versus English actor' moments to our scenes, whether it was playing up on the different ways we speak, react or carry ourselves. Clare encouraged us to have fun with that and it ended up serving the comedy really well."

"The British people are amazing and fun," confirms Colorado-born Amy Adams, "but, I have to admit, I didn't always know what they were talking about. It's the same language as ours but at times it really isn't! In fact, it took me a couple of weeks to start making the translation from British to American English." The actress notes, "Then again, the Brits looked at me the same way, like I was the one talking weird!"

She adds, "And baked beans for breakfast? I still don't get that. But I was told it was 'sacred ground' so I let it go. The last thing I wanted to do was start having to defend American food."

Language and food issues aside, there were many plusses for the Americans. Observes Holland Taylor, "English actors and crews are lovely to you, incredibly respectful and pleasant, no matter what. I think they go out of their way to be polite. It helps the day, makes things go smoother and is just plain civilized. I can't say it's so much like that on American film sets."

Then there was the beauty of the British countryside, where much of the film was shot. Not only was the bucolic town of Guildford and its Surrey County environs a lovely and serene place to work, but inspiring as well. This was especially true for Clare Kilner, who made a conscious effort to "celebrate" her homeland on film. The director explains, "In the same way that Bertolucci honored the countryside of his native Italy in Stealing Beauty, I wanted to really showcase England's natural splendor. This film had so many exteriors, I decided 'let's get the huge vistas, let's be proud of where we're from.'"

One of the main locations used in the film was the stately Chilworth Manor in the Surrey countryside. The stunning home served as the Fletcher-Wooten estate, where everyone gathers for the wedding weekend. According to location manager Giles Edleston, "It was the massive garden that really sold me on the house. It was gorgeous, the quintessential setting for a traditional English wedding."

Another important location was the estate's boat house, where several key scenes take place. And, though it looks as if it's on the grounds of the country home, it was actually part of an arboretum in another area of Surrey. "The boat house was the most difficult place to find, as there are very few of them left," recounts Edleston. "Plus to find something tucked away in the middle of the National Trust woodland took quite a bit of research. But in the end, we found the perfect spot and it looked fantastic."

Concurs cinematographer Oliver Curtis, "Our jaws literally dropped open when we saw the boat house. You couldn't have drawn one better. It was exactly as we'd all imagined it, complete with the geese and the swans and the trees. It was beautiful, really beautiful."

Giles Edleston also located the perfect church for the film's wedding ceremony, a 12th century structure tucked away in one of Surrey's many picturesque towns. Co-star Holland Taylor, enchanted by the building's history, comments, "Between takes, I'm looking at this Norman arch and then at this slightly later arch. Then I'm studying the bracers in the walls and wondering what a particular niche was there for, and I'm thinking how very privileged we are to be shooting in England."

Many of the film's "pre-wedding" events were shot in and around London, including the "in-town" hotel where the opening cocktail party takes place. "We had a bit of trouble finding a working hotel that would have us for three consecutive days," recalls Oliver Curtis. "We were quite lucky to finally land this hotel on Wimbledon Commons, especially because its reception area, lobby and dining room interconnect, allowing us to do a number of Steadicam shots that go from one space through to another, and back again. From a technical point of view, the place worked out perfectly."

A few districts away, London's leafy, residential Primrose Hill was the setting for the game of rounders (the English ancestor of American baseball) between "Team Ellis" and "Team Fletcher-Wooten." Other city neighborhoods used included The West End, Little Venice, Chiswick, Richmond, Hammersmith, St. John's Wood and North London's Islington area.

In addition, London's Gatwick Airport doubled for the interior of New York's JFK Airport.

While England was brimming with scenic, memorable locations and polite, convivial people, there was, however, one obstacle to shooting there-the traditional English weather replete with ample rain. The wet and stormy weather that Britain is known for made almost daily appearances during production of The Wedding Date. But Clare Kilner, like so much of the English crew, took it in stride: "Filming is all about just going with what you have and making the best of it. You can't fight the elements, so maybe there's something else the day offers you."

The American actors were impressed with the ease with which the English crew handled the inclement weather. "They're just so used to having to deal with it," says Debra Messing. "They whip out their parkas, open their 'brollies' [umbrellas] and they're good to go. As an American, I'm used to a little more consistency in weather, so when it starts to rain it's like, 'Wow, what do we do now?' Here there are a lot of people around to guide us like little ducklings and say, 'Okay, come over here now.' It's all part of the adventure."

Dermot Mulroney agrees, "When you're shooting in England and it starts to rain, everyone just goes and stands under something until it blows over. If you're filming in California and it begins to rain, everybody starts panicking and havoc and mayhem ensue. Here it's all just part of a day's work."

Jokes English actor Jack Davenport, "Keeping your hair dry can be a nightmare if you haven't got a shower cap!"

But for head make-up artist Kirstin Chalmers, the rain is serious stuff. "Make-up can slide off your face and get all streaky, so we really have to be extra vigilant," she explains. "As far as hair goes, the dampness actually helps some actors' hair. But for others, it can go badly wrong, frizzy and such. That's where the real work kicks in."

Erratic weather is a challenge for the cinematographer as well. Affirms Oliver Curtis, "Lighting continuity is a big issue. For example, one of the days we shot at the boat house, it started off bright, with dappled sunlight, then turned cloudy and miserable. But you have to think around these problems and light accordingly and try to make it cut. Whether people watching the film will notice is another question, but we do our best."

In the end, Clare Kilner was thrilled with what she was able to achieve with her "top-flight" cast and crew, despite an accelerated shooting schedule, unpredictable weather and the "high-wire" demands of the romantic-comedy genre. "I think we truly accomplished what we set out to do here-and much more," the director says proudly. "Filmmaking is such a collaborative art and when you're working with a group as talented, dedicated and generous as I was fortunate enough to have, you can achieve a great deal indeed."

Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films Present A 26 Films Production In Association with Visionview LTD.: Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney in The Wedding Date, starring Amy Adams, with Peter Egan as 'Victor' and Holland Taylor as 'Bunny.' The casting is by Carl Proctor. The line producer is Mairi Bett. The co-producer is Jeff Levine. The make-up and hair designer is Kirstin Chalmers. The costume designer is Louise Page. The music supervisor is Randy Gerston. The music is by Blake Neely. The production designer is Tom Burton; the editor, Mary Finlay; and the director of photography, Oliver Curtis, B.S.C. The executive producers are Norm Waitt, Scott Niemeyer, Steve Robbins, and Jim Reeve. The film is produced by Nathalie Marciano, Michelle Chydzik Sowa, Jessica Bendinger, and Paul Brooks. The Wedding Date is based on the book Asking For Trouble by Elizabeth Young, with a screenplay by Dana Fox. It is directed by Clare Kilner. c2004 Universal Studios. www.theweddingdate.net

ABOUT THE CAST...

DEBRA MESSING (Kat Ellis) has become known worldwide for her multiple award-winning role as Grace Adler on the hit NBC-TV series Will & Grace. She was recently named TV Guide's 2004 TV Performer of the Year.

In addition to a 2003 Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Messing has earned three other Emmy nominations in that category, five Golden Globe Award nominations, two People's Choice Award nominations and two American Comedy Award nominations. She also won the 2001 TV Guide Award for Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series, a 2001 Screen Actors Guild Award as a member of the Will & Grace ensemble cast and a 2002 Golden Satellite Award from the International Press Academy.

Messing's most recent film roles include Universal's successful comedy Along Came Polly, in which she starred opposite Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston; and the voice of Arlene in the animated hit Garfield: The Movie.

Other feature roles include Woody Allen's Hollywood Ending, in which she portrayed Allen's girlfriend; The Mothman Prophecies, in which she played Richard Gere's wife; Woody Allen's Celebrity; McHale's Navy; and Alfonso Arau's A Walk in the Clouds, with Keanu Reeves.

On television, the actress has also been seen in the acclaimed CBS mini-series Jesus, in which she portrayed Mary Magdalene. She starred in the 1998 thriller series Prey, and for two seasons on the Fox comedy Ned & Stacey, opposite Thomas Haden Church. She also had recurring roles on NYPD Blue (as Gail O'Grady's conniving sister) and Seinfeld (as Jerry's ideal but elusive love, Beth Lookner).

Messing, who received a degree in Theatre Arts from Brandeis University and an M.F.A. from NYU's prestigious Graduate Acting Program, has extensive theatre experience as well. She appeared as Harper Pitt in the pre-Broadway workshop of Tony Kushner's award-winning Angels in America: Perestroika and then played Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest at Seattle's Intiman Theatre. She went on to understudy both Mary Louise Parker and Polly Draper in John Patrick Shanley's off-Broadway hit Three Dogs and a Bone and later co-starred in Paul Rudnick's off-Broadway satire The Naked Truth. Messing also starred in the New York premiere of Donald Margulies' highly acclaimed Collected Stories at the Manhattan Theatre Club.

The actress will next be "seen" as the voice of Beth, the Forest Ranger, in Sony Animation's Open Season.

Awards as

DERMOT MULRONEY (Nick Mercer) is one of film's most consistently busy and versatile actors. Since his feature debut in Blake Edwards' 1986 comedy Sunset, Mulroney has appeared in a succession of movies, alternating between studio projects and riskier, independent fare.

His earlier film credits include Young Guns, Staying Together, Survival Quest (on which he met his future wife, actress Catherine Keener), Longtime Companion, Career Opportunities, Bright Angel, Where the Day Takes You and Point of No Return.

Mulroney then appeared in the features The Thing Called Love, Bad Girls, Angels in the Outfield, There Goes My Baby, How to Make an American Quilt, Living in Oblivion, Copycat, Kansas City, Bastard Out of Carolina, Box of Moonlight, The Trigger Effect and the enormously popular comedy My Best Friend's Wedding, opposite Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz.

More recently, the actor has been seen in Goodbye Lover, Where the Money Is, Trixie, The Safety of Objects, Lovely & Amazing and, most notably, as Jack Nicholson's mullet-headed, mattress salesman son-in-law in the OscarR-nominated About Schmidt.

Mulroney's TV movie credits include Heart of Justice, Family Pictures, The Last Outlaw and Journeys North. He also had a recurring role on NBC's Friends as Rachel's boss, Gavin Mitchell.

Last year, Mulroney appeared in David Gordon Green's feature Undertow, with Jamie Bell and Josh Lucas, and will next be seen in Gary David Goldberg's romantic-comedy Must Love Dogs, with Diane Lane and John Cusack.

In addition, the actor will begin work in February on an as-yet-untitled romantic comedy for Fox 2000, in which he'll star opposite Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Clare Danes, Luke Wilson and Rachel McAdams. Set at Christmastime, the story revolves around a family whose favorite son (Mulroney) brings home the woman to whom he intends to propose (Parker), only to have his family turn on her.

AMY ADAMS (Amy) found her acting career in high gear after the release of Steven Spielberg's smash hit Catch Me If You Can, in which she played Leonardo DiCaprio's adoring, airheaded fianc�me, Brenda.

Other feature credits include Drop Dead Gorgeous, Psycho Beach Party, Cruel Intentions 2, The Slaughter Rule, Pumpkin and Serving Sara. Upcoming film roles include The Last Run, the ensemble comedy Standing Still and Junebug. On television, Adams was seen in episodes of That '70s Show; Charmed; Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane; Providence; Buffy, the Vampire Slayer; Smallville; and The West Wing.

PETER EGAN (Victor Ellis) is one of Britain's most accomplished and respected film, TV and stage actors. His feature credits include The Hireling (for which he received the 1972 BAFTA award as Best Actor); Hennessy, with Rod Steiger and Lee Remick; and the Oscar R-winning Chariots of Fire. More recently, he was seen in the international hit comedy Bean; the sci-fi spoof 2001: A Space Travesty, with Leslie Nielsen; and the thriller The I Inside, starring Ryan Phillipe and Sarah Polley.

Egan has over 25 major British TV dramas to his credit including the telefilms The Brotherhood, To Catch a King, A Day in Summer, The Price of the Bride, The Peacock Spring, Gobble and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries; the miniseries Lillie, Prince Regent, Reilly: The Ace of Spies, The Dark Side of the Sun, Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance and John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy; and such series as A Touch of Frost, Ever Decreasing Circles, Joint Account, Cry Wolf and The Ambassador.

The actor's many West End stage credits include Journey's End (London Critics' Circle Award for Best Actor); Trevor Nunn's production of Hamlet; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; the Royal Opening Gala of You Never Can Tell, at the Lyric Hammersmith; Arms and the Man; M. Butterfly; The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Barbarians; Art; and Noises Off.

Egan will next be seen in Regis Wargnier's anthropology epic Man to Man, with Joseph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas.

HOLLAND TAYLOR (Bunny Ellis) is truly a star of stage, screen and television.

She made her Broadway debut in 1965 in The Devils, starring Anne Bancroft, and went on to an array of memorable New York theatre performances in such plays as Butley, opposite Alan Bates; Breakfast With Les and Bess; Moose Murders; Murder Among Friends; We Interrupt This Program; Drinks Before Dinner, directed by Mike Nichols; and four works by A.R. Gurney-The David Show, The Cocktail Hour, Children and Love Letters (of which she gave the first performance with the author at the New York Public Library).

But it was Taylor's role as imperious advertising exec Ruth Dunbar on the inspired 1980 sitcom Bosom Buddies (which starred newcomers Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari) that really put her on the map. She followed the success of that show with a constant stream of movie and TV roles that showcased the actress's flamboyant intelligence.

Taylor was seen in such features as Romancing the Stone, Key Exchange, The Jewel of the Nile, She's Having a Baby and Woody Allen's Alice; in telefilms like Tales From the Hollywood Hills and People Like Us; and in starring roles on the series Me and Mom, Harry and Going Places.

Throughout the 1990s, the actress continued to work steadily, again alternating between movies and television. She appeared in many features, most notably, To Die For, Last Summer in the Hamptons, How to Make an American Quilt, One Fine Day, George of the Jungle, Next Stop Wonderland, The Truman Show and Happy Accidents. TV movie credits included The Counterfeit Contessa, A Walton Wedding and Bitter Blood.

Taylor was a series regular on Norman Lear's The Powers That Be; The Naked Truth (with T�ma Leoni); and The Practice (for which she won the 1999 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series); and had a recurring role on AMC's The Lot (Emmy nominee, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series).

More recently, Taylor was seen in such movies as Keeping the Faith, Town & Country, Legally Blonde, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and the indie comedy D.E.B.S.

Television work of late includes her highly-praised portrayal of Nancy Reagan in the Showtime film The Day Reagan Was Shot and a regular role on the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men, in which Taylor plays Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer's mother, Evelyn.

JACK DAVENPORT (Edward Fletcher-Wooten) was born into the acting business as the son of veteran actors Nigel Davenport and Maria Aiken. His first screen role was as a zookeeper in the Fish Called Wanda sequel, Fierce Creatures. Davenport then went on to land the part of public school barrister Miles in the landmark BBC television series This Life.

Among his many other British TV credits is a starring role in another award-winning ensemble series, the brash relationship comedy Coupling.

A successful stage actor and radio drama performer, Davenport has impressed film audiences with appearances in such features as The Wisdom of Crocodiles (with Jude Law), The Talented Mr. Ripley (playing Ripley's final victim, Peter Smith-Kingsley) and as Commander Norrington in the hugely popular Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He recently re-teamed with Pirates star Johnny Depp in The Libertine, the story of debauched English poet, the Earl of Rochester.

SARAH PARISH (T.J.) is currently one of the busier actresses working in British television. She was voted Best Actress in the 1999 Regional Television Awards for her role as receptionist Dawn Rudge in the series Peak Practice. She has since appeared on such series as The Vice, Cutting It and Blackpool; the miniseries Hearts and Bones, Sirens, Impact and Trust; and in the telefilms Reversals (in which she played a male doctor!) and Unconditional Love.

Parish was also seen in Michael Winner's feature Parting Shots, a dark comedy with Bob Hoskins, Ben Kingsley and John Cleese.

JEREMY SHEFFIELD (Jeffrey) began his career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet. He then turned to acting and appeared onstage at London's Royal Court Theatre and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

But Sheffield became best known for his work in British television, thanks to his starring role as cardio-thoracic surgeon Alex Adams in the popular BBC series Holby City. Other prime-time drama series work includes The Governor, Linda Green, Hearts of Gold, Grease Monkeys and, most recently, Murder in Suburbia. He will next be seen in Bombshell for ITV.

In addition, the actor has appeared in the telefilms Merlin (for NBC) and Her Own Rules, based on the Barbara Taylor Bradford novel. He was also seen in the feature Anna Karenina with Sophie Marceau, Sean Bean and Alfred Molina; and recently completed the horror film Creep, starring Franka Potente.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS...

CLARE KILNER (Director) began her film career by writing and directing the short drama Saplings, which gained her entrance to Britain's Royal College of Art, where she received an M.A. in Film and TV Directing. Kilner co-wrote and directed another short, Half Day, which screened at both the Munich Film Festival and the British Short Film Festival.

In 1994, the filmmaker was commissioned to write and direct a documentary about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder called The Secret. It won the Royal Television Society's Student Documentary Award, the Discovery Award at the Sheffield International Film Festival, Best Student Short at the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Best New Director award at the Nyon Film Festival in Switzerland.

The next year, Kilner directed Symbiosis, her final graduation film at the Royal College of Art. It was screened at many film festivals, received theatrical distribution and aired as part of the BBC series Screen Firsts.

In 1994, she was hired to direct another short film, Daphne and Apollo, for the BBC/Channel 4 series Brief Encounters.

Kilner made her feature directorial debut with Janice Beard: 45 Words Per Minute, which she co-wrote with Ben Hopkins. The quirky office comedy starred Eileen Walsh, Rhys Ifans and Patsy Kensit.

Most recently, the director helmed the teen comedy-drama How To Deal, which starred Mandy Moore and Emmy-winner Allison Janney, for Radar Pictures and New Line Cinema.

DANA FOX (Screenplay by) started in show business as an assistant to screenwriters Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (Shanghai Noon, TV's Smallville) and later to John August (Charlie's Angels, Big Fish). While working for August, Fox was commissioned by 26 Films to write The Wedding Date, based on Elizabeth Young's novel Asking For Trouble. The writer turned in her first draft and, five months later, the movie began shooting in London.

Fox's current writing projects include The Girl Most Likely To for MGM and Marc Platt Productions, and two features for 20th Century Fox: an untitled animated film and the live-action comedy Bratz. She has also recently finished writing a romantic-comedy spec screenplay that she hopes to direct.

ELIZABETH YOUNG (Based on the Book by) started writing after a variety of jobs that included being part of an airline cabin crew, modeling for TV commercials in Cyprus and working for the Sultan's Armed Forces in Oman. She is the author of Asking for Trouble, Fair Game and, most recently, A Girl's Best Friend. She lives in Surrey in Great Britain.

NATHALIE MARCIANO (Produced by) is creative director and partner in Charles David Footwear. Under the name "Nathalie M," she was voted "Designer of the Year" in 1996 for her work as principal designer at Charles David.

In 2001, she decided to pursue her lifelong passion for movies by creating 26 Films. The Wedding Date is the company's first production.

MICHELLE CHYDZIK SOWA (Produced by) partnered with Nathalie Marciano in 2001 to create their production company 26 Films. Previously, Sowa worked for Paramount Pictures, first in feature production management and then in the Creative Group, under former production president John Goldwyn.

JESSICA BENDINGER (Produced by) began her writing career covering the music scene for Spin magazine and MTV News. Her love of music and film led to directing music videos, most prominently Queen Latifah's Fly Girl, which won Bendinger a 1991 Billboard magazine award for Best Director (Rap).

She went on to write for the hit French TV series Sou Le Soliel, and later wrote the screenplay for the popular teen movie comedy Bring It On, which she also co-produced.

Bendinger also co-wrote The Truth About Charlie, Jonathan Demme's feature remake of the romantic-thriller Charade, and recently co-wrote the romantic comedy First Daughter, starring Katie Holmes.

The writer also worked as a creative consultant on HBO's award-winning comedy Sex and the City.

Bendinger will next write and direct the Disney feature Stick It, a comedy about a rebellious gymnast.

PAUL BROOKS (Produced by) left London University with a Humanities degree in English/Philosophy/Psychology and Sociology and then went into real estate development before moving into film.

With over 13 years producing and distributing films in both the U.K. and the U.S., Brooks founded Metrodome Group, a U.K.-based production company and distributor that he took public in the mid-'90s. As a distributor, Brooks' films include the likes of Buffalo 66, Palookaville, Chasing Amy and Chopper. As a producer, Brooks' credits include such films as Shadow of the Vampire and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, both of which received OscarR nominations (Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay, respectively), as well as the recent paranormal thriller White Noise, starring Michael Keaton; the off-beat comic murder mystery Jiminy Glick in Lalawood, starring Martin Short; and the outrageous comedy The Long Weekend, starring Chris Klein and Brendan Fehr.

He is currently President of Gold Circle Films.

Along with his brother, NORM WAITT (Executive Producer) formed Gateway Computers, Inc., which began as a dealer in computer components and evolved into a worldwide multi-billion dollar company. After working with his brother for five years, Waitt left his active management role with Gateway Computers, Inc. and shortly thereafter formed Gold Circle Entertainment and Waitt Media, which collectively own and operate more than 70 radio stations, five TV stations and more than 600 billboards.

Gold Circle Films was formed to produce high-quality films in a wide range of genres for domestic and international distribution. Since commencement, Gold Circle Films has amassed a library of over 20 titles, anchored by the mega-hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

As an executive producer, Waitt's credits include films such as The Man from Elysian Fields, starring Andy Garcia, Mick Jagger and James Coburn; My Big Fat Greek Wedding, also produced by Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson and starring Nia Vardalos and John Corbett; Poolhall Junkies, starring Chazz Palminteri, Rod Steiger and Christopher Walken; Sonny, starring James Franco, Brenda Blethyn and Mena Suvari; and White Noise, the paranormal thriller starring Michael Keaton. His list of upcoming projects includes Jiminy Glick in Lalawood and The Long Weekend.

With over 15 years of entertainment industry experience in production and distribution, SCOTT NIEMEYER (Executive Producer) has been involved with the successful production of more than 75 feature films, including such titles as Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin and the recent blockbuster hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding-until recently the most successful independent film of all time.

Niemeyer has held various executive positions with such prominent companies as Motion Picture Corporation of America, Orion Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. As an executive producer, Niemeyer's credits include the recent White Noise and the upcoming films Jiminy Glick in Lalawood and The Long Weekend.

STEVE ROBBINS (Executive Producer) has executive-produced the features Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, Quicksand (starring Michael Keaton and Michael Caine), Absolon (with Christopher Lambert and Lou Diamond Phillips), Stephen Fry's social comedy Bright Young Things, In My Father's Den and the recent Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea, directed by and starring Kevin Spacey. Robbins also served as executive producer on the Showtime movie The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie, which starred Gena Rowlands and James Caan.

JIM REEVE (Executive Producer) has produced or executive-produced a wide variety of features, telefilms and TV miniseries over the last 15 years.

On the feature film side, his credits include Souvenir, Shiner, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, Quicksand, The Lawless Heart, Lava, Absolon, Young Adam, Bright Young Things, The Boys From County Clare, In My Father's Den, The Gladiatress and Beyond the Sea.

Reeve's many telefilm producing credits include Lie Down With Lions; adaptations of the Jack Higgins' novels Midnight Man, On Dangerous Ground and Thunder Point, all for Showtime; five Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Murder Rooms mysteries for BBC and PBS; The Wyvern Mystery; Gentlemen's Relish; Back Home; The Secret; The Debt; and The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie.

Also for television, he executive-produced the World War II drama series Foyle's War and the BBC miniseries Bootleg.

OLIVER CURTIS, B.S.C (Director of Photography) shot the features Madagascar Skin, Love and Death on Long Island, Our Boy, The Wisdom of Crocodiles, Saltwater, The Final Curtain and Owning Mahoney.

In 1999, Curtis was nominated for a BAFTA Award in the Best Photography and Lighting category for his work on the BBC production of Vanity Fair.

Other cinematography credits include the British telefilms Bait and Uncle Adolf and the series Bodyguards. He has also shot over two dozen commercials, numerous TV show title sequences and a host of British documentaries.

MARY FINLAY (Editor) edited the recent features About Adam (starring Stuart Townsend and Frances O'Connor) and Grand Theft Parsons (with Johnny Knoxville and Christina Applegate). She also previously worked with Wedding Date director Clare Kilner on Kilner's feature debut Janice Beard: 45 Words Per Minute, as well as on her short films The Secret, Symbiosis and Daphne and Apollo.

Finlay's television editing credits include the British series This Life, Rockface and Any Time Now; the miniseries Amongst Women, The Sins and Hallmark's Dreamkeeper; and the telefilm Endgame, starring David Thewlis and Michael Gambon.

TOM BURTON (Production Designer) first worked as assistant art director on the celebrated BBC thriller miniseries The Sculptress and on the feature Institute Benjamina. He then went on to art direct such films as Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine, Ferdinand Fairfax's True Blue and Anand Tucker's Saint-Ex.

As production designer, Burton has worked on over 60 major TV commercials as well as the features Dot the I and Churchill: The Hollywood Years, which starred Christian Slater and Neve Campbell.

BLAKE NEELY (Composer) is an Emmy Award nominee for his work scoring the hit WB series Everwood. His other recent TV composing credits include the WB series Jack & Bobby and Dr. Vegas, as well as the pilot Kat Plus One.

On the feature side, Neely composed the score (along with Michael Kamen) for the recent comedy First Daughter, and provided additional music for Pirates of the Caribbean, The Last Samurai and Something's Gotta Give.

He has served as conductor or orchestrator on such films as Frequency, Crazy/Beautiful, Blade II, High Crimes, K-19: The Widowmaker, Blue Crush, Ned Kelly, Open Range, Against the Ropes, Secret Window, The Day After Tomorrow and Catwoman.

Neely also composed scores for the History Channel series Wild Wild Tech and Conquest, and the network's specials A Brief History of Wine and History of the Samurai.

LOUISE PAGE (Costume Designer) has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. Most notable film credits as costume designer include It's Not Unusual (1995 BAFTA Award, Best Short Film), The Dance of Shiva (1999 Academy AwardR nominee, Best Short Film) and Beautiful People (1999 Cannes Film Festival winner, Un Certain Regard).

Page was also costume designer for the direct-to-video movies The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocence and Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team; and the British television series The Strangerers and Rockface.

She served as assistant designer or costume supervisor on such features as Steven Soderbergh's Kafka, Wild West and Buddy's Song; on the U.K. telefilms Prisoner of Honor (directed by Ken Russell) and The Orchid House; and such series as Bodyguards, Shine on Harvey Moon, A Class Act, About Face and The Desmonds.

For the stage, Page has designed for the English National Opera's Twelfth Night and War and Peace and U.K. productions of Light Up the Sky, Doctor of Honour, The Tempest, The Rape of Lucretia, Madame Butterfly and The Midsummer Marriage.

-the wedding date-

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