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Dom Robinson reviews
Entertainment in Video
- Cert:
- Cat.no: EDV 9040
- Running time: 98 minutes
- Year: 1999
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 30 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £19.99
- Extras : Scene index, Trailer, Cast & Crew
Director:
- Gary Sinyor
(The Bachelor, Leon the Pig Farmer, Solitaire for Two, Stiff Upper Lips)
Producer:
- Lloyd Segan and Bing Howenstein
Screenplay:
- Steve Cowen
Music:
- David A. Hughes and John Murphy
Cast:
- Jimmie Shannon: Chris O’Donnell
Anne: Renée Zellweger
Marco: Artie Lange
Gluckman: Edward Asner
O’Dell: Hal Holbrook
Priest: James Cromwell
The Bacheloris a remake of the Buster Keaton silent movie “Seven Chances”and is the position Jimmie (Chris O’Donnell) finds himself in as his lategrandfather (Peter Ustinov) bequeaths him $100 million if – and onlyif – he gets married in time for his 30th birthday (why does the box say33rd birthday, EiV?)
That day is tomorrow though and in one way or another he’s annoyed the onlywoman he really wants to marry, Anne (Renée Zellweger), the questionremaining – can he win her back and marry her to get the money, or as timepresses on will his best friend Marco (Artie Lange) do all butadvertise Jimmie on the internet in a bid to bribe a bride?
Yes it sounds like the 1980s Richard Pryor comedy Brewster’s Millionsand that even gets a namecheck.
The film highlights the fact that all of Jimmie’s friends are gettinghitched, hence the lassos over flower bouquets as shown in the main menu,but while Chris O’Donnell plays the same character he always day, Renée Zellweger’s character appears to have been written for JenniferAniston to play exactly like Rachel in Friends.
The Bachelor also features cameos from Mariah Carey as prospectivebride Ilana, plus “ex-girlfriends” Zoe (Stacy Edwards, aka Dr. LisaCatera in Chicago Hope) and Buckley (Brooke Shields).
The picture quality is very impressive – anamorphic, original 1.85:1 widescreenratio, occasionally shot in soft-focus when Renée Zellweger appears andan average bitrate is a so-so 4.30Mb/s, occasionally peaking over 7Mb/s.
It’s a rare occurence, but EiV have given us a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.Just a shame that romantic comedies rarely give such things a chance to shine.
Extras : Chapters :30 chapters over 98 minutes which is just what’s needed and no attemptto guess at the time for each chapter inside the cover, which is usuallythe want of an EiV DVD. Languages and Subtitles :English Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and subtitles in the same language. And there’s more… :A two-minute Trailer and Cast and Crew filmographies formost of the cast members and the director Gary Sinyou. Menu :Animated with the aforementioned lassoing bouquets and romantic-ish musicto match.
Overall, this film passes by the 90-or-so minutes fairly painlessly buta bit of farce and romantic sloppiness doesn’t make for a particularlymemorable film.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.