What is the hardest part of breaking up on your wedding day? For Chris and Kristen, it is dealing with their unhinged wedding videographer, Virgil Crumb, who claims that their breakup ruined his wedding video.
Chris and Kristen are the main characters in “The Wedding Video,” a movie produced by Tacoma-born Linda Palmer and Sherri Jackson. “The Wedding Video” is a quirky and bizarre comedy about peculiar characters and happy times.
The film begins after Chris (Jeff Kueppers) and Kristen (Christine Blackburn) have broken up. In the midst of their mourning, the two are kidnapped and reunited, tied to chairs in a dark warehouse. There, Crumb forces them to watch his unfinished masterpiece in an attempt to rekindle romance so he can finish his film.
Through the wedding video, Chris and Kristen are forced to experience once again the moments leading up to their wedding, from Chris’ several attempts at proposals to the wedding day, when everything falls apart. The characters, mostly members of the wedding party, are what give the film its comedy.
First, there are Chris’ groomsmen. His best friend Kevin - played by writer and co-producer Chris Pentzell - is a decided bachelor and the unwilling best man.
Then there is Blaine, Kristen’s friend who may or may not be gay. Another groomsman is credited only as Creepy Math Teacher, which sums up his character pretty well.
Kristen’s entourage is no better. There is her cousin, Cinnamon, a rude and crude wannabe gangster. Bridesmaid Heather seems to be crying in every shot she is in.
Then there are the in-laws-to-be, who include Kristen’s controlling mother and Chris’ alcoholic father.
Chris and Kristen aren’t without their own quirks - Chris has bizarre eccentricities and Kristen is a high-strung and aggressive sports journalist.
As ridiculously silly as the plot of “The Wedding Video” is, the real humor lies in these and other characters. While the plot drags at several points, the characters can usually pick the film back up with their general absurdity.
Producers Palmer and Jackson first met in ninth grade at Yelm High School. When Palmer ran away from home as a teenager, she was taken in by Jackson and her family and became like an adopted sister. The two remained close through college and continue to remain close.
The Wedding Video will open in theaters in spring 2008.
