It's Francie Millner's wedding. Her oldest friend Eloise McGarry (Anna Kendrick) reluctantly accepts the invitation and is relegated to sit with the unwanted randoms at Table 19. Her ex Teddy is Francie's brother and the best man. She is joined by diner owning couple Bina Kepp (Lisa Kudrow) and Jerry Kepp (Craig Robinson). There are also the released prisoner Walter Thimble (Stephen Merchant),awkward mama's boy Renzo Eckberg, and long ago nanny Jo Flanagan (June Squibb).
This starts off as a light quirky comedy. It takes a couple of dark turns and ends up with an awkward mix of light and dark tones. The group, filled with great comedic talents, grew on me and I find myself wanting to sit at the bad table. It's mostly due to June Squibb and her sincerely touching nanny Jo. There is one twist that does upend much of my expectations. Huck needs a higher caliber actor to give the movie a better misdirection. Despite the little problems, I really fall for this group.
Table 19
2017
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
Table 19
2017
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
Plot summary
Ex-maid of honor Eloise (Anna Kendrick) - having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text - decides to hold her head up high and attend her oldest friend's wedding anyway. She finds herself seated at the 'random' table in the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, most of whom should have known to just send regrets (but not before sending something nice off the registry). As everyone's secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19. Friendships - and even a little romance - can happen under the most unlikely circumstances.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
I want the bad table
The View from the Cheap Seats
This movie is what you'd get if you took Robert Altman's A WEDDING, crossed it with a romantic comedy and took the characters from the people at the lowest-ranked table: people who, as Anna Kendrick's character asserts," should have had the sense to 'Decline with Regret' after choosing a gift from the registry." The characters include Miss Kendrick, the ex-maid of honor and ex-girlfriend of the bride's brother/groom's best man; Lisa Kudrow & Craig Robinson, a married couple with a distant business relationship with the bride's father; Tony Revoloro, a teenager who has been invited for no clear reason and shown up on the grounds of plot convenience; June Squibb, the bride's ex-nanny and Oscar nominee; and a storklike Stephen Merchant, who comes from a halfway house of some description. Together, they will reveal their problems, come together, engage in comedy of humiliation.
It's a pleasant, low-key comedy. While no ground-breaker, there are enough funny moments and it avoids the Big Moment which typically ends these moves and cements the romance, causing me to leave the theater remarking "I give them three weeks." Miss Squibb and Mr. Merchant offer the most amusing turns.
It will also probably flop and be forgotten. Miss Kendrick's sequel to 50 SHADES OF GREY opened to bad numbers and is largely gone by now. The appearance of this movie in theaters three weeks later argues they intended to piggyback onto the success they anticipated. Instead, it tanked and this got the called-for wide release, but since the failure was "obviously" Miss Kendrick's fault, there was no major campaign for this movie. This will confirm to the suits that it's all Miss Kendrick's fault. Her career will go into eclipse. I hope to see it emerge from darkness; she is a very engaging actress.
I really enjoyed this movie!
Sure the plot and script might have been a tad predictable, but, it was an unexpected charmer. A wonderful cast and fun script with many chuckles. It is NOT Separate Tables but it certainly was worthwhile viewing a nice little light comedy that is perfect on a summers night. Table 19 contained the misfits of a wedding but eventually had the most fun and impact on their wedding they were the last to be invited at.