The Bachelor is a 1999 romantic comedy film directed by Gary Sinyor. The movie starred Chris O'Donnell as Jimmie Shannon and Renée Zellweger as Anne Arden. It is rated a PG-13 by the MPAA. It is a remake of the film Seven Chances.
Plot
Jimmie Shannon (Chris O'Donnell) wants to be a mustang for all of his life - wild, free and never tied down. Eventually, he proposes to Anne (Renée Zellweger) his girlfriend of three years in the most romantic restaurant in town. Only he spoils the special moment with a crude approach. Anne is going to travel to Greece for an assignment when Jimmie discovers that his grandfather James Shannon (Peter Ustinov) has left him the family business, all his assets...and $100 million. But Jimmie can only have it if he's married by 6:05 p.m. on his 30th birthday, which just so happens to be the next day. He, his friend Marco (Artie Lange), a priest waiting in the wings (James Cromwell), and his grandfather's two friends and colleagues (Ed Asner and Hal Holbrook) must find a bride in the next few hours.
When he proposes to Anne again, she's able to see right through his facade, and leaves for Greece on a helicopter. Jimmie selects many ex-girlfriends to ask. First is Stacey (Rebecca Cross), a loud stockmarket player who's engaged herself. Second, is Zoe (Stacy Edwards), a clingy window dresser. When Jimmie goes to see her, he runs off after "Anne" but it isn't her. He returns to see that she's set a mannequin on fire in effigy of him. Soon, the list is depleted until one accepts - the money grubbing socialite Buckley (Brooke Shields) who wants the money for her family's business. However, she turns it down after finding out they have to have children in 5 years, spend only one night apart a month and they need to be married for ten years. Desperate, Marco places an ad in the newspaper with disastrous consequences. Anne didn't go to Greece, she returned home and went to her parents' house with Natalie, her sister. She misses Jimmie and goes back to the city.
Meanwhile, as everyone else scrambles to help Jimmie and save the family business from a hostile corporate grudge, Jimmie realizes the "effect" of marriage when sailing on a small lake with the priest. The kindly priest only reveals how he took on the priesthood when his beloved wife died, and that he was proud to be married and produce a wonderful family in the process. Realizing that he truly loves Anne and is ready to make the next step, Jimmie decides to rest in the church and awakens to find hundreds of brides waiting for him.
After trying to settle them down, Marco lies and says that Jimmie has no money. This angers them and they tried to rip the two to shreds. Marco reveals that Anne is on her way back, so Jimmie goes to the station, ordering a cake on the way. He makes it there after being chased by hundreds of brides. The taxi drops him off and he searches for Anne in the train, but she has discovered the newspaper front page saying "Would you marry this man for $100 million?" with Jimmie's picture on the front. They make up and prepare for the wedding. Someone threw their wedding dress down the stairs, so Anne is putting it on in the toilets. She opens the door to see hundreds of brides run past. Jimmie runs up the street, climbs a fire exit ladder and shouts for Anne. With the would-be brides, Marco and Jimmie's colleagues in hot pursuit, the priest then conducts the service over the police loudspeaker from inside a police car as brides attack the car. Anne convinces them to be happy and let it be her day. They cheer and everyone has cake. Marco gets a surprise when he finds his wife joined the crazy brides, but they're OK with it. The clock strikes 6:05 p.m. and all is well...until the bridal bouquet is thrown for another couple.
Cast
Miscellaneous
- Several of the brides chasing the bachelor at the end of this movie are male extras in drag.
- One of the brides mentions that she "went to Princeton where Brooke Shields went". Brooke Shields plays Buckley in the movie.
- The character "Sanzel" is a reference to the writer Ken Sanzel, a childhood friend of Steve Cohen who wrote the screenplay for this movie.
- The scene where Jimmie is searching for Anne at the train station takes place at the San Francisco Trans-Bay Terminal, which is a bus station with no train tracks.
- This movie is based on the Buster Keaton silent film Seven Chances (1925).
- This film was shot in San Francisco, filming in some of the same areas that Keaton used for another film Daydreams (1922).
- All brides running on the streets are wearing tennis shoes.
- Jenni Pulos, star of the Bravo reality show Flipping Out, plays one of the brides.
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