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{{Short description|2011 film by Sheree Folkson}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = The Decoy Bride
| name = The Decoy Bride
| image = Decoy bride poster.jpg
| image = Decoy bride poster.jpg
| caption =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Sheree Folkson]]<ref name="hr">{{cite news| url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3ic397be35157675db58fe5cb73f2f7418 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | title='Decoy Bride' adds cast | first=Stuart | last=Kemp | date=2010-10-25 | accessdate=2010-06-25}}</ref>
| director = [[Sheree Folkson]]<ref name=hr>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/decoy-bride-adds-cast-24977/|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|title='Decoy Bride' adds cast|first=Stuart|last=Kemp|date=25 October 2010|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref>
| producer = Robert Bernstein<br />[[Douglas Rae (TV executive)|Douglas Rae]]<ref name="hr"/><br />Paul Ritchie<ref name="hanway">{{cite web| url=http://blog.hanwayfilms.com/film/slate/the-decoy-bride/ | title=The Decoy Bride |accessdate=2011-01-31|publisher=[[HanWay Films]]}}</ref>
| producer = Robert Bernstein<br>[[Douglas Rae (film and TV executive)|Douglas Rae]]<ref name=hr/><br>Paul Ritchie<ref name="hanway">{{cite web| url=http://blog.hanwayfilms.com/film/slate/the-decoy-bride/|title=The Decoy Bride|accessdate=23 November 2022|publisher=[[HanWay Films]]}}</ref>
| writer = Neil Jaworski<br />[[Sally Phillips]]<ref name="hr"/>
| writer = Neil Jaworski<br>[[Sally Phillips]]<ref name=hr/>
| starring = [[David Tennant]]<br />[[Alice Eve]]<br />[[Kelly Macdonald]]<br /> [[Sally Phillips]] <br /> [[Michael Urie]]
| starring = {{ubl|[[Kelly Macdonald]]|[[David Tennant]]|[[Alice Eve]]|[[Sally Phillips]]|[[Michael Urie]]}}
| music = [[Julian Nott]]
| music = [[Julian Nott]]
| cinematography =
| cinematography =
| editing =
| editing = Dan Farrell
| distributor = CinemaNX
| distributor = CinemaNX
| released = {{Film date|2011|5|14|Cannes|2012|3|9|United Kingdom|df=y}}
| released = {{Film date|2011|5|14|Cannes|2012|3|9|United Kingdom|df=y}}
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| language = English
| language = English
| budget = £2,500,000
| budget = £2,500,000
| gross = $117,754<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Decoy-Bride-The#tab=summary|title=The Decoy Bride|website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref>
| gross =
}}
}}
'''''The Decoy Bride''''' is a 2011 British [[romantic comedy]] film written by comedian [[Sally Phillips]] and Neil Jaworski, and starring [[David Tennant]], [[Alice Eve]] and [[Kelly Macdonald]] and set on the fictional island of Hegg,<ref name=Herald>{{cite news|title=Film quiz: can you identify the Scottish location doubles?|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/film/film-quiz-can-you-identify-the-scottish-location-doubles.2012023936|accessdate=11 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|date=14 February 2012}}</ref> supposedly located in the [[Outer Hebrides]] of [[Scotland]]. The film was made by [[Ecosse Films]].
'''''The Decoy Bride''''' is a 2011 British [[romantic comedy]] film written by comedian [[Sally Phillips]] and Neil Jaworski, and starring [[Kelly Macdonald]], [[David Tennant]], and [[Alice Eve]] and set on the fictional island of Hegg,<ref name=Herald>{{cite news|title=Film quiz: can you identify the Scottish location doubles?|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/13047366.film-quiz-can-identify-scottish-location-doubles/|accessdate=23 November 2022|newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|date=14 February 2012}}</ref> supposedly located in the [[Outer Hebrides]] of [[Scotland]]. The film was made by [[Ecosse Films]].


==Plot==
==Plot==
American movie star Lara Tyler is hounded by the press as she prepares to wed English author James Arber. Despite the efforts of her managers Steve and Emma, the secret wedding is interrupted by [[paparazzi|paparazzo]] Marco Ballani, determined to photograph the "wedding of the decade". Lara resolves to find a more remote location for her nuptials.
{{expand section|1=full plot|date=July 2015}}

Lara Tyler ([[Alice Eve]]) is one of the most famous film stars around, but all she wants to do is marry her fiancé, writer James Arber ([[David Tennant]]). After a supposedly secret traditional church wedding is interrupted by [[paparazzi]] Marco Ballani ([[Federico Castelluccio]]), hiding in a cabinet at the altar, with Lara chasing him away, she and James become desperate to find someplace unknown and wed in peaceful bliss.
Katie Nic Aodh returns to her hometown on the tiny Scottish island of Hegg after breaking off her engagement. She moves back into "The Sunrise", the [[bed and breakfast]] run by her terminally ill mother Iseabail, taking up her former shop assistant job. Encouraged to write a [[guide book]] on Hegg, Katie documents the island’s eccentricities.
Besieged by the press, especially Ballani, who is obsessed with Lara, they escape to the tiny Scottish island of Hegg. Ballani somehow manages to get to the island, and then local girl Katie's ([[Kelly Macdonald]]) mother alerts the press (for money). Lara discovers all this, becomes upset and hides away. In desperation her management team, led by Steve Korbitz ([[Michael Urie]]), decide to stage a fake wedding, hoping the paparazzi will fall for the scam and leave the island. Katie, nursing a [[broken heart]] because of her latest break-up, is recruited to pretend to be a heavily-veiled Lara to complete the charade. Subsequent circumstances lead to Katie and James falling in love.

Captivated by James' enchanting – albeit fictional – description of Hegg in his latest book, Lara chooses to have their wedding on the island. They stay at the local castle, which Steve transforms to match the book. Katie unsuccessfully flirts with an incognito James, and Marco comes to stay at the Sunrise, disguised as a monk. Suspicious of Marco and recognizing Steve from the tabloids, Iseabail deduces what is happening and calls the press. Spotting Marco staking out the wedding chapel, Lara runs off.

With Lara missing, Steve proceeds with the ceremony, using a "decoy bride" to convince Marco he has succeeded in photographing the wedding, but without informing James. Katie reluctantly accepts the role for £5,000. Heavily veiled, she arrives at the Chapel and exchanges vows with James, but her dreadful American accent alerts him to the lie. The wedding party returns to the castle as the media descend on Hegg. Steve locks Katie and James in the bridal suite, keeping the press focused on the castle until Lara can be found. Katie and James bicker, and realize they may have been officially married.

Disguised as an elderly local, Lara sees Iseabail with a substantial payment for notifying the press. Lara is touched when Marco, unaware of her true identity, reveals that he has fallen in love with her. Infiltrating the castle, he bursts into the suite. He and James tussle, before Marco declares his love for Lara and leaves to find her. James follows suit, but is forced to rescue Katie when she falls into the moat.

They go to the Sunrise, bonding as they change out of their wet clothes. Marco intercepts Lara’s voicemail for James to meet her at a nearby cove. Recognized by Marco's editor, Lara kicks him in the face, before forcing Iseabail to toss her money off the cliffs. Finding Katie with James – wearing Katie's absentee father's vintage bagpiper's costume – Iseabail reveals that she summoned the press to the wedding. Believing Katie has orchestrated everything for money, James leaves to meet Lara.

An elderly deaf couple mistake James for Katie's father, and he attempts to play the bagpipes for them as they dance. Realizing she has fallen for him, Katie finds James. He is attacked by Katie's ex-boyfriend Angus, who begs her to take him back, but she declines. She and James consult Reverend McDonough, who declares that if James can reach Lara before nightfall, their wedding can proceed; he dissolves James and Katie's marriage. Katie confesses her feelings for James, but leads the paparazzi away as he meets Lara and the reverend, with Marco watching nearby.

Months later, Katie prepares to leave Hegg; she traveled the world with her mother before she died, with Lara's help, and her guidebook has been published. Departing by boat, she sees James arriving on the island. Having come to find her, he reveals that he has dedicated his latest book to her. They reunite on the docks, and share a kiss. Lara visits Marco, and they are caught by another paparazzo.


==Cast==
==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Kelly Macdonald]] as Katie Meaghaid,<ref name="sd">{{cite news| url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/tennant-macdonald-eve-walk-down-the-aisle-with-decoy-bride/5013816.article | work=Screen Daily | title=Tennant, MacDonald, Eve walks down the aisle with decoy bride | first=Geoffrey | last=Macnab | date=2010-05-14 | accessdate=2010-06-25}}</ref> the decoy bride
*[[Kelly Macdonald]] as Katie Nic Aodh,<ref name=sd>{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/production/tennant-macdonald-eve-walk-down-the-aisle-with-decoy-bride/5013816.article|work=Screen Daily|title=Tennant, MacDonald, Eve walks down the aisle with decoy bride|first=Geoffrey|last=Macnab|date=14 May 2010|accessdate=25 June 2010}}</ref> the decoy bride
* [[David Tennant]] as James Arber,<ref name="sd" /> best-selling English writer who wants to marry Lara but accidentally gets married to the decoy bride Katie. A deaf couple believes he is a famous bagpiper and dance around him happily.
* [[Alice Eve]] as Lara Tyler,<ref name="sd" /> Famous Hollywood actress yet she is hell bent on marrying writer James Arber
*[[David Tennant]] as James Arber,<ref name=sd/> a best-selling English writer engaged to Lara
* [[Michael Urie]] as Steve Korbitz,<ref name="hr" /> Head of Lara Tyler's management team and her agent
*[[Alice Eve]] as Lara Tyler,<ref name=sd/> an American movie star
*[[Sally Phillips]] as Emma, Steve Korbitz sharp tongued fancy dressing assistant
*[[Michael Urie]] as Steve Korbitz,<ref name=hr/> Lara's manager
* [[Maureen Beattie]] as Iseabail Nic Aodh<ref name="hr" />
*[[Sally Phillips]] as Emma, Steve's assistant
* [[Federico Castelluccio]] as Marco Ballani,<ref name="hr" /> journalist who constantly photographs Lara and James's weddings
*[[Maureen Beattie]] as Iseabail,<ref name=hr/> Katie's mother
*[[Federico Castelluccio]] as Marco Ballani,<ref name=hr/> a photographer obsessed with Lara
* [[Dylan Moran]] as Charley
* [[Jeannie Fisher]] as Aileen
*[[Dylan Moran]] as Charley, Marco's editor
*[[Jeannie Fisher]] as Aileen, a resident of Hegg
* [[Hamish Clark]] as Angus
*[[Hamish Clark]] as Angus, Muireen's husband and Katie's ex-boyfriend
* [[James Fleet]] as Laird
*[[James Fleet]] as Laird
* Sally Howitt as Muireen
*[[Sally Howitt]] as Muireen
* Hannah Bourne as Chloe
*Hannah Bourne as Chloe
* Matthew Chalmers as Callum
*Matthew Chalmers as Callum
* Rony Bridges as Roan
*Rony Bridges as Roan
* Victoria Grove as Anais Anais
*Victoria Grove as Anais Anais
* Alisha Bailey as Surelle
*Alisha Bailey as Surelle
* Alex Childs as TV host
* [[Tony Roper (actor)|Tony Roper]] as reverend McDonough
*Alex Childs as TV host
*[[Tony Roper (actor)|Tony Roper]] as Reverend McDonough
* [[Ben Addis]] as journalist 1
*[[Ben Addis]] as Journalist 1
* William Owen as journalist 2
*William Owen as Journalist 2
* Calum MacNab as journalist 3
*Calum MacNab as Journalist 3
* Ross Armstrong as 1st paparazzo
*Ross Armstrong as 1st Paparazzo
* [[Samuel Roukin]] as 2nd paparazzo
*[[Samuel Roukin]] as 2nd Paparazzo
* Patrick Regis as Hollywood minister
*Patrick Regis as Hollywood Minister
* Danny Bage as hotel doorman
*Danny Bage as Hotel Doorman
* Tona Gray as elderly woman
*Tona Gray as Elderly Woman
* Gil Kolirin as security guard
*Gil Kolirin as Security Guard
* [[Robert Fyfe]] as ancient crofter
*[[Robert Fyfe]] as Ancient Crofter
* Maryann Turner as ancient crofter's Wife
*Maryann Turner as Ancient Crofter's Wife
* Achara Kirk as tourist
*Achara Kirk as Tourist
}}


==Production==
==Production==
David Tennant said that the film was an homage to the 1983 Scotland-set film ''[[Local Hero]]''.<ref name=Scotsman /> The fictional island of Hegg was inspired by [[Jura, Scotland|Jura]] and [[Eigg]].<ref name=Scotsman /> It received the largest grant possible from [[Scottish Screen]], £300,000.<ref name=Scotsman>{{cite news|title=Hollywood comes to isle of 'Hegg' in a Local Hero for the 21st century|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/hollywood-comes-to-isle-of-hegg-in-a-local-hero-for-the-21st-century-1-804304|accessdate=11 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Scotsman]]|date=15 May 2010}}</ref>
David Tennant said that the film was an homage to the 1983 Scotland-set film ''[[Local Hero (1983 film)|Local Hero]]''.<ref name=Scotsman/> The fictional island of Hegg was inspired by [[Jura, Scotland|Jura]] and [[Eigg]].<ref name=Scotsman/> It received the largest grant possible from [[Scottish Screen]], £300,000.<ref name=Scotsman>{{cite news|title=Hollywood comes to isle of 'Hegg' in a Local Hero for the 21st century|url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/hollywood-comes-isle-hegg-local-hero-21st-century-2467791|accessdate=23 November 2022|newspaper=[[The Scotsman]]|date=15 May 2010}}</ref>


Rehearsals started in London on 21 June 2010. Filming began on 27 June on the [[Isle of Man]], before moving to [[Scotland]]. Filming ended on 31 July 2010.<ref name="screendaily">{{cite news| url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/urie-castelluccio-join-cast-of-decoy-bride/5015445.article | work=Screen Daily | title=Shooting will begin on Ecosse Films’ romantic comedy this weekend on the Isle of Man and Scotland | first=Sarah | last=Cooper | date=25 June 2010 | accessdate=25 June 2010}}</ref> Many of the outdoor scenes were filmed on the Isle of Man while other scenes were filmed in [[Glasgow]] and at the [[Caerlaverock Castle]] in [[Dumfries]] and by [[Loch Fyne]] in [[Argyll]].<ref name=Herald />
Rehearsals started in London on 21 June 2010. Filming began on 27 June on the [[Isle of Man]], before moving to [[Scotland]]. Filming ended on 31 July 2010.<ref name=screendaily>{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/production/urie-castelluccio-join-cast-of-decoy-bride-/5015445.article|work=Screen Daily|title=Shooting will begin on Ecosse Films' romantic comedy this weekend on the Isle of Man and Scotland|first=Sarah|last=Cooper|date=25 June 2010|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref> Many of the outdoor scenes were filmed on the Isle of Man while other scenes were filmed in [[Glasgow]] and at the [[Caerlaverock Castle]] in [[Dumfries]] and by [[Loch Fyne]] in [[Argyll]].<ref name=Herald/>


The score was written by [[Julian Nott]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://filmmusicreporter.com/2011/04/20/julian-nott-scoring-the-decoy-bride/ |title=Julian Nott Scoring ''The Decoy Bride''| publisher=Film Music Reporter |date=20 April 2011 |accessdate=21 April 2011}}</ref>
The score was written by [[Julian Nott]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2011/04/20/julian-nott-scoring-the-decoy-bride/|title=Julian Nott Scoring ''The Decoy Bride''|publisher=Film Music Reporter|date=20 April 2011|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref>


CinemaNX distributed the film in the United Kingdom and [[HanWay Films]] is the international sales agent.<ref name="sd" />
CinemaNX distributed the film in the United Kingdom and [[HanWay Films]] is the international sales agent.<ref name=sd/>


==Reception==
==Reception==
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. It holds a score of 23% on review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]]<ref name="rt">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_decoy_bride/#contentReviews|title=The Decoy Bride (2012)|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate=26 July 2015}}</ref> and a score of 42/100 on [[Metacritic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-decoy-bride|title=The Decoy Bride Reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=26 July 2015}}</ref>
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. It holds a score of 23% on review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]]<ref name=rt>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_decoy_bride|title=The Decoy Bride (2012)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref> and a score of 42/100 on [[Metacritic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-decoy-bride|title=The Decoy Bride Reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref>


[[Neil Genzlinger]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' liked the film, praising the performance by Tennant and Macdonald and the mocking of celebrity culture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/movies/the-decoy-bride-comedy-with-kelly-macdonald.html?ref=movies|title=Here Comes the Bride’s Understudy|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|date=8 March 2012|publisher=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=26 July 2015}}</ref> [[Frank Scheck]] of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' called the film a "bland romantic comedy in the [[Richard Curtis]] style" but praises Macdonald's performance and concludes that her performance makes the film tolerable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/decoy-bride-film-review-298153|title=The Decoy Bride: Film Review|last=Scheck|first=Frank|date=9 March 2012|publisher=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|accessdate=26 July 2015}}</ref>
[[Neil Genzlinger]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' liked the film, praising the performance by Tennant and Macdonald and the mocking of celebrity culture.<ref>{{cite news|title=Here Comes the Bride's Understudy|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|authorlink=Neil Genzlinger|date=8 March 2012|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=C8}}</ref> [[Frank Scheck]] of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' called the film a "bland romantic comedy in the [[Richard Curtis]] style" but praises Macdonald's performance and concludes that her performance makes the film tolerable.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/decoy-bride-film-review-298153|title=The Decoy Bride: Film Review|last=Scheck|first=Frank|authorlink=Frank Scheck|date=9 March 2012|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref>


''[[The A.V. Club]]'''s [[Alison Willmore]] gave the film a "D+", criticizing that the talented cast and pretty scenery cannot save the film from the fact that it is "inescapably based on how romantic it is that someone would throw over his doting, famous fiancée for an ordinary girl" even though the story does not convey any reasons why this should happen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/review/the-decoy-bride-70545|title= The Decoy Bride |last=Willmore|first=Alison|date=8 March 2012|publisher=[[The A.V. Club]]|accessdate=26 July 2015}}</ref> [[Michael Atkinson (writer)|Michael Atkinson]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' called it a "pernicious tripe suitable only for masochists and the intellectually disabled" and notes that "the supposedly frothy tone is tarry and flavorless, and the drill is painfully familiar".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/film/the-decoy-bride-6434276|title=The Decoy Bride|last=Atkinson|first=Michael|date=7 March 2012|publisher=[[The Village Voice]]|accessdate=26 July 2015}}</ref>
''[[The A.V. Club]]''{{'}}s Alison Willmore gave the film a "D+", criticizing that the talented cast and pretty scenery cannot save the film from the fact that it is "inescapably based on how romantic it is that someone would throw over his doting, famous fiancée for an ordinary girl" even though the story does not convey any reasons why this should happen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/review/the-decoy-bride-70545|title= The Decoy Bride|last=Willmore|first=Alison|date=8 March 2012|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=[[The Onion]]|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref> [[Michael Atkinson (writer)|Michael Atkinson]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' called it a "pernicious tripe suitable only for masochists and the intellectually disabled" and notes that "the supposedly frothy tone is tarry and flavorless, and the drill is painfully familiar".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2012/03/07/the-decoy-bride/|title=The Decoy Bride|last=Atkinson|first=Michael|authorlink=Michael Atkinson (writer)|date=7 March 2012|work=[[The Village Voice]]|accessdate=23 November 2022}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|2}}


==External links ==
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|1657299}}
*{{IMDb title|1657299}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Decoy Bride, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Decoy Bride, The}}
⚫
[[Category:2011 films]]
⚫
[[Category:British films]]
[[Category:British romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:British romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:2011 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:2010s romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:2011 films]]
[[Category:Films about actors]]
[[Category:Films about actors]]
[[Category:Films about weddings]]
[[Category:Films about weddings in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Films set in the Outer Hebrides]]
[[Category:Films set in the Outer Hebrides]]
[[Category:Films set on fictional islands]]
⚫
[[Category:2010s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sheree Folkson]]
⚫
[[Category:2010s British films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]

Latest revision as of 04:04, 28 September 2024

The Decoy Bride
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySheree Folkson[1]
Written byNeil Jaworski
Sally Phillips[1]
Produced byRobert Bernstein
Douglas Rae[1]
Paul Ritchie[2]
Starring
Edited byDan Farrell
Music byJulian Nott
Distributed byCinemaNX
Release dates
  • 14 May 2011 (2011-05-14) (Cannes)
  • 9 March 2012 (2012-03-09) (United Kingdom)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£2,500,000
Box office$117,754[3]

The Decoy Bride is a 2011 British romantic comedy film written by comedian Sally Phillips and Neil Jaworski, and starring Kelly Macdonald, David Tennant, and Alice Eve and set on the fictional island of Hegg,[4] supposedly located in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The film was made by Ecosse Films.

Plot

[edit]

American movie star Lara Tyler is hounded by the press as she prepares to wed English author James Arber. Despite the efforts of her managers Steve and Emma, the secret wedding is interrupted by paparazzo Marco Ballani, determined to photograph the "wedding of the decade". Lara resolves to find a more remote location for her nuptials.

Katie Nic Aodh returns to her hometown on the tiny Scottish island of Hegg after breaking off her engagement. She moves back into "The Sunrise", the bed and breakfast run by her terminally ill mother Iseabail, taking up her former shop assistant job. Encouraged to write a guide book on Hegg, Katie documents the island’s eccentricities.

Captivated by James' enchanting – albeit fictional – description of Hegg in his latest book, Lara chooses to have their wedding on the island. They stay at the local castle, which Steve transforms to match the book. Katie unsuccessfully flirts with an incognito James, and Marco comes to stay at the Sunrise, disguised as a monk. Suspicious of Marco and recognizing Steve from the tabloids, Iseabail deduces what is happening and calls the press. Spotting Marco staking out the wedding chapel, Lara runs off.

With Lara missing, Steve proceeds with the ceremony, using a "decoy bride" to convince Marco he has succeeded in photographing the wedding, but without informing James. Katie reluctantly accepts the role for £5,000. Heavily veiled, she arrives at the Chapel and exchanges vows with James, but her dreadful American accent alerts him to the lie. The wedding party returns to the castle as the media descend on Hegg. Steve locks Katie and James in the bridal suite, keeping the press focused on the castle until Lara can be found. Katie and James bicker, and realize they may have been officially married.

Disguised as an elderly local, Lara sees Iseabail with a substantial payment for notifying the press. Lara is touched when Marco, unaware of her true identity, reveals that he has fallen in love with her. Infiltrating the castle, he bursts into the suite. He and James tussle, before Marco declares his love for Lara and leaves to find her. James follows suit, but is forced to rescue Katie when she falls into the moat.

They go to the Sunrise, bonding as they change out of their wet clothes. Marco intercepts Lara’s voicemail for James to meet her at a nearby cove. Recognized by Marco's editor, Lara kicks him in the face, before forcing Iseabail to toss her money off the cliffs. Finding Katie with James – wearing Katie's absentee father's vintage bagpiper's costume – Iseabail reveals that she summoned the press to the wedding. Believing Katie has orchestrated everything for money, James leaves to meet Lara.

An elderly deaf couple mistake James for Katie's father, and he attempts to play the bagpipes for them as they dance. Realizing she has fallen for him, Katie finds James. He is attacked by Katie's ex-boyfriend Angus, who begs her to take him back, but she declines. She and James consult Reverend McDonough, who declares that if James can reach Lara before nightfall, their wedding can proceed; he dissolves James and Katie's marriage. Katie confesses her feelings for James, but leads the paparazzi away as he meets Lara and the reverend, with Marco watching nearby.

Months later, Katie prepares to leave Hegg; she traveled the world with her mother before she died, with Lara's help, and her guidebook has been published. Departing by boat, she sees James arriving on the island. Having come to find her, he reveals that he has dedicated his latest book to her. They reunite on the docks, and share a kiss. Lara visits Marco, and they are caught by another paparazzo.

Cast

[edit]
  • Kelly Macdonald as Katie Nic Aodh,[5] the decoy bride
  • David Tennant as James Arber,[5] a best-selling English writer engaged to Lara
  • Alice Eve as Lara Tyler,[5] an American movie star
  • Michael Urie as Steve Korbitz,[1] Lara's manager
  • Sally Phillips as Emma, Steve's assistant
  • Maureen Beattie as Iseabail,[1] Katie's mother
  • Federico Castelluccio as Marco Ballani,[1] a photographer obsessed with Lara
  • Dylan Moran as Charley, Marco's editor
  • Jeannie Fisher as Aileen, a resident of Hegg
  • Hamish Clark as Angus, Muireen's husband and Katie's ex-boyfriend
  • James Fleet as Laird
  • Sally Howitt as Muireen
  • Hannah Bourne as Chloe
  • Matthew Chalmers as Callum
  • Rony Bridges as Roan
  • Victoria Grove as Anais Anais
  • Alisha Bailey as Surelle
  • Alex Childs as TV host
  • Tony Roper as Reverend McDonough
  • Ben Addis as Journalist 1
  • William Owen as Journalist 2
  • Calum MacNab as Journalist 3
  • Ross Armstrong as 1st Paparazzo
  • Samuel Roukin as 2nd Paparazzo
  • Patrick Regis as Hollywood Minister
  • Danny Bage as Hotel Doorman
  • Tona Gray as Elderly Woman
  • Gil Kolirin as Security Guard
  • Robert Fyfe as Ancient Crofter
  • Maryann Turner as Ancient Crofter's Wife
  • Achara Kirk as Tourist

Production

[edit]

David Tennant said that the film was an homage to the 1983 Scotland-set film Local Hero.[6] The fictional island of Hegg was inspired by Jura and Eigg.[6] It received the largest grant possible from Scottish Screen, £300,000.[6]

Rehearsals started in London on 21 June 2010. Filming began on 27 June on the Isle of Man, before moving to Scotland. Filming ended on 31 July 2010.[7] Many of the outdoor scenes were filmed on the Isle of Man while other scenes were filmed in Glasgow and at the Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries and by Loch Fyne in Argyll.[4]

The score was written by Julian Nott.[8]

CinemaNX distributed the film in the United Kingdom and HanWay Films is the international sales agent.[5]

Reception

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The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. It holds a score of 23% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes[9] and a score of 42/100 on Metacritic.[10]

Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times liked the film, praising the performance by Tennant and Macdonald and the mocking of celebrity culture.[11] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter called the film a "bland romantic comedy in the Richard Curtis style" but praises Macdonald's performance and concludes that her performance makes the film tolerable.[12]

The A.V. Club's Alison Willmore gave the film a "D+", criticizing that the talented cast and pretty scenery cannot save the film from the fact that it is "inescapably based on how romantic it is that someone would throw over his doting, famous fiancée for an ordinary girl" even though the story does not convey any reasons why this should happen.[13] Michael Atkinson of The Village Voice called it a "pernicious tripe suitable only for masochists and the intellectually disabled" and notes that "the supposedly frothy tone is tarry and flavorless, and the drill is painfully familiar".[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Kemp, Stuart (25 October 2010). "'Decoy Bride' adds cast". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  2. ^ "The Decoy Bride". HanWay Films. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  3. ^ "The Decoy Bride". The Numbers. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Film quiz: can you identify the Scottish location doubles?". The Herald. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Macnab, Geoffrey (14 May 2010). "Tennant, MacDonald, Eve walks down the aisle with decoy bride". Screen Daily. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "Hollywood comes to isle of 'Hegg' in a Local Hero for the 21st century". The Scotsman. 15 May 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  7. ^ Cooper, Sarah (25 June 2010). "Shooting will begin on Ecosse Films' romantic comedy this weekend on the Isle of Man and Scotland". Screen Daily. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Julian Nott Scoring The Decoy Bride". Film Music Reporter. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  9. ^ "The Decoy Bride (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  10. ^ "The Decoy Bride Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  11. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (8 March 2012). "Here Comes the Bride's Understudy". The New York Times. p. C8.
  12. ^ Scheck, Frank (9 March 2012). "The Decoy Bride: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  13. ^ Willmore, Alison (8 March 2012). "The Decoy Bride". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  14. ^ Atkinson, Michael (7 March 2012). "The Decoy Bride". The Village Voice. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
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