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Just Married Starring Brittany Murphy, Ashton Kutcher Directed by Shawn Levy Rated PG-13 for sexual content, some crude humor and a brief drug reference **1/2 out of 4 Stars, Movie Grade: B-

Theatrical Release: January 10, 2003
Running time: 94 minutes

by Kevin Lang

"Just Married," starring Brittany Murphy ("Don't Say a Word," 2001) and Ashton Kutcher ("Dude Where's My Car," 2000) attempted to offer a comedic interpretation of the tribulations faced by a young pair of newlyweds while on their honeymoon in Europe. The film focused on how a relationship can change when the element of marriage is brought into the picture. "Just Married" didn't offer much to set it apart from other similar romantic comedies. Most of the parts that brought me to laughter I had already seen in the trailer, and the story itself didn't offer any surprises. However, the aspect of marriage did add to the story a little by putting greater weight on the issues between the two main characters, making the outcome of these issues perhaps more consequential than if it had just been a teen romance.

Brittany Murphy played Sarah, the wealthy daughter of two haughty parents who wanted more for her than Tom (Ashton Kutcher), who worked at a local radio station giving traffic reports. Tom was carefree and spontaneous, and Sarah didn't want a life set in stone. The two worked well together, and their happiness didn't seem fake, even if it was a little overacted at times. I liked the chemistry between the two of them, which proved in the end to be one of the only few strong points of the film.

When their honeymoon began, they started to learn more about each other, and they soon began to notice the little things about one another that they had overlooked or had not realized before, little things that turned out to be not so little now that they were married. Did they get past these newfound nuances and live happily ever after? The story was somewhat predictable, but don't worry, I won't giveaway they ending.

Although the editing wasn't great, some of the shots in the Alps were breathtaking, and upon leaving the theater, I found myself wanting to visit these locations, especially the castle in the mountains that was also a hotel, where they first attempted to stay on their honeymoon. In the end, "Just Married" was just okay. The chemistry between Brittany Murphy and Ashton Kutcher set a good tone, one that the story couldn't quite keep up with though. Despite occasional moments of humor and some romance, "Just Married" was little more than a mildly enjoyable film that could pass for a semi-satisfying date movie if you're desperate.

"Just Married" Review written January 7, 2002, CTF.

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