Jenny’s Wedding movie review (trailer)

The production offers sterling performances as it negotiates a tricky emotional path which highlights social issues and serious dilemmas faced by its core characters. It suffers, though, from bouts of sermonising which diminishes its greater intentions.

Jenny (Heigl) lives a well-ordered life in a Cleveland apartment with her partner of five years, Kitty (Alexis Bledel). Her sheltered family are unaware of the deeper relationship that exists between the two women and are continually pestering her to meet a nice man, settle down and have children.

When Jenny decides to marry Kitty, her close-minded, conservative parents, father Eddie (Tom Wilkinson), a fireman, and mother Rose (Linda Emond), have difficulty accepting her decision, setting off various emotions within the family circle.

These range from the awkwardness that develops between Jenny and her parents to the pointed reaction of her sister Anne (Grace Gummer), who is less upset about her sister’s sexuality than she is about all the secrecy that has surrounded her coming out.

But her brother, Michael (Mathew Metzger), is far more understanding. Mother and father are more concerned about the shame and disapproval they’ll have to endure from gossipy best friend (Diana Hardcastle) and Eddie’s long-time co-worker (Sam McMurray). They beg Jenny to keep the truth under wraps — something she is no longer willing to do. She makes this abundantly clear in two angry, eloquent, rants.

If there are gripes, it’s that Jenny’s Wedding needs more probing in dealing with the subject matter, instead of settling at the end for a neatly tied white bow. Still, the film entertains.