A desperate race to the altar for a hundred million dollar inheritance
In short: In the 1999 romantic comedy The Bachelor, Jimmie Shannon faces a bizarre ultimatum: marry by 6:05 p.m. on his 30th birthday or lose his family's massive business fortune. What follows is a frantic, chaotic scramble across the city that tests his relationships and his true feelings for his girlfriend.
Directed by Gary Sinyor and written by Steve Cohen, The Bachelor serves as a remake of the 1925 Buster Keaton silent film Seven Chances. The plot centers on Jimmie, a pool table company owner who ruins a proposal to his girlfriend, Anne, only to learn his late grandfather left him a $100 million inheritance. The catch is a series of strict conditions: he must be married by his 30th birthday, remain with his bride for at least one night each month for a decade, and attempt to start a family within five years. If he fails, his competitor, Oden Sports, will seize the company.
The film is notable for marking the acting debut of Mariah Carey, while starring Chris O'Donnell and Renée Zellweger. As Jimmie desperately tracks down former flames, he encounters a series of disastrous rejections, including an oil futures trader and a window dresser who sets a mannequin ablaze. Eventually, he settles for a woman named Buckley who only wants his money, but she flees upon learning the full terms of the will. The climax involves a chaotic scene at a train station where hundreds of women, lured by the promise of the inheritance, chase Jimmie through the city.
Critical reception was overwhelmingly negative, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting an 8% approval rating from 71 critics. Reviewers frequently compared O'Donnell unfavorably to Buster Keaton, describing the film as clichéd and witless. Despite this, the film achieved a modest financial result, grossing $37 million worldwide against a $21 million budget. While Stephen Holden of The New York Times noted that the film occasionally captured the energy of a silent comedy, he argued that its satire lacked the necessary sting to truly succeed. Ultimately, the film remains a curious footnote in 1990s romantic comedy history.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Bachelor (1999 film)
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