top of page
Search

On The Silver Screen: "Being Likeable Is An Inherent State Of Being, While Being Liked Takes Work."

If there is one thing that is funnier than a comedic book, it is a comedic film. Where the jokes, comical mishaps, and unfortunate circumstances come to life. With its razor-sharp wit, memorable characters, and biting social commentary, The People We Hate at the Wedding is ripe for adaptation, and Prime Video did just that. With an all-star cast bringing Ginder's novel to life, it promises viewers an unforgettable cinematic experience filled with laughter, tears, and everything in between. For those unfamiliar with the book, The People We Hate at the Wedding follows the lives of the siblings, Alice and Paul, as they navigate the complexities of family relationships, love, and identity against the backdrop of their sister's extravagant wedding in England. As old resentments resurface and long-held secrets are revealed, the family must confront the dysfunction that threatens to tear them apart.


ree

You Are Cordially Invited

Are you ready for a rollicking ride through the ups and downs of family dynamics, dysfunction, and unexpected revelations? In this laugh-out-loud tale, Ginder serves up a deliciously dysfunctional family reunion that is sure to keep you entertained from start to finish. At the center of the story are siblings Paul and Alice, who find themselves reluctantly attending their half-sister Eloise's wedding in London. From the moment they arrive, they're plunged into a whirlwind of fancy hotels, dinners at trendy restaurants, and a reception at a lavish country estate. But far from being excited about the festivities, Paul and Alice couldn't hate it more. As the estranged clan gathers together, Ginder brings to life the quirks, foibles, and idiosyncrasies of each family member with vivid detail and sly wit.


From Donna, the family matriarch with a penchant for wine and House Hunters International, to Alice, the single and stuck-in-a-rut sister, to Paul, the intellectually pretentious brother, each character leaps off the page with humor and humanity. But it's Eloise, the perfect, gorgeous, and infuriatingly kind half-sister, who steals the show. Raised in privilege and cushioned by a fat trust fund, Eloise's impending wedding serves as the backdrop for a series of hilarious and heartwarming revelations about love, family, and the ties that bind us together. As the wedding day approaches, tensions rise, secrets are revealed, and the true power of family is put to the test. With its sharp humor, witty dialogue, and surprisingly tender moments, The People We Hate at the Wedding is a delightfully entertaining read that will leave you laughing, crying, and cheering for this wonderfully flawed cast of characters.


ree

Relationships are awful. They'll kill you, right up to the point where they start saving your life.


Paul and Alice’s half-sister Eloise is getting married! In London! There will be fancy hotels, dinners at “it” restaurants and a reception at a country estate complete with tea lights and embroidered cloth napkins.


They couldn’t hate it more.


The People We Hate at the Wedding is the story of a less than perfect family. Donna, the clan’s mother, is now a widow living in the Chicago suburbs with a penchant for the occasional joint and more than one glass of wine with her best friend while watching House Hunters International. Alice is in her thirties, single, smart, beautiful, stuck in a dead-end job where she is mired in a rather predictable, though enjoyable, affair with her married boss. Her brother Paul lives in Philadelphia with his older, handsomer, tenured track professor boyfriend who’s recently been saying things like “monogamy is an oppressive heteronormative construct,” while eyeing undergrads. And then there’s Eloise. Perfect, gorgeous, cultured Eloise. The product of Donna’s first marriage to a dashing Frenchman, Eloise has spent her school years at the best private boarding schools, her winter holidays in St. John and a post-college life cushioned by a fat, endless trust fund. To top it off, she’s infuriatingly kind and decent.


As this estranged clan gathers together, and Eloise's walk down the aisle approaches, Grant Ginder brings to vivid, hilarious life the power of family, and the complicated ways we hate the ones we love the most in the most bitingly funny, slyly witty and surprisingly tender novel you’ll read this year.

Here Comes The Bride

The People We Hate at the Wedding is the perfect embodiment of the phrase "good things take time." The film is a comedic wonder featuring Allison Janney (The West Wing) as matriarch Donna, Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) as Alice, Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect) as Paul, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Arrow) as Eloise.


The cast also featured Isaach de Bankolé (Chocolat) as Henrique, Karan Soni (Deadpool) as Dominic, Dustin Milligan (Schitt's Creek) as Dennis Bottoms, Tony Goldwyn (Scandal) as Dr. Goulding, Jorma Taccone (Hot Rod) as Jonathan, John Macmillan (Silk) as Ollie, Julian Ovenden (Allies) as Alcott, Rufus Jones (Hunderby) as Tom, Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls) as Marissa, and D'Arcy Garden (The Good Place) as Martha.


ree

In this hilariously raunchy comedy, dysfunctional American siblings Alice (Kristen Bell) and Paul (Ben Platt) along with their ever-optimistic mom (Allison Janney), are invited to the British wedding of their estranged half-sister Eloise (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) as a chance for them to reconnect as – more or less – adults, and learn to love each other like they once did

The film has mixed reviews with its Rotten Tomatoes score coming in at a 31% on its "Tomatometer" from critics who claim thst it is "an intriguingly cast but largely laugh-free comedy." The "Audience Score" sits slightly higher at 39% with viewers more lenient on the film. The films biggest flex has been pointed out as its cast, namely Bell, but its dark humor nice source material may be a point of disconnect for many viewers.


Paging The Models

ree
Grant Ginder, Author

Grant Ginder is the author of the novels Let’s Not Do That Again, Honestly, We Meant Well, The People We Hate at the Wedding, Driver’s Education, and This is How It Starts. Originally from Southern California, he studied at the University of Pennsylvania and received his MFA from NYU, where he currently teaches writing. He lives in Brooklyn with his husband, Mac, and their disastrous dog, Frankie.


You can keep up to date with Ginder and his works by visiting his website at grantginder.com.







HAVE YOU READ OR WATCHED THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING?

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON OUR REEL DEAL POST IN THE QUEEN'S CORNER.

Comments

bottom of page