One Small Hitch

Childhood friends Molly Mahoney (Dollar) and Josh Shiffman (McRae) are heading back to Chicago for Molly's mother Doreen's (Faraci) wedding.  Both are newly single, after dumping their respective dates.  Before their flight takes off, Josh learns his father Max (Travanti) is dying of cancer, and his dying regret is that he'll never meet the woman Josh will marry.  In a moment of panic Josh tells his parents that he and Molly are engaged.

That innocent lie spirals out of control when they are greeted at the airport by their parents, Max and Frida (Brooks) and Doreen and Art Burke (Dean), who are overjoyed by the news.  Soon everyone in their lives knows about their engagement and has opinions about why they are together.  They tell Josh's best friend Sean (Belushi), who is also Molly's brother, and his wife Carla (Spence), Molly's best friend, the truth, but keep up the facade for everyone else.  The Shiffman's offer them an apartment and ask them to stay longer.  Can they maintain the ruse, especially when Giselle Brousard (Johanningmeier) sets her sights on Josh?


It's wedding season, and I am knee deep in cupcakes for a wedding this weekend.  With that in mind I decided to check out a wedding film.

I loved this film.  Yes, it is the typical romantic comedy setup and it is obvious that Shane McRae and Aubrey Dollar's characters are going to end up together (and saying that isn't a spoiler).  It was surprisingly funny and sweet.  Nothing earth shattering, but it was still entertaining.

I was unfamiliar with the director and cast, but they did a decent job on the film.  Director John Burgess is a Chicago native, and most of the main cast are well-known faces in Chicago acting community.  Daniel Travanti is a Golden Globe and Emmy award winning actor and the is the biggest name within the cast.  Robert Belushi, the son of actor Jim Belushi, is well-known within Second City and Improv Olympic.  And Rebecca Spence and Heidi Johanningmeier are also local actresses.

An enjoyable, but cliche rom com.

One Small Hitch (2013) 105 minutes
Director: John Burgess
Starring: Shane McRae as Josh Shiffman
Aubrey Dollar as Molly Mahoney
Daniel J. Travanti as Max Shiffman
Janet Ulrich Brooks as Frida Shiffman
Mary Jo Faraci as Doreen Mahoney
Ron Dean as Art Burke
Robert Belushi as Sean Mahoney
Rebecca Spence as Carla Mahoney
Heidi Johanningmeier as Giselle Brousard