A memorable scene in a romantic comedy featuring Julia Roberts continues to provoke questions from audiences nearly two decades later.
If you’ve already indulged in the most acclaimed rom-com series released on Netflix this year, consider revisiting a classic film with Julia Roberts in the lead role.
“My Best Friend’s Wedding” comes from the mind of Ronald Bass (Persuasion), who both wrote and co-produced the film, with direction by P. J. Hogan (2003’s Peter Pan).
The movie boasts a star-studded cast, including Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman), Dermot Mulroney (Anyone But You), Cameron Diaz (The Holiday), and Rupert Everett (St Trinian’s).
The narrative follows food critic Julianne Potter, portrayed by Roberts, who discovers that her best friend Michael (Mulroney) is set to marry Kimberly Wallace (Diaz) in a mere five days.
Finding herself overwhelmed with jealousy and wondering if she harbors romantic feelings for Michael, Julianne attempts to disrupt the wedding and wed Michael herself. But, as Shakespeare once noted, the path of true love rarely runs smoothly.
If the storyline isn’t dramatic enough, one specific moment in the film continues to bewilder viewers.
This scene, featuring a beloved actor, has left audiences puzzled and unable to comprehend its necessity, even after nearly twenty years since the film’s debut.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
The controversial scene involves Michael and Julianne, with Michael removing his fiancée Kimberly’s ring from Julianne’s finger, where it has become stuck.
Instead of simply pulling the ring off using his fingers, possibly aided by some butter or Vaseline, Michael opts to use his mouth to remove it from Julianne’s finger.
While it’s peculiar that Julianne tried on the ring to begin with, the real issue lies in the finger-sucking incident.
Despite the film’s release over two decades ago, this particular scene continues to spark outrage among viewers.
A Twitter user reacted to a discussion about the moment by asking, “Genuinely why did he do this? with his wedding right around the corner.”
“Cameron Diaz deserves to shoot them both,” commented another user.
A third remarked, “Imagine wanting her and then acting like she was CRAZY….. He was a gaslighter!”
A fourth person added, “This scene and the one on the ferry where he’s basically baiting her to confess that she loves him. He’s actually a villain.”