Today’s quick review: The Accidental Husband. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman), a radio host with a detached view of love, ruins Patrick Sullivan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) life when she talks his fiance into dumping him during a call-in to the show. As revenge, Patrick hacks the state computer system and fakes a prior marriage between him and Emma, forcing her to scramble to get the marriage annulled in time for her wedding to Richard (Colin Firth).
The Accidental Husband is a romantic comedy about a love guru whose theories about romance are put the test when she meets an impulsive firefighter. While trying to sort out the “glitch” that caused their marriage, Emma finds herself falling for Patrick, even though he’s the opposite of the man she always said she wanted.
The Accidental Husband has a decent premise, but its execution leaves something to be desired. Uma Thurman and Jeffrey Dean Morgan perform well individually but their chemistry is not strong enough to carry the film. The humor comes from a series of misunderstandings about Emma and Patrick’s marriage, but the movie drops that angle early on.
More broadly, The Accidental Husband makes a lot of small mistakes that blunt its impact. Moments that are supposed to be emotional are missing the setup, musical cues, and character reactions to make them work. Emma drifts through major revelations rather than engaging with them. Even the script does not have a clear endpoint in mind: The finale has none of the careful planning Emma espouses and little of the romance she’s tempted by.
All of this dampens what is otherwise a sound movie. Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Colin Firth are all fine picks for their roles. The premise is a clever one for a romantic comedy. The movie does a lot of legwork to develop Patrick as a character and have Emma discover that he’s more than he seems. But without the charm to tie it all together, these efforts go to waste, making The Accidental Husband a mediocre pick.
For a romantic comedy with a similar premise and a weaker cast, try Accidentally Engaged. For one with more spark, check out The Proposal. For a romantic comedy about a dating advice show host whose theories get put to the test, check out The Ugly Truth. For a one about a love doctor who falls in love in spite of his best efforts, try Hitch.
[5.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0809504/). I give it a 5.5 for a decent premise that never hits its stride.