Four Weddings And A Funeral is nowadays more closely associated with the TV series of the same name, but for many, it will always bring to mind the classic 1994 romantic comedy following the fumbling romantic antics of Hugh Grant and the heartwarming friendships he maintains along the way.
The film features the familiar humor that viewers have come to associate with similar British romantic comedies, many of which Grant may also be seen in, such as Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, and Love, Actually. All of these films have their heart-warming, playful, and lighthearted banter in common, as well as the relatable feelings that their romantic storylines evoke, sentiments that are easily found when returning to the moving dialogue of Four Weddings And A Funeral.
"I Am, As Ever, In Bewildered Awe Of Anyone Who Can Make This Kind Of Commitment."
Charles begins the film by outing himself as somewhat of a hopeless romantic. His very admittance, in his best man speech, that he can't imagine committing to someone in the way that the newlyweds are, is tinged with longing.
This makes it clear that he does, in fact, secretly desire such a connection and that his said "bewilderment" is actually a form of respect.
"I Think We're Both Missing An Opportunity Here."
Carrie leaves Charles with these last words before she exits their hotel room the morning after sleeping together. The fact that she has to return to America that morning lends her the easy opportunity to reflect on the reality that she does actually like Charles, something that people don't always share with one another in the average morning-after instance.
In her doing so, she lends some substance and appreciation to an interaction that is often treated as if void of any emotion.
"I Wish I'd Rung You. But Then, You Didn't Ring Me."
Charles sees Carrie for the last time before he will see her married to another man. After she lists off all of the people she has slept with in life, he realizes that he came right before her husband-to-be.
This causes him to reflect upon the fact that, if only he had called her, maybe he would be that man - but then again, as most people tend to forget in romance, it takes two. She could have called him too, but didn't.
"I Think I Love You."
Charles puts his feelings on the line in a classic rom-com scene, which entails him suddenly dashing into the street to chase the woman he loves.
The two, as far as viewers can tell, don't actually know each other all that well - but Charles is fixated, and knowing that Carrie will be married soon, takes this one last chance to make clear his feelings for her so that at least he knows he tried.
"You, Charlie. It's Always Been You."
The Fiona and Charles storyline is one of the most touching in the movie, and perhaps the most relatable. Fiona is a beautiful, fascinating person.
By all counts, one would think Charles should fancy her. And yet, he doesn't. Fiona's love for Charles goes unrequited, even when she comes clean to him about it. This instance exemplifies the fact that rejection is not a reflection of one's worth - after all, when considering the love triangle, many viewers would prefer Fiona to Carrie any day.
"Nothing Either Of Us Can Do On This One. Such Is Life."
Once again hitting on the tragic situation between Fiona and Charles, this quote comes from Fiona, who gracefully handles the final truth that Charles doesn't have feelings for her beyond those of friendly love.
Instead of taking it to heart, Fiona keeps her self-worth intact, wisely recognizing that it's a fact of life that sometimes people simply aren't a match - and it's beautiful to see how this doesn't ruin their friendship.
"He Was My North, My South, My East, My West."
This line comes from the D.W. Auden poem "Funeral Blues" that is so famously known for being used in the movie during the heart-breaking funeral scene.
Matthew, unable to find his own words to describe his feelings upon losing Gareth, turns to the words of the poet instead, speaking the lines of a poem that share the utmost grief one feels when finding the world empty of the person they loved.
"All These Years We Were Single And Proud Of It, Two Of Us Were, For All Intents And Purposes, Married."
Charles touches upon the beautiful romance shared between Gareth and Matthew. His acknowledgment hits upon several important points, one of the foremost being that while the straight friends of the group were openly discussing their love lives for years, Gareth and Matthew lived accustomed to fitting into a heterosexual atmosphere where their own love went under-appreciated by their friends.
The quote highlights the injustice of this, but also emphasizes that there are different ways to spend a life in loving devotion to someone.
"Surely If That Service Shows Anything, It's That There Is Such A Thing As A Perfect Match."
Charles spent most of the film struggling with the idea that he will never find someone who is right for him. He refuses to accept that he could marry someone who he isn't madly in love with, and so resorts to the depressing alternative that he will likely spend life alone.
Gareth's funeral, however, wakes him up to the fact that while he was obsessing over whether true love is real, it was staring him in the face all along in the form of two of his best friends. This moment gives Gareth and Matthew's relationship the credit it deserves.
"Be Happy And Don't Forget Us."
What is thought of as "romantic love" often gets more attention than the love shared between friends, but it's arguable that the love in friendship is one of the most important in people's lives - and not completely unromantic in nature, either. There is a romance to the special moments shared between close friends, to the attention given to another person, and to the rituals people form together.
The film follows one man's search for a partner, but upon closer inspection, the film is, above all else, a story about a group of very close friends who love each other dearly, standing by each other in their individual searches for romance, while also hoping to remember the special bond they share.