Michael & Maddie: the Movie

By Robert C. Griffin, New York Journal

June 18, 2021

It's certainly not high praise to say that a certain film is the visual equivalent of comfort food, but it's not scorn either. "Michael & Maddie Get Married," the big-screen adaptation of the hit ABS sitcom, seems tailored and focus-grouped to ensure high ratings years from now, when it's endlessly replayed on Saturday-afternoon cable. That doesn't mean it's bad. It just means it's, well, OK.

Mega-producer Michael Hughes (Morris Nelson) and Australian supermodel Madison Taylor (Robyn McNamee) have recovered from the emotional devastation of Taylor's second-season miscarriage and have plans to walk down the aisle. Environmentalist Maddie envisions a low-key, carbon-neutral affair; conspicuous consumer Michael wants a big bash in Madison Square Garden, with a gala reception in the Hamptons. Their attempts to compromise on the nuptials provide the film's most robust laughs.

Taylor is charmed by Michael's parents, legendary jazz guitarist Bill Hughes (Broadway veteran Walter Gilliam) and Grammy-winning songstress Corinna Burton Hughes (vocalist Diana Horton in her film debut); Michael, however, can barely stand being around them, chafing over having spent a lifetime in their shadow and still bitter over their disapproval of his career producing hip-hop and raunchy R & B music. Similarly, Michael bonds with his future in-laws, Russ McNamee (veteran Australian TV star Hugh Walters) and his second wife Elisabeth (singer Hannah Hayes); Maddie is still at odds with her dad, a powerful coal-mining executive who dumped Maddie's mother for a popular social media influencer only a few years older than his daughter.

There are numerous subplots in this two-hour-plus film, the cutest of which is a budding romance between Michael's young cousin Langston (Jayson Morton) and Maddie's cousin Gracie (Claire Mitchell). While one can't avoid the sense that this storyline is an effort to create a "Michael & Maddie" spinoff, the puppy-love stuff is harmless enough.

Nelson exudes the same sharp humor and natural sensuality he demonstrates on the television show; with his smooth chocolate skin and gorgeous smile, he reminds the viewer of a young Taye Diggs. Nelson is such a great comedian that it's easy to forget how good of an actor he is; he charms the camera with ease.

The same can be said for McNamee, whose ability is often ignored in favor of her long chestnut hair, bright blue eyes, glowing pale skin and prominent posterior (which is, of course, on display in several cheeky scenes-pun fully intended-in which she tries on various wedding dresses). Watching McNamee, one is reminded of Goldie Hawn's prime work; with her subtle facial expressions and sharp line delivery, McNamee could have even given Katharine Hepburn a run for her money had she been born decades ago.

Gilliam and Horton are quite convincing as Michael's career-skeptical parents; Walters and Hayes are also impressive as Maddie's father and stepmother. Working from show creator Aaron Scott-Keith's very witty script, director Roger Durrack keeps the proceedings light, romantic and almost dreamlike; he's ably aided in this regard by his longtime collaborators Mark Ferguson (who contributes a jaunty score), Eliza McMahon (whose costumes are magnificent) and Rod Hart (who delivers with terrific production design).

Special mention must be made of the great work of Oscar-winning cinematographer Angela Leslie, who has created some of the most indelible visual images of the year. Perhaps the most visually striking scene in the film is (spoiler alert) Michael and Maddie's honeymoon lovemaking; the scene is lit and shot in a way that flawlessly captures the passion both characters have for each other. There is a sequence in which Michael runs his dark hands over Maddie's pale, hourglass frame, kissing her neck, shoulders, breasts and stomach, that is as erotic as anything I have ever seen in mainstream American cinema. Watching the love scene, one recalls the rumors of an extremely intense, perhaps unsimulated, love scene filmed for the first season of the TV show; if such footage exists, one wonders how it compares to what we see here.

There's a reason "Michael & Maddie" has been such a hit; both characters, and the actors portraying them, come across as both glamorous but normal, rarefied yet relatable, comfortable in either the Hamptons or the 'hood. There's a scene the night before the wedding, when Morris and Langston discuss the latter's nervousness about letting Gracie know how he feels about her. Morris tells Langston:

"Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of a goddamn thing. If you want to be with her, let her know. If she doesn't want to be with you, that's OK. But if she does want to be with you...that's the beginning of happiness. And let me tell you something: you'll never want that happiness to end."

"Michael & Maddie Get Married" is not a great film...but at least it's a happy film. And you'll never want that happiness to end.