Hallie Mitchell has Romantic Hope
Hallie Mitchell (Leslie Hope) and Donnalee Crawford (Sherry Miller) have a lot on their plate as they jointly run an architecture business and are in need of contracts to keep the wolves from the door. It doesn't prevent Donnalee fretting that life is passing her by and would love to meet someone to settle down with and start a family. On the other hand Hallie has no trouble finding men even though she isn't looking; there is an old school friend, the newly divorced neighbour with the kid as well as the video date she agreed to in order to shut Donnalee up but none of them are either good enough for Hallie or don't like her bossiness.
If someone had come up with "This Matter of Marriage" back in the late 50s it would have starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson and would have been a fun romantic comedy with the emphasis on the comedy. But "This Matter of Marriage" wasn't made back in the 50s and is a romantic something or other from the 90s. I say something or other as it isn't very funny, it isn't dramatic, it isn't really that romantic and so here is a movie which whilst possibly appealing to a certain female crowd comes up short for others.
In a way "This Matter of Marriage" sort of reminds me a little of "Bridget Jones's Diary" because at the centre is that focus on Hallie's dating exploits and mishaps, but that is combined with that Doris Day element where we have the comedy of Hallie and her neighbour who when they both use the water they have pressure issues leading to some comedy mishaps. But it all seems so aimless not entirely sure of whether it is trying to be funny or just romantic and so we have this real mismatch of scenes which try to hide the obvious outcome of all this. Trust me, if you can't fathom out the ending within minutes of it starting then lucky you.
Adding to my issues is that the movie focuses on Hallie and as such this character has to be likeable in some way but it is difficult when she comes across as such a ball buster. It is a shame as Leslie Hope plays her well and gets that go getting career woman bit across perfectly but fails to let us in because she can't see that her problems are partly of her own making due to her attitude and cynicism.
What this all boils down to is that "This Matter of Marriage" just didn't do it for me and whilst I could see where it could go with some Doris Day style comedy it never went there and never seemed to go anywhere. Maybe for some this laid back style appeals but unless you are into really light romantic comedies this will be a struggle.
