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Table 19
Table 19
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Table 19
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJeffrey Blitz
Screenplay byJeffrey Blitz
Story by
Produced by
  • Shawn Levy
  • Tom McNulty
  • Mark Roberts
  • P. Jennifer Dana
Starring
CinematographyBen Richardson
Edited byYana Gorskaya
Music byJohn Swihart
Production
companies
Distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures
Release date
  • March 3, 2017 (2017-03-03)
Running time
87 minutes[1][2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million[3][4]
Box office$5 million[5]

Table 19 is a 2017 American comedy film written and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, from a story originally written by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass. The film stars Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, June Squibb, Lisa Kudrow, Stephen Merchant, Wyatt Russell, and Tony Revolori.

The film was released on March 3, 2017, by Fox Searchlight Pictures, receiving generally mixed reviews from critics and grossed $5 million.

Plot

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Eloise McGarry attends her oldest friend Francie Millner's wedding. Originally maid of honor, she "dropped out" two months ago after her (now) ex-boyfriend Teddy, the best man and the bride's brother, broke up with her by text after two years together. Teddy is now back with his old girlfriend. At the reception, Eloise discovers she is seated at Table 19. As she considers leaving, a fellow guest named Huck offers unsolicited advice, and she decides to stay.

Eloise meets her table mates: Jerry and Bina Kepp, Facebook friends of the groom's father; teen Renzo Eckberg, whose mom is an acquaintance of the groom; Jo Flanagan, Teddy and Francie's childhood nanny; and Walter Thimble, the bride's cousin, who is out on parole. They discuss whether Table 19 is a "good table," Eloise telling them that she helped plan the wedding, and she knows Table 19 is for misfits.

As the newlyweds arrive and begin dancing, Eloise starts feeling insecure and dances with Huck, whom she kisses. When he refuses to sit with her, she realizes he is a wedding crasher and "Huck" is not his real name, and he leaves.

Although not bonding initially, they come together when Jo realizes Eloise is pregnant. With the table's help, Eloise confronts Teddy about dumping her when she told him about the baby. Teddy says he broke up with her because she said they would be ridiculous parents, leaving Teddy hurt and worried he would disappoint her. The argument ends with them accidentally destroying the cake and hastily covering it up.

Bitter and covered in cake, Table 19 changes clothes and moves to Jo's room to smoke pot and talk. Walter reveals he went to prison for stealing $125,000 from the father of the bride because a former friend conned him. Renzo came to the wedding in lieu of his junior prom, as his mom thought he could meet someone. Jo feels she has wasted her life and the children she cared for have forgotten her.

The table goes for a walk, and Jerry gives Renzo advice on how to pick up girls, while Eloise realizes Jo has terminal cancer and will die in the next year. Jo tells Eloise that if she has a daughter she should not name her "Jo" as it is a tough name for a girl. Bina admits to Jerry she came to the wedding to have an affair with an ex, who did not show. They fight, and she heads back inside with Walter.

On Jo's suggestion, the six try to find the wedding crasher Eloise met earlier. They learn "Huck" is actually the groom from another wedding. As payback, Walter steals Huck's wedding cake to replace the one they destroyed earlier.

Returning to the reception, Table 19 is visited by the bride and groom, who express genuine happiness that everyone there has attended. Francie and Eloise talk briefly, Francie apologizes that she was seated so far away from her, and Eloise decides to leave early. Francie then assures Jo she has not forgotten her, telling a brief but touching childhood story about Teddy, inspiring the table to see him differently. They track down Eloise, encouraging her to tell him how she really feels. As the core wedding party leaves on a ferry, she tries to apologize to him from the dock, but he is too far away to hear her.

Eloise, Walter, Jo, and Renzo return to the wedding hall for the last of the cake. In their room, the Kepps discuss their fragile marriage and reconcile before joining them. Teddy suddenly reappears, dripping wet from jumping off the ferry, and asks Eloise to repeat what she said. Eloise asks that they be willing to forgive each other and they reconcile, and the entire group dances to one last song.

A few months later, the Kepps have repaired their strained marriage, Jo has died of cancer, and the Kepps have taken in Jo's dog. Renzo has a girlfriend, and Walter refers to the other Table 19 guests as family. Eloise and Teddy are together and have had their baby. They mail birth announcements to their friends and family, including Table 19. The card reveals they had a son whom they named Joe.

Cast

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Production

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In April 2009, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired the film, with Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass set to direct their own screenplay.[6] In October 2011, Jeffrey Blitz was brought in to rewrite the script and direct the film.[7][8] On March 24, 2015, it was announced that Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, Lisa Kudrow, Stephen Merchant, Tony Revolori, June Squibb, Wyatt Russell, and Amanda Crew would star in the film.[9]

Principal photography began in the Atlanta area on March 27, 2015, and ended on April 30, 2015.[8][10][11] While the plot places the wedding at a resort on an island in the fictional "Lake Alma", in Michigan, filming took place on the Lake Lanier Islands, northeast of Atlanta and at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds on Lake Oconee, southeast of Atlanta.[12] Other scenes were filmed in Douglasville, west of Atlanta.[12] Foxhall Resort is one of the production sites of the movie. It was filmed in a venue called "Legacy".

Music

[edit]

In February 2016, it was announced that John Swihart would score the film.[13] Several songs from popular folk band The Oh Hellos are used throughout the film. Popular music for the film drew from 1980s new wave songs covered by the New York band Oberhofer, sounding as if they were performed by a wedding band. These cover songs were released as the film's soundtrack album.[14]

Release

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The film was originally scheduled to be released on January 20, 2017,[15] before being pushed back to March 3.[16]

Critical response

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 25% based on 118 reviews, with an average rating of 4.55/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Table 19 is marginally more entertaining than actually sitting with a table full of strangers at a wedding — although most screenings won't come with an open bar, which makes it a wash."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 40 out of 100, based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18]

David Fear of Rolling Stone magazine called the film “[a] tonally uneven mishmash of Wes Anderson quirk, John Cassavetes guts-spilling and The Breakfast Club, all of which somehow manages to dampen the talents of its crack ensemble cast."[19] Owen Gleiberman of Variety magazine wrote that “[a]lmost everything that happens in this movie rings cloyingly false. It wants to make you laugh and cry, but you may be too busy cringing."[20]

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Table 19 is a American directed by Jeffrey Blitz, starring as Eloise McGarry, a young woman who, after being unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend—the best man—via text message, decides to attend her best friend's wedding anyway. Relieved of her maid-of-honor duties, Eloise arrives only to be seated at Table 19, the farthest and least desirable spot at the reception, shared with a quirky assortment of fellow "rejects" including the bride's former Jo Flanagan (), the awkward ex-felon Walter Thimble () desperate to reclaim his cat from his ex-wife, the teenager Renzo "Rez" Eckberg (), and the married couple Jerry and Bina Kepp (Craig Robinson and ). The story unfolds over the course of the , where the unlikely group at Table 19 bonds through shared discomfort and personal disclosures, leading to comedic mishaps, budding romances, and moments of unexpected amid the celebratory chaos. Key supporting characters include Jo, who grapples with her past and a secret; Walter, whose obsession with his pet highlights his isolation; Rez, navigating pressures; and the Kepps, adding humor and . Blitz co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by brothers and , with production handled by , Dan Cohen, P. Jennifer Dana, and Mark Roberts under and 3311 Productions. Released theatrically by Fox Searchlight Pictures on March 3, 2017, the film runs 87 minutes and carries a PG-13 rating for and some . It premiered at the earlier that year, showcasing its ensemble-driven take on social awkwardness at weddings. Critically, Table 19 garnered mixed responses, earning a 25% approval rating from critics on based on 118 reviews, with praise for the talented cast's chemistry but for contrived plotting and uneven tone. On , it holds a 5.8 out of 10 rating from 32,334 user votes, reflecting audience appreciation for its lighthearted moments despite perceived flaws. Financially, the film was produced on a $5 million budget and grossed approximately $5.04 million worldwide, including $3.61 million domestically, marking a modest box-office performance. It received a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Comedy Movie in but no major wins.

Story and Characters

Plot

Eloise McGarry, recently dumped by her boyfriend Teddy—the best man and brother of the bride—via text message, decides to attend the of her longtime friend Francie Millner despite being demoted from maid of honor to a seat at the distant Table 19, reserved for peripheral guests near the restrooms. There, she joins a group of social outcasts: Jo Flanagan, the bride's elderly former who carries a bag of medical marijuana and shares fond memories of Francie's childhood; the bickering married couple Bina and Jerry Kepp, owners of a who constantly snipe at each other amid their failing relationship; the awkward teenager Renzo Eckberg, desperate for romantic attention from a girl at the event; and Walter Thimble, a nervous parolee who initially fabricates a successful business career but later confesses to having served time in prison for embezzling $125,000 from the bride's father, his uncle. As the reception unfolds, the Table 19 group bonds over their shared isolation, engaging in awkward conversations and small adventures that reveal deeper personal struggles: Jo's terminal cancer and resulting following her estrangement from the family after years of service; Jerry and Bina's marital discord, culminating in Bina's admission of an impending ; Renzo's social ineptitude and repeated rejections; and Walter's shame over his criminal past and ongoing restrictions. Eloise, grappling with her own heartbreak and the secret of her with Teddy's child—which prompted —flirts with Huck, an affable Australian wedding crasher from a nearby event, leading to a brief romantic spark that distracts her from confronting her ex. The group's dynamics escalate during a chaotic intervention at the cake-cutting ceremony, where Walter orchestrates a diversionary "cake heist" after the dessert is mishandled, allowing them to momentarily steal the spotlight and affirm their makeshift camaraderie. Tensions peak when Eloise finally confronts Teddy about their relationship and her pregnancy, while the Table 19 guests offer unexpected support, encouraging her to embrace vulnerability. In a key revelation, the bride Francie discloses that she deliberately assigned Eloise to Table 19 to surround her with empathetic outsiders who could provide the familial warmth she needed during this crisis, underscoring the table's symbolic role as a haven for the overlooked. The film resolves with Eloise reconciling with Teddy, who returns to profess his commitment. In the epilogue, a few months later, the Table 19 guests have bonded as lifelong friends: Jo has died of cancer, with the reconciled Kepps adopting her dog; Renzo has found a girlfriend; and Walter refers to the group as family. Eloise and Teddy are married, welcoming their newborn son Joe, and mailing birth announcements to the Table 19 attendees as the family celebrates their new beginning.

Cast

The principal cast of Table 19 consists of an ensemble of comedic character actors well-suited to portraying the film's collection of social misfits and wedding outcasts, whose quirky interactions drive the story's humor and heart. leads as Eloise McGarry, the disgraced former maid of honor who attends her best friend's wedding after being dumped by the best man via text message. Craig Robinson portrays Jerry Kepp, one half of a bickering diner-owning couple who are longtime acquaintances of the groom's family. Lisa Kudrow plays Bina Kepp, Jerry's wife and co-owner of their diner, whose strained marriage adds tension to the group's dynamics. June Squibb is cast as Jo Flanagan, the bride's elderly former and a warm, observant guest who shares nostalgic stories about the family. Stephen Merchant embodies Walter Thimble, the awkward and recently paroled uncle of the groom, whose past troubles make him an uneasy fit among the guests. Wyatt Russell appears as Teddy Millner, the best man, brother of the bride, and Eloise's ex-boyfriend, whose presence at the event complicates her emotional journey. Tony Revolori rounds out the key ensemble as Renzo Eckberg, a socially inept teenager brought to the wedding by his mother in hopes of a romantic encounter.

Production

Development

The development of Table 19 originated from a story concept by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, who envisioned a comedy centered on a group of social misfits relegated to the least desirable table at a wedding reception. Initially, the Duplass brothers were set to write and direct the project for Fox Searchlight Pictures, with producers Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, P. Jennifer Dana, and Mark Roberts involved early on through 21 Laps Entertainment and 3311 Productions; the idea drew comparisons to The Breakfast Club but with adult characters navigating awkward interpersonal dynamics at a destination wedding. However, the Duplass brothers stepped away from directing duties in late 2011, leading to the hiring of Jeffrey Blitz—who had previously collaborated with Levy—to write the screenplay based on the Duplass brothers' story and take over as director. Blitz expanded their core premise into a full screenplay that emphasized ensemble comedy alongside genuine, heartfelt character revelations, allowing each misfit guest ample time to reveal their vulnerabilities and foster unexpected connections. The project gained momentum in 2014 as Blitz refined the script during pre-production, focusing on authentic humor derived from honest emotional beats rather than broad gags. Fox Searchlight Pictures greenlit the film with a modest production budget of $5 million, aligning with the studio's support for character-driven indie comedies. Casting announcements began in early 2015, starting with Anna Kendrick signing on to play the lead role of Eloise McGarry, the demoted maid of honor, in a reunion with Blitz from his 2007 film Rocket Science. The ensemble was quickly assembled around her, with key hires including Craig Robinson as the beleaguered husband Jerry Kepp and Lisa Kudrow as his exasperated wife Bina Kepp, both announced amid preparations for principal photography.

Filming

Principal photography for Table 19 took place over 26 days from late March to April 2015 in the metropolitan area, Georgia. The production adhered to a tight schedule influenced by the film's $5 million , ensuring efficient shooting to stay within financial constraints. Filming primarily occurred at upscale venues around Islands and to capture the scenes, simulating a high-society event with elegant outdoor settings. Interior sequences depicting interactions at the titular table were shot using local estates in areas like Douglasville and soundstages in studios. The production faced no major reported challenges, though the compressed timeline demanded rigorous pacing. Directed by Jeffrey Blitz, the shoot emphasized an improvisational comedy style suited to the , drawing from the ' story and script to foster natural, character-driven performances. was handled by , who employed a format to highlight the intimate dynamics among the table's misfit guests. This approach allowed the film to focus on relational tensions and humor within the confined wedding setting.

Music

Score

The original musical score for Table 19 was composed by , an American composer renowned for his contributions to comedic films and television series, including and . Swihart's score was composed following in in 2016. The featured songs in Table 19 are covers of 1980s new wave tracks performed by the band , serving as licensed, to underscore the film's comedic exploration of social awkwardness at a wedding. The soundtrack album, titled Table 19: Oberhofer's Ultimate Wedding Mixtape (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), was released on March 3, 2017, by Glassnote Records, featuring ten tracks of 1980s covers. These selections were curated to align with the movie's retro-comedy aesthetic, drawing on nostalgic elements that highlight the characters' ironic attempts at connection and festivity. Prominent examples include Oberhofer's rendition of "All Through the Night" (originally by ), which plays during a group sequence where the misfit table guests awkwardly bond , amplifying the scene's humorous . Another key track is "" (by ), featured when Eloise kisses Rez on the cheek, underscoring the group's platonic camaraderie amid the wedding chaos. Similarly, "" (originally by Wang Chung) punctuates a lively reception montage, where the covers' upbeat tempo contrasts the characters' relational mishaps for comedic effect. The licensing process for these Oberhofer covers was handled through Glassnote Records, with the tracks integrated during editing to rhythmically emphasize punchy, laugh-out-loud transitions and emotional beats, ensuring they evoked 1980s wedding vibes without overpowering the dialogue-driven humor. This approach allowed the songs to function as narrative enhancers, blending irony and warmth in scenes of reconciliation and revelry.

Release and Distribution

Theatrical Release

Table 19 was distributed theatrically by , which handled its nationwide rollout in the United States. The film received a wide theatrical release on March 3, 2017. employed a limited release strategy, opening in 868 theaters to target art-house and comedy audiences initially. This approach allowed for a gradual expansion based on early reception, with the film earning approximately $1.6 million in its opening weekend as an initial performance indicator. Marketing for the release focused on trailers that emphasized Anna Kendrick's central role as the dumped maid of honor and the ensemble's comedic dynamics at a . Promotional efforts included wedding-themed tie-ins to appeal to audiences interested in lighthearted romantic comedies. The campaign positioned the film as a quirky ensemble piece about misfits finding connection, aligning with Searchlight's specialty in indie-leaning fare. With a runtime of 87 minutes, Table 19 earned an MPAA rating of PG-13 for and some . This rating reflected its blend of humor and mild dramatic tension without excessive intensity, making it suitable for a broad adult audience during its theatrical run.

Home Media

The home media release of Table 19 followed its limited theatrical run, making the film accessible to consumers through physical and digital formats. Digital downloads and streaming became available starting June 13, 2017, via platforms including Amazon Video and , distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. On the same date, the physical editions were released, including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD combo pack (SRP $39.99) and a standalone DVD + Digital HD edition (SRP $29.98). These standard releases featured supplementary materials such as four deleted scenes (totaling 8:12), three promotional featurettes—"Table of Rejects" (1:42), "Head of the Table" (2:21), and "Table for Six" (2:04)—a photo gallery with 30 images presented as a 2:28 slideshow, and the theatrical trailer (2:24). Audio options included 5.1 for English on Blu-ray, with subtitles in English SDH, Spanish, and French (plus additional languages on Blu-ray). No major special editions or collector's sets were produced. As of 2025, Table 19 remains available for streaming on services like and Disney+, alongside rental and purchase options on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. There have been no significant re-releases or updated editions since the initial 2017 launch.

Reception

Critical Response

Table 19 garnered mixed to negative reviews from critics, reflecting divided opinions on its blend of and . On , the film holds a 25% approval rating based on 118 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. On , it received a score of 40 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Critics frequently praised Anna Kendrick's lead performance for its vivacity and the ensemble's chemistry, which provided occasional heartfelt moments amid the film's uneven execution. of Variety commended Kendrick's authentic energy, noting it offered a "slender shot at commercial success," while highlighting the cast's notable talents including , Craig Robinson, and . However, many reviews criticized the film's predictable plot, underdeveloped characters, and tonal inconsistencies between and . Sheri Linden of described it as a "misfire," pointing to its misguided mess despite small human moments. Director Jeffrey Blitz's handling of the material drew particular scrutiny for failing to balance the genres effectively, resulting in contrived scenarios and robotic . Gleiberman observed that "almost everything that happens in ‘Table 19’ rings cloyingly false," suggesting Blitz overstated elements to the point of awkwardness. Despite these flaws, some reviewers acknowledged the film's underlying charm in exploring social awkwardness at weddings, though its underperformance at the contributed to limited critical buzz.

Box Office Performance

Table 19 had a of $5 million. The film opened in 868 theaters on March 3, 2017, earning $1,597,928 during its debut weekend, placing 17th at the North American behind major releases such as Logan, , and The Shack. Its modest opening reflected a challenging post-Oscar crowded with high-profile films, limiting its visibility in the genre. Domestically, Table 19 grossed $3,614,896, while international earnings totaled $1,427,118, resulting in a worldwide gross of $5,042,014. This figure represented approximately 1.0 times the , indicating the film barely recouped its costs theatrically. The underperformance was partly attributed to mixed , which impacted audience attendance. Internationally, the film saw no significant breakthroughs, with releases confined to select markets yielding minimal returns.

References

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