It's the season of romantic comedy encores, I guess. Less than a year after Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and director Nora Ephron, from Sleepless In Seattle, reteamed for You've Got Mail, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, and director Garry Marshall, from Pretty Woman, reteam for Runaway Bride. These attempts to recreate the spirit of favorite movies almost never work, and yet, wonder of all wonders, I prefer You've Got Mail and Runaway Bride to the previous efforts.

Runaway Bride is, in fact, my favorite of the four, by a nose. For fans of the genre, this is one of those few movies that actually earns the right to call itself a "feel good movie." I left feeling good, at least, and while the mechanics of the story were at times transparent, I was usually engrossed in it. I liked the characters, and I liked how the story was told through them. There are also some fine moments of gentle humor, also appreciated. The cynical and jaded should still probably stay away from this, but others will want to give this one a shot.