Alec Baldwin described the 1991 romantic comedy The Marrying Man as “the biggest mistake of my career” after its poor reception. The film became notable not only as a commercial and critical disappointment, but also for the highly publicised difficulties surrounding its production and the relationship that developed between Baldwin and co-star Kim Basinger.

Written by Neil Simon and directed by Jerry Rees, the film starred Baldwin as wealthy playboy Charley Pearl and Basinger as nightclub singer Vicki Anderson. Its budget reportedly rose to $26 million, while reviews criticised the film and its lead pairing; it was later reported to hold a 9% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Baldwin and Basinger married in 1993 after meeting during the production, before divorcing in 2002.