Father of the Bride (Steve Martin)

(Amazon UK link)

We wanted something light-hearted to watch on an evening when we were both tired. We hadn’t seen the 1991 film ‘Father of the Bride’ since July 2012, and with a nine-year gap we had forgotten most of it. So it seemed like a good idea to see it again.

Steve Martin stars as George Banks, who opens the film sitting in the detritus of a wedding, evidently held in his home. He gives a monologue about his daughter growing up, and just what happens when she decides to get married…

The action switches to six months earlier when his daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams) gets home after an assignment abroad, and it’s clear that she and her father are very close. But she has an announcement to make: she hasn’t just met ‘someone’, she’s fallen in love and they are engaged. Bryan (George Newbern) arrives soon afterwards, very nervous but deeply in love.

George takes Bryan in dislike, not because there is anything objectionable about him; simply because he doesn’t want his little girl to grow up and find another man who is more important than her father. The film is about him coming to terms with that, knowing that he has to let go in order for her to be happy.

But although there are some very poignant moments, it’s also a very funny film. Steve Martin’s expressions and body language are superbly done - his comic timing is always good. Diane Keaton plays his wife Nina, who finds him frustrating at times but loves him dearly; she’s a great foil for his overreactions to situations, and plays the part of peacemaker in the family.

I should also mention Annie’s little brother Matty (Kieran Culkin). The actor was only about nine when the film was made, but he too has excellent comic timing, and a great role, with amusingly mature wisdom at times.

Most of the film covers the preparations for the wedding, organised by ‘Franck’ (Martin Short) who is an over-the-top pseudo-French and rather camp person, brilliant in his artistry but sparing no expense. Annie’s family is quite well off but, as George explains, the wedding cost more than their house - and the amounts discussed seem extortionate even now, thirty years after the film was made.

There are scenes and lines which made us laugh aloud as well as those where I felt a strong sense of empathy, particularly after 18 months of pandemic without seeing my sons or grandchildren. It’s a bit schmaltzy of course, but thoroughly enjoyable too - and exactly what we needed for an evening’s light relaxation.

Definitely recommended if you like romantic comedies with more comedy than romance. It’s rated PG which reflects the lack of violence or anything explicit. There’s almost no bad language, although there are inevitably one or two sexual references. However the subject matter is unlikely to be of interest to anyone under the age of about twelve.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews