Father of the Bride.
That’s a name that’s had pop culture significance for a long time.
Some of you might hear it and think of the original, starring two of cinema’s greatest icons.
Some of you might hear it and think of the first remake, starring one of the funniest actors of all time.
Some of you might hear it and think of the film this year, starring the two most famous Cuban immigrants ever in the entertainment industry.
Which one is the best? Let’s talk about all of them, and any sequels!
I should mention that the original is based on a novel from the previous year (1949). The Wikipedia page about it is very sparse, so it seems like the book certainly hasn’t stood the test of time.
Neither has the movie. There, I said it!
There was also this TV show, which I’m sure sucked too.
I know this is supposed to be a comedy, but anyone who’s ever attempted to do comedy knows it’s supposed to be FAST DAMMIT! Even when this movie had amusing lines the pace was so plodding as to suck all the energy out of them.
I watched this with my best friend, who’s a fan of his share of old movies, and he actually asked afterwards whether it was even meant to be a comedy. I said the script indicates it was, but I had realized about 2/3 of the way through the film the problem: it’s a comedy directed like a drama. Keith seemed to think I hit the nail on the head.
Look at this scene. Are you laughing? Because we didn’t. In theory this could be funny but it may as well be an actual video of some random old couple in a dressing room.
Or the opening. Is there something we missed that makes this funny? Just looks like a gruff, tired old man rambling.
For such a thing to be funny you need something for him to play off of. Absolutely nothing and nobody in this film provides that kind of energy.
Heck, let’s pretend it is supposed to be a drama. Does that make it good? Absolutely not! Where’s the conflict that you need in any good story, and even more so in a drama than a comedy?
I suppose the main character doesn’t like that is daughter is getting married so young. Maybe? Or he doesn’t like his future son-in-law? Maybe? I don’t know. Spencer Tracy just seems bored and indifferent to everything the entire movie. I know he’s one of the most acclaimed dramatic actors ever – and the only back-to-back Best Actor Oscar winner besides Tom Hanks – but I was wondering if he just didn’t know how to do comedy.
I also wondered whether nobody knew how to do comedy back then. On my list of favorite comedies of all time, the only one that ever predates 1980’s Airplane! is Some Like It Hot. Admittedly that was 1959, but that’s still nearly a decade after Father of the Bride.
Then I remembered, however, that Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are two hilarious and fast-paced comedies that each predate FotB by at least a decade. I also remembered that the year before FotB Tracy himself was hilarious in Adam’s Rib.
Thus I will again place the blame squarely on the director, Vincent Minelli.
Lucille 2’s dad…so in a way Buster’s grandfather.
He following year he directed An American in Paris, which won Best Picture. Perhaps he knew how to direct musicals but not comedies.
Oh well. I’ll still give this movie 25. 10 points apiece for Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor because film buffs will appreciate a chance to see them and an additional 5 for Russ Tamblyn, who plays the youngest member of the family and of whom I’m a huge fan.
In fact, after getting George Chakiris’s autograph at a meet and greet last year, I wrote the following on social media,
“As someone who loves not only West Side Story but Gun Crazy, The Haunting, and his hot daughter Amber, I kinda regret not meeting Russ Tamblyn when I had the chance in 2013. Today I got to meet one of West Side Story’s Oscar winners though. George Chakiris talked about what a joy Tamblyn was to work with…”
Wow, I just listed three movies infinitely more enjoyable than Father of the Bride even if you specifically wanna watch something with Russ Tamblyn.
Of course, it really can’t be compared to them. Those other three movies are, respectively, a musical, a film noir, and a horror movie, while Father of the Bride is a comedy.
Wait, NO IT ISN’T!!!!!
Bottom Line: Giant snoozefest.
Up Next: The sequel (not to the remake).
Questions? Comments? Feel free to write below.
%
Trackbacks/Pingbacks