FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1991) - DIR. CHARLES SHYER
Like Duke Ellington, I'm in a sentimental mood since I'm officially a Missus as of today...Fiance and I did the deed in fine assembly line fashion at the Old Orange County Courthouse, along with at least twenty other couples. Some would find the "marriage factory" atmosphere of the courthouse somewhat off-putting, but me being a Capricorn, I loved the communality of the experience and the clinical filling out of forms. You sign, I sign, done.
Well, we're actually having a ceremony with more pomp and circumstance back East in a week, and thinking about the year-plus long planning process (and subsequent nervous breakdowns) involuntarily makes me think of one of my undercover favorite films of the 90's, "Father of the Bride."
I say "undercover" because some may remember this Steve Martin-starring remake of the 1950 film of the same name (which starred Spencer Tracy and my personal fave, Elizabeth Taylor) as goopy and saccharine in its unrelenting corniness. If you don't have a heart, this may indeed be true. But for the rest of us, one of Steve Martin's last genuinely touching film performances (in the grouchy yet caring Dad role he played in the more acerbic 1989 film "Parenthood"), Kimberly Williams's (a Westchester girl--from Rye, NY!) lovely innocence as his daughter, Diane Keaton (who just has to show up to be great), and Martin Short's hilarious gay wedding planner Franck, make this film a genuine pleasure to sit back and escape into. I don't think there's a day that's passed since I started planning my own wedding that I didn't have Martin Short's voice in my head intoning, "Armani don't make a blue tux-ado!"
This movie touched me because as a young girl who was just attempting to form her conception of her own personal future, this film was a veritable fever dream of wishful thinking when it came to the perfect wedding. My actual wedding reality is somewhat far off from Father of the Bride's construct of the contemporary wedding, but all the attendant shock,confusion, nostalgia and finally, euphoria is universal.
I have other stuff to tell you, and since I'm the little woman now, I have to cook dinner, so I'll just leave you with a clip of this fine 90's movie to tide you over 'til the next wedding that you have to attend:
No comments:
Post a Comment