Ein Geschenk des Himmels - Vater der Braut 2

We've left George Banks mourning the loss of his precious little darling in the first "Father of the Bride" movie and what do you know, they're just coming to announce something "big" and I have a theory: the announcement is actually handled like the film's first gag. Think about it: either you know the workings of matrimony and can easily anticipate that the next step after a wedding is a crawling toothless creature keeping you awake at 4 am (especially if the time span is four years), or there's the possibility that you've looked upon the poster, or maybe, you just know that the film is based on Vincente Minnelli's "Father's Little Dividend" the follow-up to the original "Father of the Bride".

How is the pregnancy a gag? Well, it is one in the sense that George Banks, a man entering his sixtieth decade of existence is still incapable to figure what the news will be... and seems incapable to conceive (no pun intended) that Annie is a grown-up now. His denial of the mere possibility of a pregnancy is absurd enough to raise the earliest chuckles and tell us that the film will swim in the same waters than the first. Yes indeed, it's Steve Martin once again as the unmovable conservative force facing the unstoppable cycle of life. And so when everybody's reunited to hear the news, the way he looks at his son-in-law as some cartoon villain who put the final stamp of his "ownership" is quite similar to the quick flash of John Candy as the devil in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".

Spirit-wise, we're in a film tailor-made for Steve Martin, the man against which the world seems to have concocted a personal conspiracy and it is a fine continuation of the original and a reminder of the charm of these 90s movies where narratives that could be deemed as old-fashioned by today's standards were still considered viable. Don't get me wrong, the premise is rather ludicrous and I don't mean the pregnancy of Nina Banks but the fact that it's synchronized with her own daughter's pregnancy. It doesn't take a medium to guess that the two women will lose waters within the same timeline or as Roger Ebert put it (more eloquently): No prizes for guessing that they may find themselves delivering at exactly the same moment. That said, it takes a lot of warmth and writing skills to start with a crazy idea and manage to make everything flow smoothly without letting the viewer ever feel that his intelligence is to be suspended as well as his disbelief.

The first act is basically a retread of "Dividend" with George having a middle-age crisis and trying to convince himself that he's still got it. He goes to the gymnasium, dyes his hair and tries to resurrect his lost youth through one sensual night with Nina and cinematic laws of pregnancy working, guess what happens next. Maybe you don't remember that episode of "Little House on the Prairie" when Caroline Ingalls thought she was "late" because of pregnancy but it just happened to be the menopause. Well, this episode must have marked Nancy Meyers for the same misunderstanding is used in reverse. And it's only fair that the writer of "Baby Boom" wanted her muse Diane Keaton to embody a real form of motherhood. Diane Keaton still looks young at 45 but the effort to 'olden her' through her fashion style and haircut makes indeed the pregnancy a little more awkward.

But awkwardness be damned, these little touches never really alter the enjoyment for the pregnancy is never treated as a source of cheap gags and since the film recycles every character from the original, there's a certain comfort in watching achieving people trying to reach states of happiness, making us happy by proxy. There are some serious moments here and there, one involving Nina putting George in his place and telling him to consider her pregnancy with a little more respect and various subplots disseminated here and there, most notably one involving the house sale to a foreigner played by a "youngish" Eugene Levy. Nothing quite new under the horizon but there's something exciting about the presence of Martin Short as the extravagant wedding planner (turned house decorator for the need of the plot). Short and Martin share many great moments especially a touching one when Banks discovers the future baby's room.

Of course, the film had to commit a little mistake by injecting another slapstick sequence, involving sleeping pills taken at the wrong time, and I think this could have undermined the film. Many comedies that contain pregnancy commit the cardinal sin of handling a universally touching moment with cheap grotesque jokes but everything goes well in "Father of the Bride II" and it owes a lot to the presence of Jane Adams as the doctor charged of the delivery. The actress plays her role straight without any awareness of all the goofy stuff around and in her own humble way, she elevates the final moments of the film. Talk about a great casting.

And it's for touches like this that once again, you can't just dismiss movies like "Father of the Bride". While not as good as its predecessors, it's enjoyable and simply said, fun to watch. It's also interesting to see Kieran Culkin having more interesting lines than in the first film revealing some better acting dispositions than his brother, whose stardom was already fading. Kimberley Williams is always as enchanting and irritating as the Annie Banks but I have a soft spot for Diane Keaton who's not given the easier role and pulls it off with sweetness, credibility and a good sense of humor. What this great actress can't do I don't know.

Not a masterpiece of originality, but as a film about two deliveries, "Father of the Bride II" does deliver.

I enjoyed this film, as I did Father of the Bride (1991), though I had to suspend my credulity a lot. This film was less realistic than the film it was based on, Father's Little Dividend (1951), with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor. For example, it's unlikely that George Banks, a highly successful business owner who obviously must think through his decisions, would be so impetuous as to sell the house he loves and end up having to buy it back at a significant mark-up. (George and Nina decide to sell following a rainstorm that caused their kitchen ceiling to leak, even though the house had two storeys above it.) The new baby *wing* which the Banks then decide to build on to their repurchased home is equally ridiculous, since the house is already huge and only young son Matty is still at home. Between the ill-conceived house sale and repurchase, the posh baby wing and the lavish baby shower, featuring storks flown in from Austria, I don't think George Banks could possibly have spent more money. In the previous film, Father of the Bride (1991), Bryan's parents were portrayed as wealthy, but George is clearly a millionaire himself. I did enjoy this movie -- it's funny, romantic and very warm, with beautiful sets -- but I would have preferred a little less over-the-top consumerism.

That is one of my favorite lines, followed by "and pack up your things and hit the road! And don't trample the daisies!" Or he says something like that.

Anyway. I went and saw this in theaters and amazingly enough, I really liked it. One of the best Steve Martin films next to Bowfinger and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I enjoyed the acting, I enjoyed the story and everything else about this movie that made it great. It wasn't a comedy going from one zinger to the next but something well thought out and well written.

If your looking for a lite movie with some fun, I recommend seeing this movie.

This movie is as thin as you can get. Its' emotions are easily played. There are no surprises. It is very predictable. And I say...so what? What is wrong with that? This is an American Dream movie. Everything goes perfectly and everyone is as happy as can be. Why should it be a complicated character study? It deals with the birth of babies. There's no complex feelings that need to be dealt with in this situation. A life is being created. A family is being blessed. A baby's birth is a time for love and hope. This movie has both in spades. It's a very positive movie that shows the joy a new baby brings. Every parent-to-be should watch it. A child's birth is an emotional event with no equal. This movie knows it and milks it for all its' worth. My only complaint is it should have been called Parents of the Bride. Way too much time is spent with the relationship between Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. There should have been more attention paid to Kimberly Williams. Not only were the scenes between her and Martin the best scenes in this and the original, but Kimberly Williams is the most beautiful actress to come out of Hollywood in many years. Forget all the blond, silicone filled, bimbos that every teenage boy raves about. Ms. Williams is a natural beauty that is a true role model for all young girls. She, and her character, is beautiful, intelligent, and has a heart of gold. Had her relationship with Martin been more focused, this sequel would have surpassed the original. While it doesn't do that, it is still a perfect film for the entire family to watch. *** out of ****.

As much as I want to rag this movie, make fun of it, call it all kinds of names, belittle it, mock it and otherwise totally trash it, I can't and that is for one reason: Steve Martin. Mr. Martin saves this movie from cinematic oblivion, allows this movie to survive, function and prosper. He is proof that an actor can save a sorry script, can raise the level of a story, can make a movie watchable. Mr. Martin proves once again that he is arguably the finest comedy actor today. He can take the dumbest line and make it sound brilliant; he can take the most insipid scene and raise it to the level of comedy or drama. Kudos to Steve Martin for his sterling performance. As for the other star, Diane Keaton, her performance is wonderful too, but it is Mr. Martin who carries this movie and once again proves that he is the star.