O Netinho do Papai

I usually do not care for sequels, but this one is a complete joy! The first film; "Father of the Bride" was rightly nominated for the Academy Award for best picture, so this film had a lot to live up to. Spencer Tracy does not come to mind when you think about comedy, but he is hysterical as Stanley Banks, who has to come to terms on grandparenting. Joan Bennett is a perfect co-star for him, they work extremely well together. Her "double takes" with him are particularly funny.

This is not a "great" movie, but it is light-hearted fun, and worth watching. The studio was trying to cash in on Tracy's new-found cachet as a comic actor. I liked that his character stood for reason and tolerance - could just as easily been bombast and intolerance. Instead of coercing his daughter, he takes the time to let her see how it all works out, much as in "Father of the Bride." There's certainly a place in my heart for a man like that. In fact, Tracy reminds me of my father at his best. I do wonder at all the varying concerns - the rush to the hospital by all parties, the nervous mother and father in the months to the baby's arrival. Aside from the black and white filming, there are some other things that really date this movie, such as the casual use of tobacco and alcohol. It was interesting to see Hayden Rorke in his pre- "I dream of Jeannie" days, and with a bit less of a featherbrained character. Paul Harvey ("Good Day!") and Bob Hope make appearances too. The doctor's guidance surprised me with the degree of prenatal care - 8 glasses of water a day, plenty of walking, vitamins. I'd have guessed that back in the day, they'd have the gals kicking back with a beer to just relax. Also, when the son-in-law phones in from the maternity ward, he's all bubbly; when I called my dad to tell him about my kids arriving, I could barely talk, I was so choked up. My dad told me later he was a little worried that something bad had happened. Ah, well. I also understand a little better why my dad was so taken with Elizabeth Taylor, she's just a knockout in this movie, young, big dark eyes, so pretty. Folks may think that such movies suffer by their age, but I think it's interesting to see how people lived and what their attitudes were, kind of like being with my grandpa again. Not so obsessed with health, more about genuine concern for one another. I'm glad TCM runs these movies.

Each sequel is a risky adventure. in this case, it is just a great idea. because it is a charming slice from a lovely period. because the rhytm and the humor and the performances are admirable. and the script remains seductive at whole. it is more than a comedy but...a chronicle. about perspective about a young couple, about birth and about child, about parents and about future. many well known by parents and young couples. and that does it a beautiful eulogy to family institution. so, chronicle of a couple first steps in marriage.

Last night on the Turner Classic Movies channel, I saw Father's Little Dividend. It was a very funny movie! Spencer Tracy shines as he plays Stanley Banks. Just as good as the original Father Of The Bride. Despite the airheadedness of the last commenter, this movie is very much worth seeing. It's a classic! Not Tracy's best movie, but it's a gem!

Spencer Tracy blusters around quite nicely in this fluffy sequel to Father of the Bride. It's most interesting to watch as a sort of time capsule, to see the attitudes and quirks of the early 1950s. I love the scene where Liz Taylor describes to her father how her doctor believes in the bizarre new concept of childbirth, wherein the mother is actually conscious during the process, and then she is with her baby as much as possible during the coming days. It's quite funny, then, to the viewer, as Tracy's eyes widen in horror -- and episodes like this pepper the film. It's not a masterpiece, but it's cute, and for fans of the genre, it's just fine.