Le père de la mariée

I re-watched this movie today after seeing it a couple of years ago. I didn't remember half of what happened in the movie, but even the stuff that I remembered amused me again. Steve Martin is his usual self, very funny, great body language...simply great. It's been a while since I've seen such a good, not laugh-out-loud funny, funny comedy. Most of the newer comedies have less realism, less normal subjects and plots, and try too hard to be funny. While this movie definitely has it's share in sentimentality, especially towards the end, pretty much most of the last thirty minutes, but it is still funny, and you don't lose interest in it. A great family comedy, it is pretty much funny for all ages. This is a good movie to sit down with the entire family and watch. Most people will enjoy it, and most people will find at least a few things to laugh at in it, if not Steve Martins nervous father character then maybe Martin Shorts character with the ridiculous accent. There's something for everybody in this one; well, pretty much, anyway. 8/10

OK, OK, the characters are a little bit "Brady Bunch" - sweet little Annie, the perfect daughter, George, the doting and totally befuddled father, and Nina, the soothing, calming, hold-it-all-together wife and mother. They're a little bit larger than life in this classic comic, but who cares! For any father who loves his daughter, this movie simply can't be watched without feeling a tearing at the heart and a lump in the throat. Father of The Bride can be viewed purely as a bit of light-hearted comedy that mocks the way Dads can sometimes be, but by looking just a little deeper, it contains valuable information that could help many a daughter understand her Dad, and offers many a Dad some consolation that he is not alone, and that someone out there understands the separation pains he is going through as his most precious treasure begins to spread her wings and look elsewhere than the first man she ever loved. This is a tough time for many fathers, and mothers and daughters very often don't understand their erratic, paranoid and irrational behaviour. Father of The Bride explores this phenomenon with what was for me an amazingly accurate depiction of the emotional turmoil that goes on in the head of a man who cherishes his daughter's love and feels threatened and reduntant when another man enters the picture. Goodrich and Hackett have constructed it brilliantly, and Steve Martin expresses it perfectly in this most elegant of love stories. The movie takes some shortcuts - for most of us, the separation pains don't do us the courtesy of waiting till the engagement - they come much earlier than that, when out of the blue some stranger comes into our daughter's life. Martin demonstrates the pain and fear and anxiety that every daughter's Dad feels as some blow-in comes and lays a claim on his beloved child. A must for every Dad with a teen princess, and for the Mums and Daughters I strongly recommend that instead of just laughing and saying "hahahah - that's Dad all over", read between the lines to see just why Dad is the way he is. Loved it every time I've seen it (3 or 4 times now).

I really want to enjoy this movie. It's cute. However, there's a major stumbling block for me. I find it nauseating that the bride in this movie is so incredibly spoiled. She expects her father, who has worked hard all his life to build a successful business, to spend $250 a head for what is probably a wedding of between 200-300 guests? Am I the only one who did the math on this one? I kept waiting for someone to say, hey there bride-to-be, you're asking way too much, but no--everyone gangs up on the father, who is concerned about the price tag, and acts as though *he's* he unreasonable one.

I know this is just a movie, and I know it's not meant to be the issue we focus on, but I find behavior like this so egregiously offensive that it largely kills the humor of an otherwise cute movie for me.

While not Steve Martin's best film or role, he shines in a very likable and watchable comedy film. His Tom Jones impersonation especially is absolutely brilliant. Diane Keaton sparkles as his uncomplaining wife, and Kimberly Williams is sweet and alluring as his daughter Annie(she looked stunning in the wedding dress), while Martin Short gives a wonderfully fluffy turn as the camp wedding organiser. Onto the other elements of the film, while sentimental in places and perhaps a little unoriginal, what lifts it aside from the excellent performances is the beautiful scenery and cinematography, a nice script, assured direction and a pleasant soundtrack. Plus there were enough laughs to satisfy me, going for subtlety rather than wackiness, making it even more pleasant to watch. Overall, engaging and definitely worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I've watched Father Of The Bride numerous times over the years and it's still a good family comedy to watch Steve Martin gives a hilarious and heartwarming performance. I laughed at the way Martin's character acted when his daughter announced her wedding plans and the scene that was touching was when father and daughter were outside and snow began falling it was nice.

Martin Short's role as Franck Eggelhoffer was both comical and very funny. George Banks (Martin) a middle class man and owner of a sports shoe company has it all a great job, a nice house, a beautiful wife Nina (Keaton) and son Matt (Culkin). He's in for the surprise of his life when his 22 year old daughter Annie (Williams) comes home and announces that she's getting married to Bryan MacKenzie (Newburn)a computer genius from a wealthy family.

From then on George is in a constant state of panic because the wedding will cost too much and the fact that his daughter is grown up. However by the end of the movie he finally accepts that his daughter is an adult and has her own life.

The rest of the cast gave great performances I recommend this movie to fans of Steve Martin who enjoy his comedy antics 8/10.