I suppose if I were anything other than a middle class white American, "Father of the Bride" might not have warmed my heart the way it did, but to be fair, family comedies don't any sweeter or more genuine than this story of a father coming to terms with his daughter growing up and moving out.
Casting Steve Martin in the role of overreacting and overprotective father George Banks was a fantastic choice. Of all the aging '80s comedy icons to pick from, no one pairs the sentimental with the neurotic and herky-jerky like Martin. The gooey nature of the movie keeps him from going overboard like in "The Jerk," but instead he keeps the movie interesting. Always playing irrational characters, there's the chance he might do something crazy, even if he rarely does, that keeps us entertained.
That's helpful, because there's not a whole lot of real conflict going in "Father of the Bride." One pivotal point in the film is the bride-to-be Annie (Kimberly Williams) crying that the wedding is off because her fiancée bought her a blender. In an earlier scene, the script entirely avoids a nasty conflict when George ends up in his future in-laws' pool after snooping around their house. He falls in and they cut away to a new scene. Without Martin's help, this movie is about a wedding with your typical father freaking out about paying for it all (when they have a perfectly good amount of money).
That's sort of the best and worst part of "Father of the Bride." It's so true-to-life, which makes it instantly agreeable but also completely lackluster. Essentially, the more you can relate, the more you will like the film. There are some very simple truths in Martin's narration that sums up what being a father is like (though I can't confirm that from experience)
For being overly sentimental, however, "Father of the Bride" doesn't drip with sappiness, which is really commendable. It's just sort of honest and genial and easy to relate to. Not many films like it can say it, but this one can.
Casting Steve Martin in the role of overreacting and overprotective father George Banks was a fantastic choice. Of all the aging '80s comedy icons to pick from, no one pairs the sentimental with the neurotic and herky-jerky like Martin. The gooey nature of the movie keeps him from going overboard like in "The Jerk," but instead he keeps the movie interesting. Always playing irrational characters, there's the chance he might do something crazy, even if he rarely does, that keeps us entertained.
That's helpful, because there's not a whole lot of real conflict going in "Father of the Bride." One pivotal point in the film is the bride-to-be Annie (Kimberly Williams) crying that the wedding is off because her fiancée bought her a blender. In an earlier scene, the script entirely avoids a nasty conflict when George ends up in his future in-laws' pool after snooping around their house. He falls in and they cut away to a new scene. Without Martin's help, this movie is about a wedding with your typical father freaking out about paying for it all (when they have a perfectly good amount of money).
That's sort of the best and worst part of "Father of the Bride." It's so true-to-life, which makes it instantly agreeable but also completely lackluster. Essentially, the more you can relate, the more you will like the film. There are some very simple truths in Martin's narration that sums up what being a father is like (though I can't confirm that from experience)
For being overly sentimental, however, "Father of the Bride" doesn't drip with sappiness, which is really commendable. It's just sort of honest and genial and easy to relate to. Not many films like it can say it, but this one can.