Had this role been played by another actor, I probably would not have liked the character of George Banks in this remake of the 1950 classic. Steve Martin seems to be in on the joke that George is probably going to need therapy once this is all over. In fact he probably needs it from the moment his daughter (Kimberly Williams) announces that she's getting married. Martin's suspicious of the groom to be (George Newbern) before he even meets him, and that continues even after he meets his parents in their gated Bel Aire mansion. From the very beginning, I did not like this character and had more fun laughing at him and his overwrought neurosis, and that's where the brilliance of Steve Martin's performance comes in. There's no comparison to Spencer Tracy's characterization from the original.
Then there's the mother of the bride, Diane Keaton, not the charming desperate to please everyone character that Joan Bennett played. I didn't like the fact that her character seemed to be enjoying a passive aggressive domination over her husband. Kimberly Williams lacks the star power of Elizabeth Taylor, selfish with a smile, and that characterization instantly made me hope that everything was a disaster. Of the family, only very young Kieran Culkin had me on his side. Martin agreeing to pay the entire wedding tab diminished any intelligence I thought his character had, especially the pretentiousness of "wedding coordinators" Martin Short and B. D. Wong who seem like they're appearing in a gay minstrel show. Short is speaking with an accent that he seems to have stolen from the Swedish chef on "The Muppet Show".
I'll give this credit for the opulent production design, but take off points for the frequently annoying script that doesn't make me care about this or any other onscreen wedding. In fact, this film seems to be anti-marriage yet pushing for the most austintatious weddings without regards to reality. I'd hate to think that this influenced real life brides and mothers of brides to go all out, considering the divorce rate of the past 30 years. The problem isn't the fact that this is dated. It isn't, and that's the problem. I'm wondering how many engagements were called off because the bride to be loved it while the groom that never was hated it.
Then there's the mother of the bride, Diane Keaton, not the charming desperate to please everyone character that Joan Bennett played. I didn't like the fact that her character seemed to be enjoying a passive aggressive domination over her husband. Kimberly Williams lacks the star power of Elizabeth Taylor, selfish with a smile, and that characterization instantly made me hope that everything was a disaster. Of the family, only very young Kieran Culkin had me on his side. Martin agreeing to pay the entire wedding tab diminished any intelligence I thought his character had, especially the pretentiousness of "wedding coordinators" Martin Short and B. D. Wong who seem like they're appearing in a gay minstrel show. Short is speaking with an accent that he seems to have stolen from the Swedish chef on "The Muppet Show".
I'll give this credit for the opulent production design, but take off points for the frequently annoying script that doesn't make me care about this or any other onscreen wedding. In fact, this film seems to be anti-marriage yet pushing for the most austintatious weddings without regards to reality. I'd hate to think that this influenced real life brides and mothers of brides to go all out, considering the divorce rate of the past 30 years. The problem isn't the fact that this is dated. It isn't, and that's the problem. I'm wondering how many engagements were called off because the bride to be loved it while the groom that never was hated it.