Movie Review: Father of the Bride

By Randy White

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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that Steve Martin's comic antics make this remake a sweet confection of a movie. Still, parents should know that this movie mythologizes the high-cost, over-the-top wedding as though it were a requirement for all -- the wedding industry does a fine job of that on its own. Martin Short's flamboyant character is funny, but an unfortunate gay stereotype at the same time.

Families can discuss why Steve Martin's character acts up the way he does. Why is it hard to let go when family members change? Also, do you think a wedding should cost that much? It may be helpful to explain to kids what big business the wedding industry really is. Do you think the father, per tradition here, should be the one footing the bill?

Common Sense Media Review
Parents be warned: This movie may be hard to live up to when your daughter is poised to take a trip down the aisle. Annie Banks' wedding would cost more than an Ivy League education. The movie spins a pretty web of nuptial fantasy, but is such frenzied consumerism really what weddings are about?

That said, there's a lot to like about FATHER OF THE BRIDE, especially its warm, witty star. Steve Martin makes a great dad: he's prickly but loving, a real softie at heart. Diane Keaton, as Annie's supportive mom, has little to do here but smile through tears; her role has been usurped by Frank ( Martin Short), the wedding planner whose bizarre accent makes each of his suggestions hilarious. The scenes between Frank and George are superb, and they more than make up for the overly sweet sentiment elsewhere.

What's more, there's much to be said for a movie that dramatizes the love (often unspoken) that exists between a young woman and her father. As George wrestles with the fact that the little girl he loved so much, who saw him as her hero, is leaving him forever, he experiences emotions that all parents and children will relate to. And in a welcome update of the original movie, Annie is a young woman with more to offer than just a pretty face: she's pursuing a career in architecture (albeit off-screen), and she can play a mean game of one-on-one.

Those who find this movie compelling might enjoy the sequel, Father of the Bride 2, My Big Fat Greek Wedding , or for older teens, Monsoon Wedding . For more Steve Martin, the family man, go for Parenthood .