‘Father of the Bride’ is a Love Story from an Unexpected Angle

This 1991 film is a remake of a 1950 film starring Elizabeth Taylor. This update features actors Steve Martin, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Diane Keaton as the Banks family.

The Original

Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s sweet countenance was fitting for the part of Annie, the sweet-hearted, beloved bride-to-be.

George is Annie’s frugal father who still views her as a “six-year-old”. George’s character is complex, involving both sentimental and comical aspects. Steve Martin took on the character of George with success. 

Nina is Annie’s mother, played by Diane Keaton, who is supportive of Annie’s unexpected decision to get married. She does her best to make her husband George trust his daughter’s judgment. 

Meeting Bryan

Annie comes home, after months of studying abroad, to a family who expects all of her time and attention. She abruptly announces her engagement to a man they have never met. The Banks family is suddenly flung into over-drive in order to prepare for a “small-ish” wedding in only a few months.

Planning the "Big Day"

As expected, Nina and Annie are giddy about planning a dream wedding. George, though, is not sure if he supports the amount of money being spent on the wedding or his daughter’s relationship with Bryan. He says, “I used to think a wedding was a simple affair.”

“Father of the Bride” is ultimately a story of crossing fingers and hoping kids were raised well. George learns to let go of his only daughter through a series of situations which evoke emotion and laughter from the audience. He finally understands that, “She'll always love me, of course, but not in the same way. I was no longer the man in my little girl's life.”

George and Annie

I enjoyed this movie because it was a romance told from an often neglected perspective. That being considered, I would have ended “Father of the Bride” differently if it had been up to me.

I kept wishing that George and Annie would have one last heartwarming, and maybe even cheesy, encounter. I was disappointed that Annie left for her honeymoon after only telling her father good-bye over the telephone. That is why I say this movie deserves 4 out of 5 stars.