In the rush of feeling the discovery of a great, great film (and a hopefully decent film series) yesterday, I forgot to mention that there will be times that I will be travelling around. Depending on which time zone I am in, what passes for me as “evening” may be “man, it is so late and there is no way in Satan’s backyard I am going to stay up waiting for this post with an important class/meeting/hangover in 8 hours” for other people. So I am always going to try getting this in by midnight in the area I am in at the time…and it just so happens that Hawaii is where I am right now, for the wedding of my cousin. So apologies in advance if you read this on January 3rd; as this film indicates, the happiest day of a couple’s life can be the craziest for some of their far-travelling guests.
This one is for you, Chris and Ayako, many congratulations and feelings of love from me. It is my warmest wish that your blissful union lasts much longer than this blog does.
DAY 2: FATHER OF THE BRIDE
Some films on this list are ones that, admittedly, I am not seeing or critiquing for the first time. On the contrary, there are some I have watched so many times that I can recite many of the lines from reflexive memory (in a way, in all likelihood, similar to you remembering multiplication, Bible verses or Pokemon characters). This film happens to be one of them, for I have seen this on many different occasions throughout my life. It is one I enjoy. And since weddings are on the mind, it seems as good a time as any to reflect on the blessed occasion, and the insanity behind the scenes.
Even before we begin shopping for wedding rings and bearded ministers, chances are we have taken a great deal for granted growing up. When we had stomachaches or the flu, Mom knew how to create the perfect potion to make us feel better (hopefully accompanied by a blanket and soup). When we needed help with math homework or throwing a baseball, Dad always knew how to do everything perfectly. Life is never perfect for anyone, of course, but (for most of us, anyway) the adults we looked up to were perceived by us as invincible superheroes with boundless energy and Band-Aids. We were given the performance of “Upbringing: The Musical!” (maybe accompanied by screaming offstage) on a daily basis, never witnessing the chaos needed to create it. Planning weddings muse be very similar for you parents out there…boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. Sometimes, it is nice to get a taste of what we’re getting into, and this film should be required viewing for Mommies and Daddies-to-be…and not just because it is an easy Flintstone-shaped pill to swallow.
(Disclaimer time: before anything else, it should be noted that the 1991 Steve Martin version most people today know is a remake of the 1950 film featuring Spencer Tracy. This is the one I grew up with, and thus the one that resonates most today for me, so please bear with me if this is not the one you prefer. Hopefully, I will try to be fair in judging it.)
In this scenario, we are introduced to George Banks, an owner of a shoe company called Sidekicks, and he does not like change. He has lived in the same home in the same Californian community for decades, still looks fondly at the carved tree and tent-produced holes in the backyard, and clearly would push a “pause/replay” button on his life if he could. But most of all, he is a family man, someone who still sees his growing children as they were in pigtails, grass stains, and Justin Bieber-level voices and prefers it that way. Of course, nothing in a comedy can stay peaceful for long, and for George, the biggest cause of chaos is his daughter Annie returning from Rome with news of her engagement – and as we find out, not a very cheap one. Over the course of an hour and a half, glass windows break, budgets break, and at certain points, hearts break too. But honestly, if audiences cannot relate to a story about celebrations too big for their wallets, what can they relate to?
A film like this hinges on the central character being relatable enough for audiences to put loved ones in the story arc (in this case, fathers or anyone who has imagined them “preparing” for the first boyfriend brought home…insert joke about guns or Home Alone-level traps here), and yet goofy enough that they can laugh at how absurd – although not impossibly absurd – it would be if it happened to them. Steve Martin, who (at least for a couple decades) has often displayed an ability to make humor with a solid point, embodies George perfectly. I can imagine my dad with the same steely gaze and handgrips ready to break concrete when meeting my sisters’ boyfriends, ready to face the wrong guy but more afraid for when they meet the right guy.
George wants to be there for Annie, but he has his own hurdles to push through – from giving the fiancée the chance to prove he is “good enough”, to trying to find the right balance between handling finance and promoting romance, to ultimately realizing that letting his daughter go is not the same as losing his worth in her eyes. We understand, we all let go, we all let the snow fall. Martin’s mannerisms and sense of timing clearly display this, while moments like the basketball scenes prevent him from becoming too much of a caricature in the storyline. The supporting cast does its job as well. As Annie, Kimberly Williams-Paisley shows a great range of emotions that seems reasonable for a bride with a father going insane, while Diane Keaton’s Nina displays a sense of patience on screen that screams “Oh, I have handled this crap from my husband SO many times before! Remember the time at the pumpkin patch….?” And Martin Short…well, let’s just say that Fronk’s accent and quirks as the wedding coordinator will only appeal to some people, but those people will never stop quoting him.
All this said, however, sometimes the writing and Michael Shyer’s direction struggles to maintain that balance. On occasion, the jokes really do feel a little too over the top; I mean, “fasten your condom”? Really?? Even subconsciously, parents would do anything to repress that image from entering their minds around their kids. Put bluntly, all sex education aside, no dad would ever say that out loud, even as a slip of the tongue. Also, even though the jokes are gret in the scenes and there really is little wasted time on screen, there are logical issues with the sequence of events (all I will ask, trying to be vague, is how George avoided awkward conversation when visiting the in-laws) that actually brings serious questions into how the rest of the plot unfolds…which can take you out of the film.
Nevertheless, the remake really is a fun, easy-to-follow comedy and one that has a huge
Score:
TOMORROW (DAY 3): BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
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