Father of the Bride

George Banks's world falls apart when his daughter Annie announces she is engaged. His objection is not to the groom but to time having passed. The film moves like a wedding preparation comedy while actually being about a father accepting something. It remakes the 1950 film that starred Spencer Tracy. Charles Shyer directed and co-wrote with Nancy Meyers. Steve Martin plays George and Diane Keaton plays his wife Nina. The character everyone remembers is Martin Short's wedding coordinator Franck Eggelhoffer, half of whose words are unintelligible. Kimberly Williams makes her film debut as Annie and Kieran Culkin plays the younger son. On a 20 million dollar budget it took 89.3 million domestically and 40 million abroad for 129 million worldwide, opening second behind Hook. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 71 percent, and Roger Ebert gave it three stars out of four, calling it one of the movies with a lot of smiles and laughter. CinemaScore audiences gave it an A minus. A sequel followed in 1995, a short reunion in 2020, and a 2022 remake with a Latino family. Who it is for: viewers who like warm nineties family comedy and Steve Martin losing control. Who it is not for: anyone wanting conflict. The film never goes anywhere genuinely risky, and that is deliberate.