Father of the Bride
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
1950
****
There is nothing quite like a Spencer Tracy film. I'm a huge fan of his and he makes every film he's in worth watching, even when it's not worth watching. Father of the Bride is somewhat overrated if I'm being completely honest, it has become so out dated that it is current again, which is all rather confusing. Change of traditions aside (although it is fascinating) it is the performances that make the film, and when I say performances I really mean performance. Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor are side-lined to be honest, both give good performances but both are somewhat muted for the sake of the main star, which I think in this case is fair, the title being Father of the Bride and all. It's an average film with three or four stella scenes, my favorite being the kitchen 'drinks' scene. It would have wound me up if I'd watched it before my own Wedding but I'm sure I'll watch it again, maybe before one of my own children's weddings when I'm a cantankerous old bugger who has forgotten how bloody awful the whole wedding process really is. Light up a pipe, pour yourself a glass of Scotch and watch in your slippers for full effect.