FATHER OF THE BRIDE

US, 2022, 117 minutes, Colour.

Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona, Isabella Merced, Diego Boneta, Chloe Fineman.

Directed by Gary Alazraki.

We are a long way from 1950 and Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor in Father of the Bride. We are now in Florida amongst the Hispanic community, migrants from Cuba and other Latin American countries. And it is 70 years on. In fact, we seem to be quite a long way from the 1990s with Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short as the wedding planner.

Much is made of the community, migration, lack of opportunities, people building up companies, reputation and wealth. Andy Garcia as the father of the bride, exemplifies this, proud, assertive, rather self-absorbed. And he has neglected his wife, Gloria Estefan, and she wants a divorce.

Quite a different context for Father of the Bride! However, with the announcement of the engagement by the very talented daughter, marrying a young man that they rather disapproval, an intention to work in Mexico for socially concerned causes. And, there is the father of the bridegroom, an extremely wealthy man, living the luxury life, including a yacht for parties.

The young couple are not so much interested in weddings, not church weddings, a more contemporary approach to living together but consolidating it in a marriage ceremony.

There are also lots of Hispanic relations, women of an older generation as well. Which means lots of chat, lots of gossip, and attention on food.

While the elements of the original story certainly present, and there is a credit to the author of the original story, Edward Streeter, there is sufficient variation on the theme to make it rather different, for the younger generation as well as for the older generation, the challenge to the patriarch, his realising of his self-centredness, neglect of his wife, the possibility for reconciliation.

1. The popular story, 1950s, 1990s, 2022? The shift to the Latin American community in Miami? Universal issues? Latin American perspectives?
2. The Miami settings, the many vistas of the city, homes and mansions, interiors and exteriors, hotels, venues? Sailing on the harbour? The wedding venues and the aftermath of the storm? The musical score? Latin American music and songs?
3. The title, the focus on Billy, his telling his story, migration to the US, enhancing it, poor, his work, pulling himself up, architect, study, achievements, success, wealth? Meeting Ingrid, the proposal, the wedding? His devotion to severe? The flashbacks?
4. The marriage situation, with the counsellor, Ingrid wanting the divorce, her reasons, being ignored? Billy, self-made man, stubborn, focus on himself? The ineffectual therapy? The decision to tell the family? Ingrid’s pressure?
5. Severe, her law studies, success, New York? Returning to Miami? The family delighted to see her? The arrival of Ingrid’s mother and her interference in the kitchen, the old uncle from the band, the various cousins? Cora and her place in the family? The meal, the announcement of the engagement, Billy losing his opportunity to tell the family of the divorce?
6. The 21^st century couple, their careers, working for the poor, not focusing on money, not wanting a lavish wedding, not wanting a church wedding? Billy’s reaction, the role of the father of the bride?
7. The wedding planner, her personality, claims, her assistant is ES-man? The various clans, venues, the dresses in the shop, Cora and her ambitions, her being sacked from her job, not wanting to go to college, wanting her father to back her in business? Sophia telling her to do the dresses? Busy, the friends, the girlfriend, the bridesmaids, her assistant and is being busy making the dresses?
8. Big plans, the money, the hotel? The meeting with Aiden, the Mexican background, not interested in sport? His love for Sophia? The future plans and work in Mexico?
9. Meeting Aiden’s parents, the young mother and child, the Playboy father, the ex-wife? The father’s mother, later singing at the wedding? Wealth, the yacht, everybody aboard, Billy sulking? The visit to the island? Issues of money, prestige, the offer by Aiden’s father, Marie Archie singers, fireworks…? The final exasperation, Billy and his outburst?
10. Ingrid, trying to manage, her feeling neglected by Billy, supporting her daughters?
11. Billy, the talk with Aiden, telling him the truth? Billy talking with the cousin, Cora overhearing, her blurting everything out, the confrontation? Billy having to seek Sophia to explain things?
12. The hens night and Sophia’s reaction? The stag night, the old uncle, Aiden not wanting the night?
13. The setting up the wedding, Chloe and her assistant, the storm, the destruction, the venue and the tables and the palms? The collapse of the bridge?
14. Everybody going home, everybody fitting in, going to the supermarket, the kitchen, the band, everybody participating, Chloe and her confession? Officiating at the wedding, mother and father walking daughter up the aisle?
15. Billy, his speech, growing in self-awareness, a new proposal for Ingrid? And the happy ending?