Father of the Bride (B+ or 3/4 stars)
It's hard to top the 1950 & 1991 versions of 'Father of the Bride' {starring the great Spencer Tracy, and then Steve Martin}. But this 2022 offering directed by Gaz Alazraki stands neither above, nor below those two ... but aside. It is set in the wealthy suburbs of Miami, & centers on Cuban-American & Mexican characters; which only adds to the proceedings & keeps things fresh. Action starts early as star student & law school graduate Sofia Herrera (Adria Arjona) arrives home from NY to Miami for a visit with the fam. What she doesn't know is that her loving parents, traditional Billy (Andy Garcia) & warm-hearted Ingrid (Gloria Estefan), are headed for a divorce. There is no abuse or infidelity on his part; he's just fallen out of step with his wife.
When Sofia shockingly announces that she is engaged, Billy & Ingrid decide to hide their divorce 'til after the wedding. Sofia's fiance, Adan (Diego Boneta), is a sensitive, modern man who loves yoga, prioritizes his wife's career, & aspires to 'be like her' - all of which confounds the more conventional Billy. Tensions run higher when Adan's Mexican family - led by uber-rich patriarch Hernan Castillo (Pedro Damian), his current young wife, Julieta (Macarena Achage) & Adan's mother, Marcela (Laura Harring) - arrives, an under-qualified wedding planner (Chloe Fineman) gets mired in wedding debacles, & Sofia's younger sister, Cora (Isabela Merced), is chosen to make the bridal party's dresses. Hijinks, hilarity & heartwarming moments ensue.
I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this re-telling of the classic family tale. It's a bit more serious than the prior versions; which is fine, just surprising {the divorce plot line is pungent throughout}. And the updated setting {gorgeous Miami} & Latinx characters give it a whole new life. This is not to say that there is not comedy in this version but, from the start, the tone is more 'marital crisis' than 'bumbling, disapproving father'. Most of the humor in the film comes from the culture clashes btwn. the Cuban-American Herreras & the Mexican Castillos. In fact, the movie confronts stereotypes in ways both hysterical {the clueless wedding planner pitching a flamenco-flamingo themed wedding, or the Cuban & Mexican fathers hurling informal insults at each other} and also insightful {Andy Garcia's character correcting "immigrant" to "exile" & admitting to not knowing what Latinx means}. There are also perceptive themes of characters grappling with generational change.
Spencer Tracy & Steve Martin brought their own sensibilities to the harried father role, but Andy Garcia puts his own stamp on it. Billy is not the most loveable guy, but thanks to the humanity that Garcia imparts through his eyes, dialogues & ultimate change of heart ... you just fall in love with the guy. Gloria Estefan also greatly impressed me as the exasperated wife who just wants her daughter to be happy, and for her husband to 'wake up!' to see that he has everything in the world to be grateful for. Everyone impresses, including a very funny Pedro Damian as the Mexican father. This 'Father of the Bride' doesn't re-invent the wheel, but I remain stunned by how this Latin-flavored reboot won me over. It's a film as warm as the Miami weather.
When Sofia shockingly announces that she is engaged, Billy & Ingrid decide to hide their divorce 'til after the wedding. Sofia's fiance, Adan (Diego Boneta), is a sensitive, modern man who loves yoga, prioritizes his wife's career, & aspires to 'be like her' - all of which confounds the more conventional Billy. Tensions run higher when Adan's Mexican family - led by uber-rich patriarch Hernan Castillo (Pedro Damian), his current young wife, Julieta (Macarena Achage) & Adan's mother, Marcela (Laura Harring) - arrives, an under-qualified wedding planner (Chloe Fineman) gets mired in wedding debacles, & Sofia's younger sister, Cora (Isabela Merced), is chosen to make the bridal party's dresses. Hijinks, hilarity & heartwarming moments ensue.
I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this re-telling of the classic family tale. It's a bit more serious than the prior versions; which is fine, just surprising {the divorce plot line is pungent throughout}. And the updated setting {gorgeous Miami} & Latinx characters give it a whole new life. This is not to say that there is not comedy in this version but, from the start, the tone is more 'marital crisis' than 'bumbling, disapproving father'. Most of the humor in the film comes from the culture clashes btwn. the Cuban-American Herreras & the Mexican Castillos. In fact, the movie confronts stereotypes in ways both hysterical {the clueless wedding planner pitching a flamenco-flamingo themed wedding, or the Cuban & Mexican fathers hurling informal insults at each other} and also insightful {Andy Garcia's character correcting "immigrant" to "exile" & admitting to not knowing what Latinx means}. There are also perceptive themes of characters grappling with generational change.
Spencer Tracy & Steve Martin brought their own sensibilities to the harried father role, but Andy Garcia puts his own stamp on it. Billy is not the most loveable guy, but thanks to the humanity that Garcia imparts through his eyes, dialogues & ultimate change of heart ... you just fall in love with the guy. Gloria Estefan also greatly impressed me as the exasperated wife who just wants her daughter to be happy, and for her husband to 'wake up!' to see that he has everything in the world to be grateful for. Everyone impresses, including a very funny Pedro Damian as the Mexican father. This 'Father of the Bride' doesn't re-invent the wheel, but I remain stunned by how this Latin-flavored reboot won me over. It's a film as warm as the Miami weather.