NEW RELEASES
Father of the Bride A superb delivery of something old, something new and something special By Carol Badaracco Padgett
A frenzied wedding planning ensues, in which her father tries to call the shots, disapproves of her going to work for a nonprofit and moving to Mexico, meets the in-laws and does not hit it off, and mayhem follows— with Adan, the fiancé, an ever-steady rock for Sofia and the whole gang through it all. In the end, Sofia’s father sees the error of his ways, has a change of heart, backs off and lets the two families join in the manner that pleases Sofia and Adan—with a simple, beautiful backyard wedding and a surprise rekindling of his relationship with Sofia’s mother. In today’s divisive climate, the notion of allowing older generations the space to adapt to society’s fluc- tuations is more significant than ever before. rather than snubbing them, says Yvette Moise with Georgia Latino Film Alliance (GALFA) and Georgia Latino In- ternational Film Festival (GALIFF). “ All of us, Latinos or otherwise, have a relative with different views, that’s family,” she notes. “Having Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan, pioneers in Latino entertainment in the U.S., in a project where they are the stars and not the sec- ondary players to the younger cast, goes in line with that. Familia.” “There is so much in this film that’s unique to La- tino culture, however all can identify with … you just have to watch,” says Jose Marquez, CEO of the Geor- gia Latino Film Alliance (GALFA) and Georgia Latino International Film Festival (GALIFF), which held a special sold-out screening of Father of the Bride in mid- June 2022 at The Silverspot Cinema at Truist Park in the Battery complex, home of the Atlanta Braves. Of the special screening sponsored by Warner Bros./Discovery, Marquez reiterates, “So many elements and nuances in the movie speak to all community and make the film an American story. These are the stories that must be told, this is why the Georgia Latino Film Alliance exists.” In one of these scenes, when a severe thunderstorm is threatening the private island home off Miami Beach that is slated to hold the wedding the next day, a group of relatives of the bride- and groom-to-be begin frantically sticking knives in the lawn to ward off the storms, an old Mayan custom. It’s a scene that resonated with Marquez, who says, “This is what makes the film feel like home, small details and its attention to authenticity.”
T he film itself is a time-honored tradition. Since the novel, Father of the Bride , first came out in 1949 by writer Edward Streeter, a fleet of movies has followed. First came the 1950 version with Spencer Tracy (father), Joan Bennett (moth- er) and Elizabeth Taylor (bride). This first go was directed by Vincente Minnelli and was about … guess what? … a father coming to grips with his daughter’s wedding. And it was nominated for four Academy Awards—Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Picture, Best Writing and Best Screenplay. Another little tidbit of trivia that’s classic and must be mentioned: the film’s premiere at Radio City Music Hall in New York City happened two days after Elizabeth Taylor’s first mar- riage in real life. Then in 1951 came a spin-off, Father’s Little Dividend , a sequel put into production by MGM that featured the same cast in a setting one year after the wedding—when Taylor’s character is expecting a baby. This sequel was also made into a TV series that aired on CBS during the 1961-1962 season. Some time passed till 1991, when Father of the Bride came out again, directed by Charles Shyer and starring Steve Martin and his own quirky spin on the role. This well-received installment of the classic story spawned into a three-part series of movies, with Part 2 coming out in 1995 and Part 3(ish) released in 2020. All the amazing contemporary adaptations sprang from the original novel and added Martin’s own quirky spin on the role. Until the story sprang to life again. where they are the stars and not the secondary players to the younger cast, goes in line with … Familia . ” “ Having Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan, pioneers in Latino entertainment in the U.S., in a project
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Now, in 2022, Father of the Bride is brand new … and reimagined. Starring Andy Garcia (father), Gloria Estefan (mother) and Adria Arjona as Sofia, the bride, Isabela Merced as her sister, Cora, and Diego Boneta as Adan Costillo, her fiancé. The film was directed by Gaz Alazraki, written by Matt Lopez, executive produced by Brad Pitt, and released on June 16, 2022, by Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max. And the fresh Latino version has a warmth, intimacy and immediacy all its own. Something distinctively present-day. The snapshot storyline: Newly engaged Sofia, a young lawyer out of school, comes home for a visit and breaks the news to her family that she and Adan, whom she met on a trip to Mexico, are engaged (she proposed) and are soon to be married. They are then going to work in Mexico for a nonprofit firm that represents immigrants. Unbeknownst to Sofia, though, her parents are talking divorce.
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38 | THE GEORGIA HOLLYWOOD REVIEW | FALL 2022
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