Father of the Bride

Touchstone. Director Charles Shyer; Producer Nancy Meyers, Carol Baum, Howard Rosenman; Screenplay Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer; Camera John Lindley; Editor Richard Marks; Music Alan Silvestri; Art Director Sandy Veneziano

Steve Martin
Diane Keaton
Kimberly Williams
Kieran Culkin
George Newbern
Martin Short

Remake of the 1950 M-G-M pic with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor bears little resemblance to the original. Modernized version [of novel by Edward Streeter] shaped by filmaking team Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyer (Baby Boom, Private Benjamin) gets by more on physical shtick than verbal sparkle.

Steve Martin plays the scion of a comfortable San Marino, Calif, family that goes a little nuts when he learns that his beloved 22-year-old daughter (Kimberly Williams) is engaged. Beset by separation anxiety, he can't find anything right about her perfectly appealing fiance (George Newbern) or the pricey wedding arrangements. He snoops around the home of the in-laws-to-be and watches America's Most Wanted in hopes of getting the goods on them.

Best stuff here comes strsight from Martin, such as his frenzied antics in the in-laws' house or his ridiculous Tom Jones imitation in front of a mirror in a too-tight tuxedo. A radiant Diane Keaton gives him first-rate support as the calm, sunny wife charged with the exhausting task of keeping up with him.

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1991. Running time: 105 MIN.

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