Starring: Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Ben Barnes, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Robin Williams and Patricia Rae
Distributor: Roadshow Films
Runtime: 89 mins. Reviewed in May 2013
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This American comedy tells the story of a couple, Don Griffin (Robert De Niro) and his ex-wife, Ellie (Diane Keaton), who have been divorced for a long time, but come together again to fake a continuing marriage, so as to provide a smooth celebration of the wedding of their adopted son, Alejandro (Ben Barnes). The event forces them to look as if they are still happily married.
The film is a liberal remake of a French film, “My Brother is Getting Married” (2006), which was created by Jean-Stephane Bron and Karine Sudan, and it stars a large, ensemble cast.
Naturally enough, things go terribly wrong at the wedding. The film unfolds a story about various ties, with all of their complications, which on the surface look as if they ultimately bind family and friends together.
The complications are multiple. Bebe McBride (Susan Sarandon) is a guest at the wedding, and she is Don’s current partner. Don is not all that happy about having his ex-wife and partner together in the same house. Lyla (Katherine Heigl), Don’s daughter has flown in for the wedding. She is depressed and can’t fathom why Ellie and Bebe have been invited together. Alejandro’s real mother (Patricia Rae) has flown in from Colombia, and understands very little of what other people are saying. The movie plays fast and loose with Robin Williams’ portrayal of a Catholic priest, who, between drinks, is not quite sure why he is supposed to celebrate a Catholic wedding. Finally, Alejandro’s financee, Missy O’Connor (Amanda Seyfried), is totally unaware of the significance of most of the things that are happening around her.
Almost from the start of the movie, one can predict the film’s likely outcomes. Either Bebe or Ellie will get back together with Don again after re-assessing life together; the wedding couple will experience many problems before happily re-uniting at the end; and Don’s daughter will find longed-for happiness with someone else who turns up at the wedding. All this unfolds in a movie that tries hard to raise its laughs. The predictability of it all doesn’t sit well with comic spontaneity, and in the movie there are obvious farcical situations that play themselves out thinly. However, there are some good comic scenes, despite moments of high crudity.
Everything has the potential to lead to chaos, but obviously doesn’t, and there is intended dramatic weight involving Alejandro’s biological mother (as a devout Catholic, who has worked, we are told, for a Catholic Bishop in Colombia), and exploration of the reasons for Lila’s obvious unhappiness. At the wedding, Alejandro’s mother is forced to reveal to him who he really is, and who is his true father. But along the way, the film tries to raise laughter by making fun of Catholic devotion, the teachings of the Catholic Church on divorce, and confession and marriage. There is intolerant disrespect all round to try to raise a smile. Williams, for instance, represents “the Catholic thing, with the priest”, and marriage is “two compromises down, and 1.9 million to go”.
This is a movie that achieves its entertainment value mainly through the quality of the cast that comes together to attempt a “modern-day escape” from traditional values and beliefs, which by the end of the movie mostly manage to win the day. The cast does what it can, but there is no subtlety, and the film manages to create considerable offense. The moral messages behind the various bondings – such as relationships need true love to survive, family loyalties really matter, and personal relationships need to be re-discovered – are packaged and re-packaged superficially, in Hollywood style.
In the final run, what one suspects from this movie, with its cheap swipes at the Catholic Church, and making fun of others, is that it could be popular with young people for all the wrong reasons.
The adjective ‘big’ is rather inflated for this 89 minutes comedy-drama. It is a comparatively small affair. However, it does merit at the adjective big in relation to its cast, at least.
But, at the outset, it should be mentioned that there is some unwarranted comment and criticism of aspects of the Catholic Church. It is spoken of in a derogatory way that would not be permitted about some other religions so it seems fair/unfair mockery of things catholic. These include pre-Cana conferences for marriage preparation, the rather idiotic advice from the priest (Robin Williams of all people), who has had alcohol and AA problems. There is also a farcical confession sequence, though the priest does give good advice to one of his conversationalists (that divorce is not a license for hate). And the behavior of the priest and his beliefs is completely inconsistent throughout the film, indicating more farce rather than realism.
This sets something of the tone of the film which, without it, may have been more interesting and acceptable.
However, the reason for calling this The Big Wedding is that the various characters have to participate in a lie: the birth-mother of the groom, who has been adopted by this Connecticut family, is a strict Catholic from Colombia who does not approve of divorce. The family pretend that the father and mother are still to get together.
Some of the strengths of the film are in the key performances. Robert De Niro is much more relaxed than usual as a grouchy father, past philanderer, sculptor and general rather unlikable character. His past wife is played by Diane Keaton with her usual manner and aplomb. De Niro’s present partner is played by Susan Sarandon, who has brought up his children as well as the adopted boy and is one of the more sympathetic characters. The married couple is played by Ben Barnes and Amanda Seyfried.
There are also some sub-plots concerning the groom’s sister (Katherine Heig) who thought she couldn’t have children but has become pregnant though temporarily alienated from her husband. The son, played by Topher Grace, is a surgeon, sexually inexperienced, who comes up against the aggressively sexual sister of the groom (willilngly).
One of the unexpected aspects of the screenplay is the proliferation of sex jokes, some of them funny, some of them silly, some of them crass.
All in all, The Big Wedding is something of a letdown.
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