Between the return of various bridal themed reality shows such as Bridezillas and Say Yes to the Dress,not to mention a certain exchanging of vows between one of the Princes of England and his lady love later this month,marriage is certainly in the pop culture air.
To keep some of this momentum going in a fictional fun way,we have a simple selection of wedding related movies to watch either on your own or with friends looking to bask in the glow of wedding fever. Our choices fall into those time honored perfect picks for any bride,a bit of something old,new,borrowed and blue(with a few special tweaks here and there,like any special occasion needs to liven things up a bit):
SOMETHING SWEETLY OLD
While Steve Martin and company did a nice job back during the 1990s remaking Father of the Bride(and it's sequel,with a change in title),the original 1950 version starring Spencer Tracy has plenty of sparkle and charm still in the bottle.
Tracy's beleaguered Stanley Banks displays an excellent balance between true despair and bemused acceptance of not only his daughter's wedding but all of the complications involved in the planning that seemed to pile up on him at every turn.
Another great excuse to see this movie is the chance to view the late Elizabeth Taylor in her bridal gown(out of respect for the recently departed,no multiple marriage jokes will be permitted),looking truly radiant even before she goes down the aisle:
SOMETHING SLIGHTLY NEW
It was tricky deciding whether Mamma Mia! should be in either the new or borrowed category since the entire soundtrack comes off an ABBA Greatest Hits collection(a plus in it's favor,I might add).However,there was more to consider for being treated as new beyond it's release date two summers ago.
The plot,based on the Broadway musical,was created to fit the songs which tells a duel story of a young bride seeking out her birth father to accompany her on this special day and her mother forced to face her past love affairs and future life. The movie is a giddy ride,much like most good weddings are,and what better way to get a party started than to rock the mike ABBA style?:
SOMETHING BORROWED FROM THE FRENCH
A tradition in Hollywood,as classic as throwing rice at a newly married couple,is taking films from foreign shores and turning them into seemingly new American movies. France is one of the more popular cinematic choices here,with a garden variety of mixed results.
However,the 1989 remake of 1975's Cousin,Cousine,simply titled Cousins is one of the better ones. When cousins by marriage Larry(Ted Danson) and Maria(Isabella Rossellini)meet at the wedding which gives them their new family ties,their significant others(Sean Young and William Peterson)find much in common as well and start their own little affair.
That spurs Larry and Maria to get some payback by pretending to be cheating with each other which makes more merry mischief. This may not seem like a romantic story but it's not too far gone from some of the hijinks that folks get into at real life weddings:
SOMETHING COMPLETELY ASKEW
As a modern day twist to tradition,I thought adding an offbeat film on this subject would be fitting and Muriel's Wedding is nothing if not offbeat. Some might easily mistake this movie as another ABBA dance party mix but they would be remiss on that score indeed.
In Toni Collette's amazing performance,Muriel is a sad yet angry soul seeking a new identity by any means possible,even if that involves betraying the first true friend she's ever had in her life as well as herself.
This story strongly showcases the down side to wedding mania by having it's main character use marriage preparations as an escape from her emotional problems,a lesson that many people out there certainly need to learn:
SOMETHING TRUE BLUE
On a more upbeat note,My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a real crowd pleaser that bridges the gap between starting a new life with the person of your dreams while staying connected to your family as much as sanely possible.
One of my favorite aspects about the movie is the relationship between Toula and Ian,a nice romance that seems to grow naturally. The bond that forms between them in their courtship phase makes Ian's willingness to jump through any hoops that Toula's kinfolk sets up for him all the more believable.
The sweetest scene,for me,is on their first date when Ian realizes that he's meet Toula before,back in her "frump" phase at her family's restaurant and is honestly delighted about it. The way he says "I don't remember Frump Girl but I remember you"is an instant fall in love movie moment:
Hopefully,a few of these flicks feed your wedding fever just right and perhaps gives you an idea or two for any real life nuptials you might be planning. A tip for those involved in preparing for an actual wedding,don't be too pushy about being in charge even if you're in exalted position of Best Friend of the Bride:
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