Caffeinated Clint
By Drew Turney
One of Steve Martin’s family comedies back when he was firmly entrenched in his new persona of sensitive, loving dad rather than the buffoon of films like ”The Man With Two Brains” and ”The Jerk.”
In a similar vein to ”Parenthood” (in which he played almost the same character) it’s at a basic level a comment on how fast kids grow up. A remake of a 1950’s film, it takes a sweet and good hearted look at the anxieties and hopes of a father for his daughter when she announces she’s getting married and he faces a nagging empty nest syndrome.
This emotional subtext plays out against the backdrop of the manic wedding plans, everything from the outrageous cost to the preening wedding co-ordinator everyone can understand except for George (Martin).
Some of his closest SNL and past collaborators such as Eugene Levy and Martin Short join him in a feel-good romp that’ll have you chuckling and tugging your heartstrings daintily in equal measure.
Followed by a sequel, “Father of the Bride Part II” – included in the set – with the slightly creepy premise that he and his wife (Keaton) are having another baby at the same time as his now-betrothed daughter. Nowhere near as good as the first.
Blu-ray Details and Extras :
Both films encompass a pleasing 5.1 soundtrack, and an acceptable 1080p 1.85:1 video presentation with a MPEG-4 AVC Video codec – hardly candy for the eyes, but pretty much what you’d expect from a couple of twenty-year old movies.
“Father of the Bride” comes with a commentary from director Charles Shyer, an interview with Short and Martin, and a featurette.
“Father of the Bride Part II” features an amusing and insightful commentary by Martin and Short and a production featurette.
Good value for the price.
