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FATHER
OF THE BRIDE II
REVIEWED
BY CHARITY BISHOP
Our
rating: 4 out of 5 Because
of: innuendo, presence of a gay character
Rated:
It's been a couple of years since George Banks
(Steve Martin) welcomed Brian McKenzie (George Newbern)
into the family as a son in law. After the fracas over his daughter
Annie's wedding, George has settled into complacent father-in-law mode. But his
life is about to be severely shaken when Annie (Kimberly Williams) and Brian announce the
inevitable... they're pregnant! George's wife Nina (Diane Keyton) is thrilled. The MacKenzies are thrilled. Everyone is ecstatic about the idea... except
George. Where Nina sees grand motherhood as a wonderful experience full
of precious memories and promises of the future, George suddenly becomes
preoccupied with, well, how old they are. He insists they're not old
enough to be grandparents! In a sudden midlife crisis, George decides to
turn to his wild youth and makes a few drastic changes. He dyes his hair
and becomes an impassioned husband. He also gets fed up with the way the
roof leaks and puts the family home on the market, insisting they would
be better off at the beach.
Fate has a few surprises in store for
George Banks, and it's going to be far from an easy ride down the road of
Change.
A foreigner shows up and buys the house for fifteen thousand dollars.
Only two conditions: his wife wants Nina's blue plates in the bargain,
and they have to be out in ten days. The announcement to Nina after the
transaction doesn't go over well, nor do her sudden back pains,
stomachaches, and dizzy spells. Convinced she's going through menopause,
Nina makes an appointment with the doctor. He calls them both to the
office after several hair-raising tests and informs them soberly...
they're about to have a baby. Suddenly George doesn't feel so young
anymore. In fact, he's on the verge of a mental breakdown, with both
mother and daughter expecting the Stork to visit during the hot summer
months. With the help of Franck, the wedding planner and now an adopted
branch of the family tree, George is about to have the summer of his
life. Then there's that other problem... of what the new owner intends to
do with the former family home...
Picking up only a few months after the first film left off, Father of the
Bride II is the same family we all grew to love over the course of
Annie's overblown wedding. George Banks is still the hypochondriac
tightwad on the verge of insanity. Nina remains the calm, resolute voice
of reason in the family. Annie and Brian are still having their
occasional arguments, only to make up a few minutes later with
lots of apologies, kisses, and tears. I love
this film, and most of my family actually likes it better than the first
movie, but despite the hilarious antics of the characters, the original
Father of the Bride is still my favorite. We have a few
more run-ins with the McKenzie family Doberman pinchers, the usual comic
stand-up lines, and some great expressions via Steve Martin. The acting
only occasionally goes overboard and George is something -- but only
something -- less of a jerk this time around.
It's implied George and Nina share a night of marital passion on the
kitchen floor. He saunters in, hands her a bag from Victoria's secret, and says he'd like to make love to his wife. The two
kiss and embrace, and the scene cuts away. They make some references to
their evening together throughout the movie, usually in blanketed terms.
On the night Annie starts labor, her father has taken a heavy (and illegal) sleeping
pill provided by Franck -- they drag him out to the car, buckle him in,
and going around a curve his hand falls in Franck's lap. There's virtually
no language (the hairdresser says George's new hairstyle is "bitchin',"
a
phrase he repeats a couple of times) and only minor abuse of deity. As
remained a subtle suggestion in the first time, Franck is the same limp-wristed, hysterical wedding/baby shower/party planner with a thick
foreign accent.
The up side of the movie, however, far outweighs the bad. The humor is
for the most part clean, and the film revolves a lot around family life
-- sticking together, solving problems, dealing with life and its
unexpected delights. Eventually George calms down and realizes what a joy
a little boy or girl would be in their lives; the ending of the film
provides closure for the audience as well as the characters. Annie drives
away with a family of her own, and her father has another baby to pour
his love, attention, affection, and time into. Brian and Annie have a few
mild spats, as do George and Nina; but in the end they always apologize,
make up, and pick up where they left off. Marriage is all about mutual
submission and sacrifice, something we see exhibited beautifully. George has the
opportunity to flirt with a buxom blonde at a stoplight, but refutes her
sultry "Hi there," by pointing at his wedding ring!
When Nina
expresses concern that he might trade her in for a newer model, George
tells her he has never, ever wanted to grow old with anyone but her, nor
has he regretted a moment of their married life. When it
comes down to the wire, Franck, someone George intensely dislikes, becomes
the glue to hold a frantic family together. I like the aspect it brings,
as well as a humorous glimpse into motherhood. We might have packed away
the rice from Annie's wedding, but it's not too late to pull out the
diapers.
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