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The Rewatchables ·

Father of the Bride

year 1991decade 90sdirector Charles Shyergenre Comedygenre Romance
host Bill Simmonshost Amanda Dobbins format 30th Anniversary
All 16 categories

Most Rewatchable Scene · 27:15

The family dinner where Annie announces her engagement

Bill Simmons: The opening direct-to-camera monologue works despite the panel's usual skepticism about narration because Steve Martin sells the writing.

Bill Simmons: The narration lets George express fears he cannot tell his family until the end.

The film

Father of the Bride (1991)

Directed by Charles Shyer · Comedy

105 minutes

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Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Steve Martin George Stanley Banks
Diane Keaton Nina Banks
Martin Short Franck Eggelhoffer
Kimberly Williams Annie Banks
Amy Young 12-year-old Annie
Sarah Rose Karr 7-year-old Annie
Marissa Lefton 3-year-old Annie
George Newbern Bryan MacKenzie
Kieran Culkin Matty Banks
BD Wong Howard Weinstein

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

24:44

Roger Ebert's review
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:44Read transcript
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27:15

Most Rewatchable Scene

The family dinner where Annie announces her engagement

The family dinner where Annie announces her engagement

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:15Read transcript
  • The opening direct-to-camera monologue works despite the panel's usual skepticism about narration because Steve Martin sells the writing. — Bill Simmons
  • The narration lets George express fears he cannot tell his family until the end. — Bill Simmons
  • Annie's marriage announcement is rewatchable for Steve Martin's horrified reaction to his twenty-two-year-old daughter getting engaged. — Bill Simmons
  • The flashback that replaces Annie with her seven-year-old self captures a parent's inability to see a child as an adult. — Bill Simmons
  • Diane Keaton's growing happiness during the announcement contrasts with Martin's panic and makes the family dynamic visible. — Bill Simmons
  • The dialogue about Paul Simon tickets and an independent communications consultant supplies specific comic detail. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Brian's first meeting with George works because the son-in-law is pleasant and unthreatening enough to leave the story centered on the family. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Cutting the wedding list is funny because its ruthless logic includes crossing off a guest who died. — Bill Simmons
  • Kimberly Williams sells Annie's disproportionate anger during the blender fight. — Bill Simmons
  • George helping resolve the blender fight shows that love for his daughter overrides his resistance to the marriage. — Bill Simmons
  • Steve Martin opening the feared gift box only to find a blender gives the scene a physical-comedy payoff. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The childhood montage into the basketball scene combines Darling with a sentimental father-daughter memory. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The final family-dinner choice establishes every central relationship and lets each actor react differently to the engagement. — Bill Simmons
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38:54

What’s Aged the Best?

Kieran Culkin, Kimberly Williams, San Marino, the basketball scene, the overwhelmed father, changing marriage norms, ...

Kieran Culkin, Kimberly Williams, San Marino, the basketball scene, the overwhelmed father, changing marriage norms, and the hot-dog arithmetic

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:54Read transcript
  • Kieran Culkin's small reactions are newly funny because the child performance anticipates his later Roman Roy mannerisms. — Bill Simmons
  • The child performance plays the role simply and still nails the few kid-scene-stealing moments. — Bill Simmons
  • Kimberly Williams is delightful and immediately believable as Steve Martin's daughter. — Bill Simmons
  • Williams and Martin create father-daughter chemistry even in quiet basketball movement. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The movie defined Williams so strongly as Annie that the panel had difficulty imagining an obvious next role for her. — Bill Simmons
  • San Marino is praised as an unusually pleasant, beautiful Southern California setting. — Bill Simmons
  • The basketball scene is unusually convincing for a movie father-daughter game. — Bill Simmons
  • The montage shows enough continuous movement to suggest that Steve Martin made at least one trick shot himself. — Bill Simmons
  • An overwhelmed father struggling to afford a wedding remains a durable comic plot. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The wedding-planning escalation still feels accurate because small decisions rapidly add expense and complexity. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The film is presented as marking the baby-boomer generation's move away from countercultural ideas of marriage. — Bill Simmons
  • The hot-dog and bun mismatch remains relatable because mismatched package quantities still create needless arithmetic. — Amanda Dobbins
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48:41

What’s Aged the Worst?

Marriage at twenty-two, the sequel and pandemic Zoom special, wedding parking, some wardrobe choices, the pool gag, a...

Marriage at twenty-two, the sequel and pandemic Zoom special, wedding parking, some wardrobe choices, the pool gag, and especially Martin Short's accent routine

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:41Read transcript
  • Annie getting married at twenty-two felt abrupt even in 1991 and seems more unusual now. — Bill Simmons
  • Father of the Bride Part II is treated as a mild money grab, although affection for the family keeps it watchable. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The virtual pandemic sequel recalls a period of low entertainment standards that the panel does not want to revisit. — Bill Simmons
  • A hundred wedding cars and casual drunk-driving assumptions make the parking setup feel dated. — Bill Simmons
  • Some of Diane Keaton's high-waisted khaki and denim wardrobe reads as dated but is also returning to fashion. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Casting Diane Keaton as a bride's mother felt like a hook in 1991, even though the role now seems natural. — Bill Simmons
  • The fall into the pool pushes the movie beyond its otherwise grounded physical comedy. — Bill Simmons
  • The earlier medicine-cabinet and window gags are defended as physical comedy grounded in George's panic. — Bill Simmons
  • The dogs remain funny and useful even though the pool fall is rejected as too silly. — Bill Simmons
  • Martin Short's hard-to-understand accent is criticized as a one-note routine that repeats too long. — Bill Simmons
  • The accent gag is the final and least-favorite answer. — Bill Simmons
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56:36

Casting What-Ifs

Steve Martin was attached before the screenplay; Phoebe Cates was offered Annie, and Disney initially resisted Diane ...

Steve Martin was attached before the screenplay; Phoebe Cates was offered Annie, and Disney initially resisted Diane Keaton after The Good Mother.

This discussion recalls a choice from an earlier episode.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:36Read transcript
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58:42

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

George Newbern as Brian

George Newbern as Brian

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:42Read transcript
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1:00:36

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Martin Short

Martin Short

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:36Read transcript
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1:00:59

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Kieran Culkin

Kieran Culkin

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:59Read transcript
  • The one-scene Eugene candidate is considered for the award. — Bill Simmons
  • B.D. Wong is praised for expressive reactions and for adding energy to his supporting role. — Bill Simmons
  • Diane Keaton is ruled ineligible because she has too much screen time and is the second-biggest star. — Bill Simmons
  • Kieran Culkin is admitted based on his few memorable moments and tender pre-wedding exchange with George. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The final exchange gives the award to the child performer. — Amanda Dobbins
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1:01:56

Recasting Couch

1991-era George Clooney as Brian

1991-era George Clooney as Brian

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:56Read transcript
  • George Clooney is proposed as a 1991 replacement for Brian. — Bill Simmons
  • The idea uses Clooney's youthful Facts of Life image rather than his later leading-man persona. — Bill Simmons
  • Clooney's charisma could explain how Brian met Annie in Italy and quickly won her over. — Bill Simmons
  • A more threatening Brian would intensify George's suspicion without necessarily stealing focus from the family story. — Bill Simmons
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1:02:51

Half-Assed Internet Research

An actor shared by the 1950 and 1991 films, Spencer Tracy's Oscar nomination, Martin Short's wedding-planner model, c...

An actor shared by the 1950 and 1991 films, Spencer Tracy's Oscar nomination, Martin Short's wedding-planner model, celebrity weddings, and the two production houses

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:51Read transcript
  • Tom Irish is reported to have debuted in the 1950 Father of the Bride and ended his film career in this remake while playing Ben Banks in both. — Bill Simmons
  • Spencer Tracy was nominated for Best Actor for the original film and lost to the transcript-observed 'Jose Farrar' for Cyrano de Bergerac. — Bill Simmons
  • Martin Short's wedding planner was based on Kevin Lee, who later appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. — Bill Simmons
  • Kevin Lee reportedly helped with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's wedding. — Bill Simmons
  • The house used for interiors and the reception sold for about 1.998 million dollars in August 2016. — Bill Simmons
  • The Pasadena exterior house reportedly sold for about 950,000 dollars in 1999 and attracts visitors. — Bill Simmons
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1:04:35

Apex Mountain

Mainstream Steve Martin, Kimberly Williams, San Marino, father-daughter movies, and wedding movies

Mainstream Steve Martin, Kimberly Williams, San Marino, father-daughter movies, and wedding movies

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:35Read transcript
  • Steve Martin's late-1970s comedy peak is distinguished from a possible mainstream-dad peak beginning with this film. — Bill Simmons
  • The movie is argued to enable Martin's later Oscars-host and America's-dad roles. — Bill Simmons
  • Diane Keaton is rejected because Annie Hall and Something's Gotta Give offer stronger career peaks. — Bill Simmons
  • Kimberly Williams receives a yes based on her defining role. — Bill Simmons
  • Father-daughter movies receive an unqualified apex verdict. — Bill Simmons
  • San Marino receives an emphatic yes. — Bill Simmons
  • Dads receive a tentative but explicit probably-not verdict. — Bill Simmons
  • Wedding movies receive an apex case because this film builds an entire happy story around the wedding. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The film is credited with helping start a 1990s wave including Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Wedding Planner, and The Wedding Singer. — Amanda Dobbins
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1:06:57

Picking Nits

The missing formal dances, guest logistics, Annie's silence from Italy, the in-laws' costs, the missing rehearsal din...

The missing formal dances, guest logistics, Annie's silence from Italy, the in-laws' costs, the missing rehearsal dinner, honeymoon timing, sibling age gap, impossible snow, and the crowded reception

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:57Read transcript
  • The wedding omits a father-daughter dance and a dedicated first dance despite an elaborate planner and photo schedule.
  • The panel separately criticizes the expansion of wedding speeches beyond the best man, maid of honor, and a brief parent toast. — Bill Simmons
  • Inviting the wedding planner as a guest makes little sense because he is working at the event. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Invitation responses arriving neatly together ignores the real need to chase missing replies. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The original five-hundred-person list is implausibly large, while the family treats George's 150-person limit as unreasonable. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The bride's family paying international flights for Copenhagen guests is questioned. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Annie never telling her close parents about Brian during three months in Italy is considered implausible. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The wealthy in-laws would probably offer to share wedding costs rather than leave George to pay everything. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The missing rehearsal dinner wastes both a realistic event and a scene where the groom's family could host. — Bill Simmons
  • The missing Sunday breakfast after the wedding is a separate complaint. — Bill Simmons
  • Leaving for a honeymoon during the reception does not match likely Los Angeles-to-Hawaii flight timing. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The fourteen-year gap between Annie and Matty is unusually large without siblings between them. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Two inches of snow in Los Angeles would be implausible and would disrupt the wedding rather than vanish cleanly. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Melted snow and roughly two hundred guests would make the yard, parking, bathrooms, and tent far more difficult than shown. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Despite the logistics, the wedding's visual design remains tasteful rather than tacky. — Amanda Dobbins
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1:18:26

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

A well-funded continuation about the original couple as grandparents and Annie’s family

A well-funded continuation about the original couple as grandparents and Annie’s family

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:26Read transcript
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1:20:09

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The wedding’s estimated $60,000–$90,000 cost; “Grandfather of the Bride”; Steve Martin’s best movie; whether Annie wa...

The wedding’s estimated $60,000–$90,000 cost; “Grandfather of the Bride”; Steve Martin’s best movie; whether Annie was a good daughter

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:09Read transcript
  • An online estimate placing the wedding above two hundred thousand dollars is rejected as too high. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The participants settle on roughly $60,000 to $90,000 in 1991. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Grandfather of the Bride is preferred over Father of the Bride 3 for a continuation title. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Father of the Bride is chosen as Steve Martin's best movie and sentimental favorite. — Bill Simmons
  • The Jerk, Roxanne, Parenthood, Bowfinger, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are considered alternatives. — Bill Simmons
  • The panel asks whether Annie was a good daughter after returning engaged without warning, forcing George to solve the blender fight, and failing to say goodbye in person. — Bill Simmons
  • One answer is that Annie is inexperienced at twenty-two rather than a bad person. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The opposing answer calls her a bad daughter and insists that she should find and hug both parents before leaving. — Amanda Dobbins
  • An alternate ending has her get back out of the car, run across all the cars, and give George a hug. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The proposed ending is compared with The Graduate and My Best Friend's Wedding. — Amanda Dobbins
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1:27:43

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

The cappuccino maker and Annie’s wedding sneakers

The cappuccino maker and Annie’s wedding sneakers

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:43Read transcript
  • The house, its front, and the kitchen are requested before the house is ruled off the table. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The bedazzled wedding sneakers are proposed as a practical and emotionally resonant item. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The panel wonders whether George's Sidekick shoe company was acquired or merged with Foot Locker and doubts that it thrived against Nike. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The cappuccino maker is chosen because its scene is sweet. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The final choices are the cappuccino maker and the sneakers. — Amanda Dobbins
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1:29:09

Who Won the Movie?

Steve Martin

Steve Martin

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:09Read transcript
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Steve Martin
Speaker not identified
Steve Martin
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More from the conversation

The movie's father-daughter perspective changes as viewers move from being children or prospective partners to parents themselves.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:32Read transcript
The film occupies a unique cultural space as the default movie about a father facing his daughter's wedding.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:32Read transcript
Steve Martin's performance balances derangement, affection, reaction comedy, and believable parental emotion.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:16Read transcript
The stable family and gentle conflicts let the movie explore change without threatening divorce or estrangement.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:09Read transcript
Steve Martin's career shifted from stand-up phenomenon and edgy comedy into a durable family-film and institutional-host role.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:57Read transcript
Nancy Meyers's attention to houses, affluent domestic detail, and later-life female leads is traced through her career.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:54Read transcript
Contemporary reviews were shaped by comparison with the 1950 Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor original.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:55Read transcript
Annie's age and compressed engagement timeline preserve assumptions closer to the 1950 story than to 1991 life.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:04Read transcript
Brian's intentionally modest characterization keeps the emotional story centered on George, Annie, Nina, and family change.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:32Read transcript
The wedding's escalating costs and logistics remain recognizable even when the particular numbers are challenged.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:40Read transcript
Martin Short's accent performance was a phenomenon at release but now strikes the participants as repetitive and dated.
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:53Read transcript
The film is credited with supporting Steve Martin's mainstream-dad persona and a 1990s wave of wedding movies.
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:35Read transcript