Film Review: FATHER OF THE BRIDE (2022): Andy Garcia’s Heartfelt Performance is Superb in an Otherwise Lackluster Remake

Father of the Bride Review

Father of the Bride (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Gary Alazraki, written by Matt Lopez and Edward Streeter and starring Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona, Isabela Merced, Diego Boneta, Ruben Rabasa, Ana Fabrega, Chloe Fineman, Enrique Murciano, Pedro Damian, Macarena Achaga, Laura Harring, Sean Patrick Dawson, Ho-Kwan Tse, Chelsea Alana Rivera, Tyler Kay Whitley and Javiera Zapata.

Did we really need another remake of Father of the Bride? Spencer Tracy and Steve Martin did just fine with the role of a dad who is a bit insecure about letting his daughter get married to a nice guy. I would say the fact that the new remake exists is a good thing if only for the terrific performance by Andy Garcia who has made a number of good films throughout his career. Garcia has never really received the accolades he deserved for his work over the years. As the mother of the bride, Gloria Estefan is also a delight even if her screen time is a bit more limited than it could have been.

However, there are a number of problems with the new remake which manifest themselves throughout the overlong picture. The most obvious one is the absence of logic in regards to how much the wedding in the movie would have cost and the questions the audience may ask regarding if the event was worth the high price tag the father of the bride pays or not? Some people will say Garcia’s dad character has so much love for his daughter that he’d pay whatever it costs but the wedding in the movie feels tackier than it should have for a few reasons. To avoid spoilers, we can just say there are a few unforeseen happenings in the picture that end up making the planned wedding in the movie go a lot less smoother than predicted.

To start, this is a remake in name only with just a few similarities to the previous pictures bearing the same title. Garcia plays Billy Herrera who is married to Ingrid (Estefan) and, unfortunately, they’re in the process of getting divorced unbeknownst to their kids. There is tension between the couple that Billy seems to wish wasn’t there. When their lawyer daughter Sofia (Adria Arjona) announces that she’s marrying a guy who she proposed to herself, Billy’s ideas of tradition seem to fly out the window. Sofia is rushing into a marriage with a nice guy she loves named Adan (Diego Boneta) who shares her love for the same profession. The soon to be married couple wants to work in a not for profit capacity which also throws Billy for a bit of a loop. However, Billy agrees to pay for the wedding because he loves his daughter.

Isabela Merced co-stars in the movie as Cora, Sofia’s screw up sister who wants to skip college and start her own business. She likes fashion and wants to design dresses but Billy sees college as the true path to success and he wants Cora to earn her stripes by working her way through college rather than simply handing over money for a business to her.

Chloe Fineman’s character, Natalie Vance, is the most important character to the wedding as she is the wedding planner. She has ideas and comes with a great Instagram page that basically serves as her resume. Natalie is well played by Fineman but this character, as written, surely is not on the level of Martin Short’s terrific wedding planner in the 1991 film with Steve Martin. Natalie is certainly portrayed in a humorous fashion but comes up a bit short in the laughs department since those who have seen the 1991 film and its sequel will expect a more wacky characterization than the one here.

Directed by Gary Alazraki, there is a lot of predictability here. Garcia and Estefan have some sweet chemistry together and their scenes together (even when they’re fighting) are a joy to behold. Even Adria Arjona as their daughter is well cast and I liked her as a character throughout the movie. But, as a critic, I’m obligated to report that the movie goes in a disappointing direction at about the halfway mark. Adan finds out about the problems with his fiancee’s parents and then must keep the secret from his soon to be bride. This creates complications in the plot that resolve themselves as expected.

The wedding itself is the most problematic aspect of the movie. Given a number of unfortunate events that happen towards the end, the wedding gets re-arranged and it seems very unlikely the whole thing could be redone in such a short amount of time. One wonders why they don’t just reschedule but never mind. Logic isn’t everything I suppose.

Garcia is heartfelt in his role and has many scenes that demonstrate why he is one of our most underappreciated actors. He gets his chance to shine in another lead role and that is one positive to come from the movie. It’s great to see Estefan working again too. Both performances are filled with emotion.

Father of the Bride could have used a rewrite or two in the script department but it is what it is. Garcia is in top form and makes the movie a lot more respectable than it has any right to be. If you haven’t seen the previous Father of the Bride picture, you could also enjoy the film a bit more than I did. I will always love the Steve Martin version but watching Garcia in top form has its advantages in the entertainment value department.

Rating: 6.5/10

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