Here we are again with another remake of a Steve Martin flick, which itself is also a remake originally based on the novel by Edward Streeter. This version of Father of the Bride turns the Banks family into the Herraras, a Cuban American family led by the grumpy patriarch Billy Herrera (Andy Garcia). Billy is having a tough time — his marriage is on the rocks and his two daughters are all grown with independent lives. It seems there is nothing Billy can do to mitigate an incoming disaster (of his making) when his eldest gets engaged.
Father of the Bride takes on the same tired narrative but offers a few twists. The titular bride, Sofia (Adria Arjona), is the ideal daughter who has grown up to be a successful, self-sufficient lawyer and a modern woman. Her progressive ways directly conflict with Billy’s old-school ways, which drives the narrative. When visiting the family, Sofia casually announces her engagement to a man she has only known for a short while, but what sets Billy off is that his little girl was the one to propose. The audience then meets Adan Castillo (Diego Boneta), a kind person who cares about the world and is eager to work alongside Sofia at a non-profit organization in Mexico (also his home country), which is another thorn in Billy’s side. Sofia and Adan embody the modern couple, wanting to grow together and support each other rather than falling into conventional gender-based trappings.
What transpires when the bride’s father meets his soon-to-be-son-in-law and his family is a series of instances fueled by prejudice and a lot of pride. The wealth disparity between the bride’s family and the groom is not that much of an issue in this iteration. Rather, Billy’s fears and anxieties stem from feeling unneeded and not being in charge. Billy may take issue with Adan being different — preferring tea over coffee, openly disliking boxing, and not being money-oriented — but Adan is not the problem Billy needs to overcome. The movie also deals with Billy’s stubborn persona. His wife Ingrid (Gloria Estefan) aspires for more from their marriage now that she is no longer raising her kids, and he doesn’t have to continue grinding to support everyone. Like the previous films — the 1950 movie starring Spencer Tracy and the 1991 one with Steve Martin, respectively — the titular father is forced to reconcile with the fact that his daughter is an adult and he needs to change to preserve his relationship with her and the family at large.
Matt Lopez’s script is fine, though there isn’t anything remarkable about it. However, the dialogue, in particular, feels restrained. There is an apparent attempt to appeal to a non-Latinx audience, with the majority of the dialogue spoken in English, even when most of the characters are capable of speaking Spanish. This is not a knock against the movie. Still, the inclusion of faux progressive white characters that ignorantly over-emphasize their R's and conflate Cuban and Mexican cultures with Spanish culture for laughs is a sign that not all is well in this movie. Father of the Bride certainly didn't need scenes where white people act ignorant and then mockingly thank the main characters for “holding them accountable” when called out.
Regarding the film’s comedy, there is always some slight dig toward something in the current cultural discourse, such as with the term Latinx. The comedy is expected to grow from these throwaway moments, but it falls flat because the film trips over itself when it has to evoke the original story and previous iterations. The jokes are born from tired tropes and archetypes and there is a distinct lack of zaniness and originality. This version of Father of the Bride follows the same path as previous iterations, but with a few detours that are entirely expected and not at all fun. Father of the Bride seems confused. It can’t be a full-on drama with an abhorrent father wreaking havoc on his eldest daughter’s wedding, nor can it be an off-kilter comedy of a father gone mad with grief. And so it remains stuck in limbo for two hours. A few chuckles and misty-eyed moments are not nearly enough to coax an audience into revisiting this if they manage to watch it in its entirety at least once.
All that said, director Gary Alazraki’s competent filmmaking, paired with Terence Blanchard’s jazz-based score, is enough to pull one in. Also, the costuming is impeccable, with Arjona’s outfits by customer designer Caroline Eselin being the most eye-catching. The film has all it needs to set it apart from previous iterations and establish a specific setting and community. In the end, however, it is the script that fails to live up to its potential. Father of the Bride showed promise, the talent is abundant on screen and behind the camera, but a flimsy screenplay fails them all. Lopez is not without merit because the film adequately adapts the classic tale and brings it into a lively Cuban American home in Miami. Beyond that, though, the story lacks creativity.
Father of the Bride begins streaming on HBO Max Thursday, June 16. The film is 118 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for brief suggestive material.
