Father of the Bride (1950)

Father of the Bride is a good film, however it is certainly not Spencer Tracy nor Elizabeth Taylor's best. Tracy plays Stanley Banks, a middle class lawyer with three children. Elizabeth Taylor is his twenty-year-old daughter Kay. Upon arriving home from work one evening, Stanley notices that his daughter seems to be glowing from the inside with happiness. At the dinner table Kay reveals to her father that she is to be married to a gentleman named Buckley Dunston (portrayed by Don Taylor). At first Stanley and his wife (Joan Bennett) are extremely worried about this marriage, with the standard concerns of parents who's daughter is about to be wed, such as finances and whether or not the gentleman is a louse. Upon meeting and getting to know Buckley these fears are alleviated, but new problems are soon to arise. Although both Kay and her father want a small ceremony, it soon comes to fruition that this is not possible. With all the extended family and important business associates the guest list soon reaches nearly 600 people. Throw on top of that all the dresses, tuxedos, rentals, caterers and Stanley has himself a very expensive situation. There ends up being many other problems that arise, and much more drama ensues but as they show you at the beginning everything works out just fine. The script is pretty good, with a lot of great one-liners and there are some good bits of physical comedy from Tracy. All in all it is a good film, but I wouldn't go too far out of my way to see it unless you're a huge Spencer Tracy or Elizabeth Taylor fan. Overall 3.0/4 Stars Grade = B