One of the most well-known movies of Elizabeth Taylor from her early years, “Father of the Bride” reunited her with two legends of the Silver Screen, who played the role of her parents: Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. This production of MGM is ideal for a quiet, pleasant afternoon, and it provides some iconic scenes before, during and after the important event in anybody’s life, that is marriage. A wedding is not always easy to prepare. On the contrary, as much as it is a special occasion, it is also a very tiring moment, especially for the parents of the bride and groom. I like the way the director Vincente Minnelli chose to recreate the totally special and unique atmosphere in the heart of a middle-class family from the 1950s. The pragmatic father and the eccentric and idealistic mother, the stubborn and spoiled daughter — all these characters don’t seem to agree on the practical arrangements for the wedding and the reception. Elizabeth Taylor gets married in the end, despite all the fuss and despair of her father. You will get to see her looking ravishingly beautiful in her wedding dress. I might as well add here that Liz Taylor the Bride was obviously promoted by the press all over the world. You will also admire the aristocratic beauty of the middle-aged Joan Bennett, who played so well the mother who encourages her very young daughter to make the big step, to change her life for ever and to become a real woman, despite the great responsibility that comes from such a challenging decision. “Father of the Bride” is a nice film, ideal for the little ladies who want to get married and who want to learn more about the importance and the changes implied by the act of marriage, one of the greatest moments in anybody’s life. The film got three Oscar nominations, for Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Writing, and I think it deserved an Oscar for its very realistic screenplay, which makes you wonder whether life is imitating art or art is imitating life.
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