Father of the Bride 1 and 2

Those have got to be my two favorite movies. I have a lot of favorites but man. I love those two movies.

I watched Father of the Bride last night and Father of the Bride 2 should be here Saturday :)

In case you forgot, this is Father of the Bride:

The movie is about two parents and their family. Steve Martin plays the dad, George Banks, Diane Keaton plays the Mom, Nina Banks, Kimberly Williams-Paisley plays the daughter, Annie Banks and there is a brother named Matty played by Kieran Culkin. Steve Martin is narrating through the whole movie. It is simply a movie about how a family, but especially the father, deals with the surprise engagement of their little girl. Annie is getting her masters in architecture and has just finished a semester in Rome. When she comes back she announces she is engaged to a guy named Brian Mckenzie, played by George Newburn. Brian is a very nice guy, any parent would LOVE to have him as a son in law but George just can't get over the fact that his baby is growing up and getting married. Martin Short plays the wedding planner and there are plenty of hilarious scenes between the wedding planner and George. Steve Martin does a great job of being serious and funny at the same time.

I have been sick for the past two days so it arrived on the perfect time. I have loved this movie since I was a little girl. I always thought my mom was like Diane Keaton and my dad Steve Martin. Though my dad is, admittedly, a little more reserved in behavior but the feelings I could totally see my dad feeling.

I always imagined and hoped I would be like Annie. Cute, pretty, smart and not afraid of who she is, and with drive. Who didn't want to be over shadowed by her husband or anyone. Who wanted her career to be just as important as his. I remembering wishing and hoping that my life would end up like hers. Great family, great education, knowing where she wants and marrying a great guy.

I always imagined my wedding and wedding planning to go similarly to how it went in the movie. My mom and I excited and over the moon and Daddy freaking out because of A) the thought of losing me and B) money. This movie was like looking in the future for me. Sure I was not Annie and my dad is not Steve Martin and while I would LOVE to have that wedding..I won't. But this movie hit so close to home and what my idea of what my family is/was that it is very conceivable that my Mom and I are going to have the same reactions as Annie and her Mom and my Dad will have the same reactions as Steve Martin. I still believe this to this day, that their family and my family are the same in that way.

I always wondered, and secretly kind of hoped, that my father was just as scared/worried/concerned/anxious about meeting the man I wanted to marry. As I said, he is a bit reserved so he would never voice those feelings at least to me, but I think he was. Would my dad freak out and steal hot dog buns? No, but I am sure he will have similar feelings when I tell him I am engaged.

He did have more time to get used to the idea of Brian (see I am like Annie) then George did and dad met Brian pre-engagement unlike George, but as Brian's and my relationship progressed I have a feeling he started to get concerned. Does my dad still think of me as the 7 year old like George does of Annie? Well I know my mom still thinks of me as the blonde 3 year old so yes, I do think my dad pictures me at a much younger age until he is forced to realize otherwise. I am convinced that even though he knows and likes Brian, he will start to think the very things George says, even if he keeps it too himself.

I do not think my father will freak out about meeting the in-laws like George did. I think we will skip the snooping, accidentally stealing their check book and throwing it in the pool as it happened in the movie. This scene in my life would be skipped completely. I don't see any issues in this department because Dad likes Brian. George hated that Brian was taking his daughter away and hadn't gotten over the fact that his daughter was growing up which caused a very awkward, embarrassing, yet funny scene in the movie. Dad has had more time and still does have time to get over these feelings unlike George who had to realize them and get over them instantaneously...or at least to attempt to do it instantaneously.

I do not know how to describe it. I think I have done an awful job thus far. I just see this movie and it reminds me of my family and how I expect and believe my father to feel when I tell him that Brian has finally made the plunge. I think it portrays my mothers reaction and handling of my father perfectly well and I think I am a lot like Annie. And I think this movie accurately portrays lots of families as well as mine. Maybe that is why I like it so much...that it is about weddings and extremely relate-able.