FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1991)
A warm, funny family story about letting go with love.
Should You Watch It?
Yes. Father of the Bride is a funny, poignant story about a father whose daughter is preparing to marry. The wedding plans become a comic battlefield, but beneath the humor is George Banks’ intense devotion to Annie and his fear of losing his place in her life.
The film refreshingly affirms old-fashioned family values and the importance of relationships. Fathers may recognize George’s desire to know everything about the man his daughter has chosen, while mothers and daughters may appreciate the emotional tensions surrounding wedding plans.
There is one exclamatory profanity, a reference to condoms, and sexual innuendo in a brief discussion between the parents. For most families with older children, this is a warm choice; younger viewers need parental discernment.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAfter returning from a semester of architectural study in Rome, 22-year-old Annie Banks announces her engagement to a young man she met abroad. Her mother is thrilled, but her father, George, struggles with the news.
As the wedding plans grow more elaborate and expensive, George objects to nearly everything, from the prospective groom and in-laws to the out-of-town guests. He must face not only the chaos of the wedding, but also the possibility that his role as Annie’s parent is changing.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly entertaining, emotionally satisfying comedy. Steve Martin is funny yet poignant as George Banks, balancing comic hysteria with a father’s genuine devotion to his daughter.
The film’s memorable scenes include George’s Tom Jones imitation in a too-tight tuxedo and his snooping around his future in-laws’ house before falling into their swimming pool. Martin Short adds comic energy as the foppish wedding coordinator Franck Eggelhoffer. The wedding provides an effective comic setting for a heartfelt father-daughter story.
The Worldview
Father of the Bride affirms old-fashioned family values and the importance of relationships. It treats marriage, family life, and the emotional bond between a father and daughter as worthy of affection and respect.
The film also reflects family life in the 1990s and includes sexual references that depart from a fully biblical view of sexual purity. A reference to condoms and a brief discussion in which the parents recall having sex before marriage are the film’s main worldview concerns.
Still, the story recognizes that marriage changes a family without ending love. Scripture likewise honors marriage and the forming of a new household: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
1 exclamatory profanity, reference to condoms, and parents talk about fornicating before marriage.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
George fears losing his identity when Annie marries. How can families love one another faithfully through seasons of change?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Philippians 2:3–4The film presents marriage and family relationships as important gifts. What responsibilities come with building a new household?
Genesis 2:24 · Ephesians 5:25George’s love for Annie sometimes appears as anxiety and control. How can love remain strong without trying to control another person?
1 Corinthians 13:5 · Philippians 2:4The story includes a discussion about sex before marriage. What does Scripture teach about honoring God with our bodies and relationships?
1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 · 1 Corinthians 6:18–20The Final Word
Warm, funny, and sincere, Father of the Bride understands both the joy and ache of watching a daughter begin a new chapter. Its few sexual references call for discernment, but its family-centered heart makes it WORTH THE TRIP.
