Movies with mega-star casts usually make me apprehensive, as the stories are often incomplete, thus do not gel. (Despite bringing in blockbuster Box Office Bucks!) Yet, writer-director Justin Zackham (who wrote The Bucket List) has ignored this common concern with his latest comedy The Big Wedding. He matches classic stars Diane Keaton, Robert DeNiro, Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams with younger generation talents Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, and Topher Grace, in this wedding extravaganza!
Diane Keaton and Robert DeNiro are upperclass divorcees Ellie and Don. They have two children Lyla and Jared (Katherine Heigl and Topher Grace), who they raised to become respectable lawyers and doctors. Their adopted Colombian son, Alejandro (Ben Barnes) is a Harvard graduate getting set to marry his high school sweetheart, Missy (Amanda Seyfried). However, Alejandro’s biological mother Madonna, (Patricia Rae) is from a culture who doesn’t accept divorce as an option, so Don and Ellie pretend to be still married to avoid offending Madonna and create any catastrophe in The Big Wedding! Throw in Susan Sarandon as Bebe, Ellie’s former best friend who is now Don’s lover and Robin Williams as their priest Father Moinighan and enjoy this fabulous crew dealing with many unresolved issues!
Despite this not being a new theme to your usual rom-com, it is tackled quite uniquely by the cast. Keaton, DeNiro and Sarandon turn the traditional divorced-couple/interrupting lover trio into an entertaining team. Katherine Heigl gives a particularly memorable performance as the enraged sister Lyla, especially because this is not the happy-go-lucky romantic lead we have become used to seeing her play. Missy’s waspy parents Muffin and Barry (Christine Ebersole and David Rasche) add to the hilarity with their concern about their precious daughter marrying a Colombian!
Zackham’s script is funny and it is great to see such renowned names putting together a wedding amongst one drama after another. However, this is probably more suited to watching on DVD while trying to escape our winters weather one afternoon on the couch.
Kirstey Whicker
2/5 stars
You will most likely enjoy this if you liked-
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Friends With Benefits (2011)
More News
