Robert Altman directs a large cast - Carol Burnett, Lillian Gish, Howard Duff, Dina Merrill, Geraldine Chaplin, Vittorio Gassman, Desi Arnaz Jr., Viveca Lindfors, Mia Farrow, and many others, in "A Wedding" from 1978.
I've never been crazy about Robert Altman's big ensemble movies - for me they are too chaotic.
This film brings chaos to a new level when Muffin (Amy Stryker) marries Dino Corelli (Arnaz). The wedding itself, with its many bridesmaids and groomsmen, goes all right, with the exception of the Bishop (John Cromwell) having the beginnings of dementia. When everyone arrives at the Corelli home for the reception, all hell breaks loose.
The bride's sister Buffy (Farrow) isn't speaking to anyone; she seems upset, and we find out later why. The wedding planner (Chaplin) runs around telling people how to act, including instructing the bride and groom how to make the first cut into the cake. A guest and doctor (Duff) tries to keep everyone from knowing that the matriarch of the family (Gish) just died upstairs. He also likes to brush crumbs off of the breast part of women's clothing.
Tulip (Burnett), mother of the bride, is stalked by the husband (Pat McCormick) of the groom's aunt (Dina Merrill) with whom she danced. He swears his love and wants to meet up with her in two weeks in Tennessee when she visits her aunt, in a hotel across from a Dairy Queen.
The bride's old boyfriend and the groom's old girlfriend both show up and make out with their ex-partners.
The groom's father is an Italian criminal in hiding.
The security people (John Considine, who also co-wrote the script) and his female partner seem like they work for Mossad. As Considine tells one guest, "Don't make me neutralize you, Sir."
Many, many funny bits. One of my favorites was Chaplin's instruction for dancing. "First the bride and groom dance to their favorite song. Then the FOB dances with the bride. Then the MOB dances with the groom...." And of course, Burnett being chased all over the house by McCormick. Viveca Lindfors is a scream as a crazy guest who makes big, dramatic proclamations. Nina van Pallandt, a member of the groom's family, is getting injections of something in the bathroom.
I'm not a huge fan of Altman's style of overlapping dialogue and big casts that seem to meander, but if you appreciate it, this is the film for you. It's lesser Altman but still good.
I've never been crazy about Robert Altman's big ensemble movies - for me they are too chaotic.
This film brings chaos to a new level when Muffin (Amy Stryker) marries Dino Corelli (Arnaz). The wedding itself, with its many bridesmaids and groomsmen, goes all right, with the exception of the Bishop (John Cromwell) having the beginnings of dementia. When everyone arrives at the Corelli home for the reception, all hell breaks loose.
The bride's sister Buffy (Farrow) isn't speaking to anyone; she seems upset, and we find out later why. The wedding planner (Chaplin) runs around telling people how to act, including instructing the bride and groom how to make the first cut into the cake. A guest and doctor (Duff) tries to keep everyone from knowing that the matriarch of the family (Gish) just died upstairs. He also likes to brush crumbs off of the breast part of women's clothing.
Tulip (Burnett), mother of the bride, is stalked by the husband (Pat McCormick) of the groom's aunt (Dina Merrill) with whom she danced. He swears his love and wants to meet up with her in two weeks in Tennessee when she visits her aunt, in a hotel across from a Dairy Queen.
The bride's old boyfriend and the groom's old girlfriend both show up and make out with their ex-partners.
The groom's father is an Italian criminal in hiding.
The security people (John Considine, who also co-wrote the script) and his female partner seem like they work for Mossad. As Considine tells one guest, "Don't make me neutralize you, Sir."
Many, many funny bits. One of my favorites was Chaplin's instruction for dancing. "First the bride and groom dance to their favorite song. Then the FOB dances with the bride. Then the MOB dances with the groom...." And of course, Burnett being chased all over the house by McCormick. Viveca Lindfors is a scream as a crazy guest who makes big, dramatic proclamations. Nina van Pallandt, a member of the groom's family, is getting injections of something in the bathroom.
I'm not a huge fan of Altman's style of overlapping dialogue and big casts that seem to meander, but if you appreciate it, this is the film for you. It's lesser Altman but still good.