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S4:E11 Father of the Bride: Three Weddings & a Podcast
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Weddings, chaos, and three generations of movie dads! We’re diving into Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter and the surprising franchise it created. In this episode, we start with the original novel before comparing three different adaptations across decades: the 1950 classic, the beloved 1991 version, and the 2022 modern remake. Join us as we compare each movie to see which one captures the heart (and panic) of being the father of the bride the best and discuss which version completely changes the story for a new generation.
Hosted by Crystal with co-hosts Keri and Lindsey.
Books & Adaptations Mentioned:
- Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter
- Father of the Bride (1950 Film)
- Father of the Bride (1991 Film)
- Father of the Bride (2022 Film)
Question of the Episode:
- Which wedding traditions do you think it's time to retire or which ones should make a comeback?
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Thanks for listening to Based on a Book—see you in the next chapter!
Chapters:
(00:00) Introductions
(04:49) Book Ratings
(08:33) Book vs Adaptations (SPOILERS)
(45:42) Final Verdict & Question of the Episode
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Book Overview
00:00:09
Speaker
Marriage is what brings us together today. We are Based on a Book, the podcast that would love to fill Madison Square Garden at some point, but for now we're satisfied with a small affair.
00:00:21
Speaker
I'm your wedding planner, Crystal, and I will not be providing the champagne. I'm Carrie, and I've been convinced that eloping is the better option. And I'm Lindsay, and my father also tried to ruin my wedding.
00:00:36
Speaker
I am so excited you're here to witness the joining of the Banks and Dunstan families. This week, we're discussing Father of the Bride, the 1949 novel by Edward Streeter that explores the conflicting emotions of a father as he navigates his daughter's wedding and realizes she's no longer his baby girl.
00:00:58
Speaker
Somehow I've fallen into the trap of wanting to cover stories that have multiple adaptations. So we're each covering a different movie again. I'm covering the 1950 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy. It was directed by Vincent Minnelli, who is mostly known for his musicals.
00:01:17
Speaker
This was not a musical, but it was nominated for four Academy Awards. Carrie, which are you watching?
Film Adaptations Overview
00:01:25
Speaker
I watched for the very first time, which seems to be a common theme on this podcast as well. The 1991 adaptation of Father of the Bride starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams, Kieran Culkin, and Martin Short. ah This is where ah Walt Disney Company purchased the film rights to the story in 1991, turned it into a romantic comedy in a more modernized contemporary setting.
00:01:56
Speaker
I think it's very interesting that this one is actually like they say it's a remake of the 1951 and compares it to the 1950 version.
Comparing Adaptations and Characters
00:02:07
Speaker
Like if you look at some facts of it, they'll say like ah the main character takes the middle name of the original 1950 movie, not really realizing that it's actually based on a book.
00:02:19
Speaker
So yeah I think it's really funny. It's super successful, actually made a sequel. Yeah. It's a good one. Awesome. Lindsay, what have you got for us?
00:02:31
Speaker
The version I watched was the 2022 adaptation, which updates the story with a Cuban American family living in Miami.
00:02:44
Speaker
And I'm going to apologize in advance. I'm going to try to pronounce the names when we get there. um But i I cannot roll my R's. So that's fair. That's fair. Honestly, i didn't know that this was based on a book. I saw the version that Carrie watched a couple of times.
00:03:03
Speaker
I found it freaking hilarious. I knew that it was a remake of another movie. i yeah never I never had a clue that it was based on a book. So when I found out that it was, i was super excited to cover it. I was even more excited when you guys actually agreed to do it. Because we do talk about these ahead of time. And for the most part, we're game for just about anything. But if someone says no...
00:03:26
Speaker
And then honestly, there's usually a good reason. um But you guys said yes. So I was excited. And then Lindsay was like, which one are we going to cover? And I said, well, I want I guess I'll I'd like to do the old one. Everybody already knows the 1991 one. She was like, there's three.
00:03:39
Speaker
What? We're here again. So here we are. yeah But before we talk about the movies, I do want to talk about the book, the book that we all just learned about. but Father of the Bride was written by Edward Streeter, who originally pursued writing only casually with short stories and articles in different magazines, with his main focus being his banking career.
00:04:02
Speaker
When Father of the Bride was published in 1949, it became an instant bestseller and was listed on the New York Times 10 bestselling list for the year. It was also illustrated by Gluyess.
Personal Reflections and Ratings
00:04:17
Speaker
I had no idea how to pronounce his name and I couldn't find a good pronunciation online, so I'm sorry. But I believe it's Gluyess Williams, who was known mostly for his work for The New Yorker. These illustrations are very much in the cartoony style he is famous for. And they were in the book that I had. I think, Carrie, you said it. They were in yours too. Lindsay, were they in yours? Yeah, they were. They were so cute. qe yeah They're Yeah. like them. It was really nice. It wasn't, they're not like illustrated, like an illustrated book, you know, every other page or anything like that. There's like maybe two per chapter and they were just really, really cute.
00:04:55
Speaker
So i want to know, ladies, what did you think of the book? We'll start with Carrie. Oh, you always start with me. i
Film Analysis and Character Dynamics
00:05:04
Speaker
do. I don't know why. i just, it's the order that you are on my screen. That's all. Okay.
00:05:10
Speaker
I gave this one three engagement rings. This was fine. Like, this was nice. Like, I honestly went in with pretty low expectations because i i didn't think i was goingnna this was going to be like my next favorite read.
00:05:28
Speaker
There were moments in it that were really funny, honestly, and actually surprisingly made me kind of emotional just because of like the father daughter, like coming of age type story.
00:05:42
Speaker
There was like definitely moments that were like really freaking annoying in here where I was like, All right, dude, get with the program. Right. But it's not really a story. Like if you go in thinking it's a story about marriage, it's not.
00:05:57
Speaker
It's about fatherhood. And I kind of like that. So. It's fair. Lindsay, what did you think? What's your rating? So I didn't really feel invested in these characters, especially toward the beginning. i really didn't care about them.
00:06:17
Speaker
i was, like Carrie said, I was more annoyed most of the time. But then we got to the wedding and it it felt so accurate. The build up to the actual event and then the event happens and then it's over. Because you spend all this time getting there and then it's just done.
00:06:35
Speaker
And you don't remember any of it. But with that being said, I gave this one two and a half stressed out parents. Okay. Yep. Okay. um Well, I gave this book two and a half martinis.
00:06:52
Speaker
Although I did enjoy the overall theme of self-reflection and emotional growth. um And I really loved that we were getting this POV from a man. I feel like we don't get a lot of emotional growth POVs um from male characters. So I loved that. But I still found this. I'm still mad about Frankenstein, y'all.
00:07:13
Speaker
But i so I did kind of find this to be a little boring at times. It's kind of like Lindsay said. It was in Carrie, but you know you were just like, okay, come on, get with it. Let's go. But then, like Lindsay said, when we get to the wedding and suddenly it's actually happening and stuff starts moving and then it's just over. it it is kind of realistic in that sense. And I really enjoyed it. I did have – there were a couple emotional moments for me you know through this book too with that father-daughter bond.
00:07:41
Speaker
I did find some of the gender stereotyping to be icky, even for the time the story is set in. ah But I also found it easy to imagine myself in the late 1940s or early 50s. So it kind of set the tone really well.
00:07:55
Speaker
Overall, I'm glad I read this, but I'm not sure I'm going to actively recommend it to anyone. It was a fun read. It was a short read. but But it was just boring enough that it was still kind of hard for me to get through. Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:09
Speaker
So with all of that said, are you ladies ready to dive into our adaptations?
Modern Adaptation Focus
00:08:16
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, because I need to talk about my reaction to watching this one for the first time. Because whenever we pick these adaptations, these two were like, well, we have to have Carrie watch the one from the 90s because she's never seen it before. Well, yeah.
00:08:31
Speaker
I mean, i watched one that I've never seen before. Yeah. But you guys were like, this is the iconic one. so It is. like okay It is. Yeah. It is. I'm glad. Well then, guys, this is your spoiler warning. If you haven't seen these movies or read this book, maybe stop here. or don't.
00:08:48
Speaker
You're grown. You're grown enough to listen to us, then you're grown enough to make your own decisions. But we will be discussing things that might spoil it for you, so don't come after me if we do. he said, you're grown. You're grown. i am i am not Mr. Banks. like when I recognize when a child is no longer a child. Just saying. Yep.
00:09:08
Speaker
I am fairly experienced at this point in the we each watched a different movie format. So I'm just going to roll with it, you guys. Let's start at the beginning.
00:09:18
Speaker
Did your movie start differently from the book? I will go first because mine is the oldest. No, mine started incredibly like the book. It starts with Mr. Banks sitting in a chair surrounded by like confetti in a messed up house. And he's taking off his shoes or maybe he's putting on his shoes. i don't remember, but he's talking to the camera and he's like, you think...
00:09:38
Speaker
That marriage is going to be, you know, this and your kids going to set you up and you get married, you know, you you get married, you have babies, the babies grow up, they get married, they have babies, you know, but I forgot all about the wedding.
00:09:50
Speaker
And we instantly head into, like, we go back in time. So to the beginning of the book, it's him coming home. He does narrate the whole movie.
00:10:02
Speaker
um Sometimes looking directly into the camera. And honestly, I really loved that because this is so much in his POV. It was kind of nice to to keep that. But for the most part, it started exactly the same as the book.
00:10:14
Speaker
Carrie, how about you? ah You know, obviously much more modernized than the book. But, you know, it's funny that you say that, Crystal, because I've never seen any of the other adaptations. But the 1999 or 1999, 1991 does the same kind of thing right in the beginning where we have this moment where he's talking to us with the confetti all around him and having the very similar speech.
00:10:49
Speaker
and And we assume that it's right after this whole wedding happened or this whole reception happened. And then we go back in time as well. So I think that's funny. ah Different names and stuff, but also like going into it They live in California. Once they're going back in time, we have what his wife and he has like a son I don't think that he had more than one son in the book, though. Right. Yeah.
00:11:19
Speaker
Yeah. He just has one son and then his daughter and then his wife, Nina. And he owns like a sneaker store. Okay. Yeah. He was still a lawyer in mine, but it's mine was so close to the book. It's not like it's ridiculously close to the book. Yours came out like a year after. Right. Yeah.
00:11:40
Speaker
A year after the book was published. Yeah. There were lots of scenes that are like word for word. We'll get to that in a little bit.
Character and Scene Analysis
00:11:45
Speaker
Lindsay, how did yours start? Mine was completely different. Oh, lo we're going Persuasion again, aren't we?
00:11:53
Speaker
I will be honest. This movie was much better than my Persuasion situation. Okay, okay. I feel better now. I feel like we always give you the ones that are just weird. so And it's newer too, so it's interesting. But my movie starts with...
00:12:12
Speaker
Billy Herrera, or as the wedding planner says, Billy Herrera. but oh no. no okay He is a successful architect whose world is turned upside down when his daughter, Sophia, comes home announcing she's getting married in just one month.
00:12:32
Speaker
At the same time, Billy and his wife, Ingrid, are quietly planning to divorce. oh But decide to keep it a secret until after the wedding. So the movie opens with Billy and Ingrid in counseling, trying to work out their divorce.
00:12:54
Speaker
Somehow I feel like that actually is probably more realistic. Especially for 2020-something movie, you know? In this day and age, that seems about right.
00:13:06
Speaker
Yeah, and that's sad. So let's talk about our characters, our cast of characters. Anybody's names change, anyone left out, anyone added. ah For mine, everybody's there.
00:13:19
Speaker
Everybody's there. Everybody's got the same names. Nobody's left out. And when I tell you it was so well cast, Spencer Tracy was amazing as Mr. Banks.
00:13:30
Speaker
He actually was nominated for Best Actor um for this show. He was so good. So good. You know, with that, like, even in the scenes where he he drank a little bit too much,
00:13:43
Speaker
And he's trying to keep it together, but he's kind of loosening up and keeping it together. it's you know, at times when he's being gruff, but then he looks at his daughter and he's like, okay, anything for you. You know, very perfect.
00:13:55
Speaker
Elizabeth Taylor as Kay. oh Stunning. Stunning. And she plays it so well that like slightly spoiled, a little naive, but definitely not stupid, like, and and firm and stubborn, just, but gorgeous.
00:14:12
Speaker
gorgeous it just it was so well done honestly can't complain about any of the characters of the cast carrie what about you i mean ah had a pretty iconic cast you really did not gonna lie here Names definitely changed. But, you know, the character integrity was still there. we have George Banks or George Stanley Banks. His wife, Nina. Son's name is Maddie.
00:14:41
Speaker
Daughter's name is Annie. ah She actually comes home from like traveling in Europe, like after college or something, and announces that she met someone there and is now engaged to them.
00:14:55
Speaker
um and his name is like Brian McKenzie. i i actually think that their relationship, the relationship between him and his daughter, i liked it so much in this movie. i actually watched this with my dad.
00:15:12
Speaker
And we had such a good time because i have such a close relationship with my dad. So, like, us watching that together was super fun. And, like, I like their bond in the movie so much more than the book. Because, like I do feel like, yeah, like, he's very controlling of her relationship. But, like, there I never really sensed, like, this ultimate, like, closeness between them. You know? Yeah.
00:15:39
Speaker
And in the movie, like, there's, like, the scene whenever she's, like, kind of talking about them or she's announcing that she's engaged. And he's picturing her as, like, a little kid saying the same words and then a little bit older saying the same words. And I just really like that. I like that they made thick those characters much closer.
00:16:05
Speaker
I also have um the wedding planner, Franck. Martin Short, that was a crazy character. He's so good. That was a crazy character. Like the accent that he created for this character was wild. It was cracking me up.
00:16:30
Speaker
He's fronk. And just like every time, like he was just driving ah George crazy and it was hilarious. I loved it. That's awesome.
00:16:41
Speaker
Lindsay, what about you? I mean, obviously names are different, but do you feel like they got the vibes right? Or was anybody particularly well cast or horribly cast? Yeah.
00:16:53
Speaker
I thought the entire cast was fantastic. I thought they all did really well. You know, all of your main characters are there. We have um the father, like I mentioned, Billy and Ingrid, who are going through the divorce. And then instead of one daughter and two sons, like in the book, they just have the two daughters.
00:17:13
Speaker
It's um Sophia and Cora. Sophia... went to law school in New York. So she's the lawyer. And Cora is the younger sister. She was going to fashion school and she dropped out, but she wants to be a fashion designer.
00:17:30
Speaker
Yeah, I thought they were all very well cast and I thought they did great. That's good. Good, good. So I guess the big one for me, it seems dumb, but I want to know about your settings, costumes, vibes. Because at the end of the day, this is meant to be kind of a chaotic planning a wedding situation where the dad feels kind of pushed aside, bumped out by the ladies, right?
00:17:57
Speaker
Do you feel like you got that? Do you feel like it was shot well? I mean, for mine, absolutely. Absolutely. They had boxes coming in. They're carrying boxes. You know, because, again, Brian was released in 1950. So we don't have, like, Matt, like, we didn't film on location at a million different shops or anything. But we definitely had the, like...
Adaptation Elements and Themes
00:18:21
Speaker
The vibe we got the vibe of the boxes coming in and the gifts being delivered and the you know the caterers trying to set things up and it was very we got kind of got that chaos but excitement at the same time.
00:18:35
Speaker
Carrie how did yours do. Something that was really important to me when watching it, you know, especially after we did like our whole rating, I always am going to start referring back to that rating system that Lindsay created. Yep. Whenever we think of of our adaptations now, like the cohesion and like the setting and all that stuff. Yeah. And I, what was important to me was to get, like you said, like that chaotic vibe of the story, but it had to escalate. And then he had to give in into it that, that you, we had to see that and that had to be represented because I think that's the whole base of the story. Like, yeah, you're not going to have an exact same adaptation, but that I think that is kind of the main thing where He is rejecting it. Like the father's immediately rejecting it due to the closest of the relationship. And it gets super chaotic. But then he's kind of giving in. But like you can see like the tension rising in him because he just keeps giving in, giving in and trying to fight it. And I think...
00:19:43
Speaker
this movie did that so well because there were immediately, you know, he's trying to fight it immediately. And we have Steve Martin playing the dad who is absolutely hilarious. And like his opposite, ah the calm one being his wife played by Diane Keaton. He is so incredible in it too.
00:20:06
Speaker
And there's the moment where he goes and meets um the fiance's parents and they live in like this giant house also in California. So I'm like, okay, this is like a billion dollar home. This is insane. um So they live in this like giant house and he's like going to go look around and she's trying to like eat ah lunch or something with the family. And all of a sudden she looks out, he's like jumping off a balcony because he's like doing something crazy because he accidentally, I think, threw something in the pool that was theirs, like a book or something because he was looking through like their finances or something. I'm trying to remember exactly, but something like flew in the pool and he had to go down there and
00:20:51
Speaker
jump down there to go and get it and without being noticed that he was out there trying to retrieve it. And it was just like really funny moments like that, that made it escalate.
00:21:03
Speaker
And then, you know, the wedding planner comes in, Frank, he comes in and he is saying, you know, you got to get a cake, you got to do this and that and everything, the prices are increasing. And, you know, he's a little stingy about his money.
00:21:20
Speaker
And that all of a sudden he starts giving in to his daughter and his wife because they're like, well, we got to do all this. We need, you know, this is what's going to make the wedding so great. Right.
00:21:32
Speaker
And that starts escalating. And it's very funny in the movie. And I think they did it so well. Lindsay, what about yours? How did you feel about the the vibes? So compared to the 1950 and the 1991 versions, um the core idea the same. Obviously we have a father who is struggling to let go of his daughter as she's getting married, but it's 2022. So it's obviously much more modern with the family dynamics. and This one's all about cultural like identity, the parents' own relationship. Obviously they're struggling with divorce.
00:22:09
Speaker
And this makes the story not just about the the wedding itself, but also the marriage of the parents. And yeah, it's it's chaotic in the best way. ah Billy clashes with Sophia's fiance and his wealthy family.
00:22:30
Speaker
So um Billy's family's from Cuba and the fiance's family, I believe his name was Adon, think, his family was from Mexico.
00:22:42
Speaker
So it's like you have two Latin families under the same umbrella, but different traditions. And Adon's family, like i said, they are...
00:22:53
Speaker
They're rich. And his dad is wanting to pay for everything. He wants them to get married at their large home in Miami. And Billy is struggling with his relationship with his wife and struggling with letting go of his daughter. His daughter says that they're once they're married, they're moving to Mexico. So he thought she was going to move back to Miami and live in Florida with them. And now he realizes that he's also going to lose his daughter and he feels like his family's falling apart.
00:23:21
Speaker
They're planning the wedding and they don't want to really do anything traditional. Sophia proposed to her fiance. He didn't propose to her. She proposed to him.
00:23:32
Speaker
And already tradition is going out the window. So he is super upset that he's losing everything. But yeah, it it definitely escalates. I think it's interesting that yours has like a time limit on like the wedding.
00:23:53
Speaker
I think that's different from both of ours. I think that adds a little bit of pressure, though. So that's kind of one more element for Billy to be stressed about, you know, one more added pressure.
00:24:07
Speaker
So what about your storylines? Was there anything in particular from the book that, you know, any particular scenes from the book that were left out that you really loved or any scenes added? For the most part, mine was so incredibly similar to the book.
00:24:23
Speaker
There was not a lot left out. In fact, some word for word scenes, like when he's serving drinks at the, at the bar.
00:24:34
Speaker
brunch or the the cocktail party that they had, the the cocktail party, and he gets trapped in the kitchen serving drinks, you know, in the in the cab when he's or in the car when he's talking to his wife on the way to meet the Dunstans for the first time. That conversation is word for word. Like, it's it's so yeah I mean, honestly, the book might as well be the screenplay for for this one. It's so spot on. But there is one added scene.
00:25:00
Speaker
One added scene where Kay comes in and says, you might as well cancel the wedding, send all the gifts back. I can't do this. i just found out something about Buckley that, you know, I just can't stand. And she's crying and she runs to her room and Mr. Banks goes up to talk to her.
00:25:19
Speaker
And we find out that she wants to call off the wedding because Buckley suggested that they take their honeymoon in Nova Scotia so he can go fishing. And she is losing her shit over this.
00:25:31
Speaker
Which... I mean, honestly, it kind of works for Elizabeth Taylor's, you know, the way she's portraying this character. But at the same time, I felt like in the book, she wasn't that kind of, I don't know, I don't want to say airheaded or spoiled, but she wasn't quite that spoiled in the book.
00:25:51
Speaker
I didn't i feel like she didn't really have a personality. She didn't didn't know because it was all about what her father was projecting on her. Yeah. Yeah. You know, so I couldn't, I couldn't really sense anything from her to be honest.
00:26:03
Speaker
Pretty much. So I don't know. I just felt like it was a little weird, but you know, then Buckley comes in. He's like, anything you want. i I'm so sorry. I was so stubborn. You know, please forgive me. And, and all's forgiven. And then like that's literally the only thing different.
00:26:17
Speaker
The only thing different about mine. it was it it It was just such a but word for word adaptation and it worked.
00:26:28
Speaker
So Carrie, what about yours? Anything added or left out? I'm about to crack you up right now. I mean, I've seen yours, so I already know the answer. But yeah, I'm about to crack you up though.
Cultural and Modern Challenges
00:26:42
Speaker
Because i I mean, obviously a lot of differences because, you know, we're in a different type of setting. But still the same, you know, same storyline. But i'm going to tell you about the added scene that is very similar to what Crystal just described.
00:27:01
Speaker
Except, you know, she comes, the daughter comes back and she's like, the wedding's off. You know, the wedding is off. It's over. I crack up because he comes in. He's like the father. he comes in and he's just like, you know, it happens. Like he's just done so much work, spent so much time. And he's just like, all right, it's done.
00:27:26
Speaker
It's all over because he was kind of over this guy anyways. He was done with him. So he was like, oh, what happened? And he was like, she's like, um for our anniversary, I think it's like their anniversary or something. And she's like, he gave me a gift.
00:27:42
Speaker
And he's like, oh, no, what is it? She's like, open it, open it, because I can't even say it. So he opens it, and it's a blender.
00:27:53
Speaker
Because she's just like, she's been very concerned about the idea of marriage equals like losing your identity. Right. That's like been her thing. She...
00:28:05
Speaker
clay I think she claims to be very independent, even though it definitely doesn't come off that way because of how her father appears to be doing a lot for her.
00:28:17
Speaker
But, you know, she has a fear of losing her identity through that. And she thinks this blender as a gift is a representation of that, um that her fiance wants her to be, you know, stay home and make cocktails. Yeah, stay home and do that. And so she's like, the wedding is off. And I think what's really like, I really like about this change in the movie is that we get the dad, you know having this change of heart almost where he has to go out, find the fiance and fix this situation, you know, be like, you know, she just had a moment, you know, just go over there, have a conversation and,
00:29:01
Speaker
you know, figure out. Also, she's say she's like, they keep saying that you ah caused a scene at his parents' house and went in their pool and all this stuff, and I told them they lied.
00:29:15
Speaker
And he was just like, oh, oops. So that whole scene happened. I really like that he actually went out of his way to go fix it, even though he really doesn't want to be losing his daughter to, you know, someone.
00:29:29
Speaker
Right. And I really like that added scene. I think it's funny that that specific scene was kind of also added to yours, too. Because it will because your movie was based on my movie. Yeah. My movie was based on the book. Yeah, exactly.
00:29:42
Speaker
Lindsay, what about yours? anything Anything super weird added or something completely left out? So the cool thing about mine is they literally just modernized it. They took this the story, the core story, and they just made it work for today.
00:30:00
Speaker
So the scene that you both described with her calling off the wedding, it happens in my movie, but it happens because... They do a bachelor party.
00:30:13
Speaker
And they take Aiden or Adon. I can't remember how they pronounced it. They take him to a strip club. Billy and his family.
00:30:26
Speaker
He's trying to FaceTime Sophia. Sophia. From the strip club. Yeah. And he's like walking to the back to like talk to her because he can't hear anything. And he ends up running into Billy who's in the back crying. He's not out there with everyone else enjoying everything.
00:30:46
Speaker
So they sit down and they have a conversation and Billy admits that he and Ingrid are getting a divorce because no one knows. They were going to announce it when Sophia came home from college, but she announced her engagement. So they decided to hold off and wait until after the wedding. So he admitted that you know they're going through a divorce.
00:31:05
Speaker
And then obviously they're doing like the rehearsal dinner. And Billy pulls someone off to the side. They go off in the side room. And he's telling him about the divorce. And he doesn't know that Cora, his other daughter, is in the room. So she hears that they're getting a divorce. And she runs outside and she confronts her mother. She says, is it true that you're getting a divorce?
00:31:29
Speaker
And then obviously Sophia hears and then she finds out when her fiance is trying to defend her father that he knew about it and didn't tell her. So that's when she calls off the wedding because he lied to her because he didn't tell her.
00:31:45
Speaker
yeah The tea right now has me like, ugh. Yeah, that's that's way worse than my blender. Yeah. Yeah. And then in being in Miami and, you know, they couldn't really decide when they're having the wedding because they do have this timeline.
00:32:02
Speaker
It's during hurricane season. So a storm does hit. And the house that they were getting married at, the fiance's father's house, um it was on an island, like across a bridge. So they are leaving Billy's house to go to the wedding venue. And it turns out that the hurricane or the storm that hit actually destroyed the bridge. So they couldn't even cross the bridge to get to the venue, which was kind of similar to the truck scene.
00:32:34
Speaker
in the book when they're going to the the wedding chapel and the truck blocks them. Except, you know, they just have to go have the wedding at Billy's house. Okay.
00:32:46
Speaker
Honestly, I kind of really want to watch this one now. Yeah. It's actually a really good movie. I'm not going lie. Alright. Alright. Well, was there anything extra about either of your movies? Any fun facts or words? Interesting tidbits that you'd like to share?
00:33:01
Speaker
i mean, mine was... Mine was the book. I will say, though, it did so well at the box office that it did get rushed to make a sequel.
00:33:16
Speaker
um And the sequel is called Father's Little Dividend. Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, but this is where Kay has a baby and we see what happens with that, with Mr. Banks becoming a grandfather. Yeah, that's in, I think, Father of the Bride 2 after mine.
00:33:42
Speaker
And did you notice that in the book, there was like a lot of Bronte and Lord Byron references? i was like, oh my gosh, I understand these now. There was the one at the toward the beginning where Mr. Banks says that Kay would rather be with like a Lord Byron type. And I was like, oh, that's a red flag. oh Yeah.
00:34:04
Speaker
Run. No, girl. No, girl. Like, it's time to go. For mine, I think it's really interesting. Steve Martin actually signed on to do the movie before the script was even written. And then Diane Keaton almost wasn't even in the movie because they didn't want anything to do with her because her previous film had flopped so bad, which was The Good Mother.
00:34:28
Speaker
And I was like, wow, that's terrible because she did pretty freaking awesome. And it went really well. I also did some calculations. i pulled a Lindsay my movie. I pulled a Lindsay. Okay.
00:34:43
Speaker
Where, so there's like this whole moment where, with
Climaxes and Emotional Resolutions
00:34:48
Speaker
Franck, and I think it's like his like assistant. You can't say anything else besides Franck.
00:34:55
Speaker
Any other way. And it calls him and tells him basically like the budget that's going to be like per person there. And at the wedding after they do all the calculations and stuff. And he's like trying to hear him. and he's like, ah sorry, like, what did you say? i thought you said 150, like per head, like per person. Like I was about to like jump off a cliff. Like that's insane. He's like, no, not 150, 250 per head, per person And they have guests.
00:35:30
Speaker
That's $143,000 for wedding 1991. And guess what did? did inflation for today. That would have been $341,490. That's insane. a wedding. That's insane. i did inflation for today that would have been three hundred forty one thousand four hundred and ninety dollars it's insane for a wedding that's insane I should have done the math on the ah per head cost in the book. I didn't.
00:35:54
Speaker
Sorry. I don't know where we ended up on guests in the book. I know at one point there was 572. Yeah, there was like 500. They do try to cut it, but I think like eventually it still ends up. But then extra people showed up. Yeah. Yeah, so... And that made me laugh. Like, even in the book, they're like, we'll still invite all these people. but and this felt so typical to me, where it's like, I'm going to invite like, you know, parents. they they i have to invite my friends to like my people to then other people that are in your wedding. Well, can I invite my friends? And then you're trying to invite like specific families. and they're like, well, I need to invite my, you know, kids, my
00:36:36
Speaker
partner whatever everybody's got a plus one yeah everyone has a plus one and then as they're sending out invites they're hoping not everyone says they're gonna come and then it and then they're like yeah we're coming we're coming oh let me tell you something that sent me to the moon all right calling on the wedding day to be like hey we're at the station can someone pick us up Y'all can back on the train and get out of here. All right, go back home. Don't call me on the wedding day as I'm like the dad trying to like do traffic control here to get everyone where they're supposed to be and tell me to pick you up from the station.
00:37:20
Speaker
That part was in the book. That was in my movie. And it was no, the, the, like Mr. Banks being like, what do you mean you're at the station? What do you mean? There's no taxis. And everybody's running around him and the caterers are trying to set up and the guys are trying to move the furniture out. And Tommy doesn't have a shirt. And it was so like, this was the ramping up and he's on the phone. He's like, you just go outside and get a cap. I'll pay for it later. i'm like,
00:37:48
Speaker
You pay for it later. i didn't know that was an option, but okay. no Absolutely not. It's the people who showed up as a surprise and then they're like, oh, I don't have anywhere to stay, so I'll just stay with you.
00:38:00
Speaker
Yes. Yes. yes I will say, i my family is huge. Huge. And we have had the, like, showed up showing up as a surprise situation. i mean, I've done that to my parents. But it's we all when we do that, it is very much like, I'm showing up as a surprise and I've already reserved my hotel room.
00:38:21
Speaker
You know what i mean? Like, i'm not I'm not putting anything on anybody. that's i As big as my family is, we're all very respectful of crap like that. Do not...
00:38:31
Speaker
yeah um Do not expect anything out of me on a big day. Yeah, not for a wedding, though. Like, there's a whole RSVP thing. Yeah. Why do you think... That's surprise. Why do you think we sent you out those little cards to return?
00:38:44
Speaker
You know? why like They had the calligrapher write all these invites out in the book. and With the RSVP cards and you didn't bother to send one back and now you're like surprised?
00:38:55
Speaker
Also, can I stay at your place where all the wedding stuff is happening? yeah They're literally throwing a reception at their house. They had to take furniture out.
00:39:07
Speaker
They had to take it out and put it somewhere just to have enough people in there. They had to take doors off. Yeah. Sorry, I don't have a bed. We had to we had to remove it from the place. it's just It was just too wild. And i like as we're getting to the end, the wedding's happening, and we're on that day, and the book is just like pure chaos at that point, I was having anxiety. Yeah. I was having anxiety.
00:39:32
Speaker
it so it was driving me crazy. Well, speaking of the endings, though... my My movie ended a little bit different from the book. It... Mr. Banks doesn't get to see Kay. He gives her away at the wedding.
00:39:48
Speaker
And then he really doesn't get a chance to see her, talk to her at all through the rest of the day. Because it's so chaotic. And she ends up throwing her bouquet. He misses it. she They run off to the car to leave. He doesn't get to see her and say goodbye.
00:40:04
Speaker
And so like everybody's left. It's him and Mrs. Banks sitting in the living room looking at the confetti all around them. And she says, I'm going to go change my dress. You get the vacuum.
00:40:16
Speaker
And the phone rings and he gets up and it's Kay calling from the train station saying, you know, I didn't get to say goodbye, Pops. I love you. Thank you so much. Please tell mom, you know, how much this day meant to me. I appreciate all your hard work. I love you so much. And it was just, I cried. I cried at that point.
00:40:32
Speaker
And then they hang up the phone. And Mr. Banks turns to Mrs. Banks and um and she says, she is just such a good girl, isn't she? And he says, yeah, she is. And music starts and they start to dance in the living room by themselves and all the confetti mess. And I cried even harder.
00:40:50
Speaker
It was just really sweet. Carrie, how did yours end? Exactly like that. yeah Literally that exact same ending. Isn't it just perfect though? yeah you all good Yeah. Oh yeah. I was crying. And you know, my dad was crying too. we were both crying together. calm out on it. um He gets emotional in this stuff. He loves this movie, but something I really loved, which i teared up about a lot. It was like, so he owns like the sneaker company, right? That I talked about in the beginning.
00:41:23
Speaker
And he was working on these sneakers that were very like, had like lace on them and stuff that for like her wedding.
00:41:34
Speaker
And she is in her gown. He gets to see her for the first time in her gown. And she like lifts up her dress a little bit and she's wearing the sneakers. That made me cry a lot because it was like, I understand when it's like the debt all like,
00:41:52
Speaker
because my family is kind of like this where it's like my mom, me and my sister, like we're like a whirlwind when it comes to like planning something and we're like doing all this stuff. And like my dad kind of wants to contribute, but he's just kind of going with the flow because we're already like trying to control everything. And it was like his one contribution that was completely his, that he got to give her for her day. it like made me emotional. I was like, I love that so much. It was so good. That was like a little extra thing on the end that I really liked, but I hated that he didn't get to see her all day at the, at the end of her wedding. And, you know, in the book, they kind of say it was like all Lindsay kind of touched on this in the beginning of the episode is like,
00:42:39
Speaker
You in a wedding, it's like you're doing all this planning. There's all this buildup for so, so long, months and months and months to plan. And it's over in a couple of minutes. yeah Like wedding is over in a couple of minutes. Reception is over in like a few hours, maybe. And it's just done.
00:42:58
Speaker
And it's completely done. And like, you don't even get some time, like, with the people of the hour, you know what i mean? and that sucks. So it's just like, what's the point?
00:43:10
Speaker
You know? And I hated that ending. i mean, I love it the The phone call was sweet. Yeah, but it was like, disappointing. I mean, i don't know. If I were Kay, I would have made a point to find my dad before exactly you know exactly I Yeah, i wouldn't have left it even if everyone's like, go, go, go. like,
Best Adaptation Debate and Traditions
00:43:29
Speaker
okay. I would have been like, wait.
00:43:31
Speaker
Where's my dad? Also, first of all, I would never plan a flight. This is very like movie. like Because whenever she's like, I got to go because we're catching our flight. Who's planning a flight on their wedding night?
00:43:45
Speaker
No. No. You stay the night. somewhere near the the the airport for all I care and then you fly out the next day yeah absolutely not we all this is tell me that's how your movie ended Lindsay that they actually were smart about it and flew out the next day Well, they didn't leave, so. Oh, okay. All right. So how did yours end? makes sense to me. Right? So, you know, obviously this whole time, Billy has been fighting to keep tradition alive for his family.
00:44:19
Speaker
And he's been fighting that he wants to give his daughter away. And, you know, Sophia's like, I'm not something to give away. I'm not an object. But at the wedding, he does ask again if he could walk her down the aisle. Not give her away, but walk her down the aisle.
00:44:35
Speaker
And when he gets up there to walk her down the aisle, he invites his wife Ingrid to also... walk Sophia down the aisle. So they do it together instead of just him. ah And they walk her down the aisle and they get married. And then we're at the reception and everyone's dancing. And Billy gives a beautiful speech and he dances with his wife and they rekindle their relationship. So they're not getting divorced now. And it's a big, a big happily ever after. Yeah. Aw. That's is cute.
00:45:11
Speaker
I love it when, when things work out. we We needed a happy ever after after Wuthering Heights and then Frankenstein. Like, come on. We we need an HEA. So.
00:45:23
Speaker
Yeah. Thank This was nice. I liked it. So. Anything else we didn't cover? Any tidbits? Any fun bits? Any trivia? Any anything?
00:45:35
Speaker
No. I think. I think it's funny that Crystal and I's movies are so close. It really was a remake. It really was. Yeah. Yeah. Lindsay, anything fun we need to know about? I don't have any anyone or anything for this one.
00:45:48
Speaker
That's not right. That's not right. All right, then. Final verdicts. I mean, honestly, i really loved my movie. It was so close to the book. So close to the book.
00:45:59
Speaker
But because of the added element of the visuals, it really just took it up a notch for me. so I'm going to say movie. Carrie, what about you? I'm going have to go definitely movie for sure.
00:46:12
Speaker
And Lindsay? Going movie. Yay! yeah I'm excited. These were good. I'm going to go watch both. Well, I've already seen Carrie's, but I'm going to watch it again. It's so funny.
00:46:23
Speaker
And Lindsay, I definitely want to watch yours now, too You guys should definitely watch the 1950. It was good. yeah Well, that brings us to the question of the episode. What wedding traditions do you think it's time to say goodbye to?
00:46:39
Speaker
Or are there any that you think have faded away that you'd like to come back? Carrie, what about you? I mean, I think I kind of said it in my intro. I'm all about eloping, you know. so I think the traditions that need to go is all the parties leading up to the wedding. Fair. Fair. Because why do we have like eight part? We have the engagement party, a wedding shower, bachelor, bachelorette party. We have, and then we have the actual wedding and then we have a reception.
00:47:11
Speaker
And rehearsal dinner. oh and rehearsal dinner. Not everybody, but still, usually there's. But I mean, like if you were doing the traditional thing that like everyone like talks about, that is too much.
00:47:23
Speaker
Way too much. And somehow you're supposed to give a gift for like all of them. Yeah. Ooh. Lindsay, what about you? What what what do you think ah should go away or come back?
00:47:34
Speaker
I'll be honest, I don't like a lot of the wedding traditions, but I'll pick one that I especially don't like is um the smashing of the cake in the other person's face. during I hate that because- Who started that?
00:47:51
Speaker
Honestly. The whole thing is meant to represent a commitment to provide for one another and you're literally just like smashing it in their face. it's like you're mocking the the actual tradition and I hate that.
00:48:04
Speaker
Absolutely. Absolutely. ah i This is probably going to be a hot take, but I'm sick of all the gift giving. Don't get me wrong. I love a present. I love to get presents. I love to give presents.
00:48:17
Speaker
That's kind of my love language, honestly. But... I feel like in today's society, like originally gifts were given because these people are getting married and they're starting their own home together. They probably were living with their parents until this point. So they need help starting their home.
00:48:34
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Well, now in today's day and age, like for the most part, we all have already established our homes before we move out. We've already bought the stuff that we need. like don't get me wrong.
00:48:46
Speaker
Give me a check. I want your money. Give me a gift card. just give me Give me the money. But honestly, I'm so sick and tired of seeing registries that are full of crazy, high, like super expensive items because the truth of the matter is they already have all the towels they need.
00:49:02
Speaker
They already have all their dishes. They already have their, you know, their vacuum and their blender and their microwave because they already had the house. They already lived in an apartment. They already had a home. Yeah. I mean, that's a that's honestly true because now it's more common to be living together before you're getting married. And even if you weren't living together, chances are you had your own place. Yeah.
00:49:28
Speaker
You know, it's. it's It's a little, i mean, I think it's just disingenuous to give somebody a set of towels when they already have plenty of towels.
00:49:39
Speaker
You know what i mean? at that point, even if I got you the nice ones, you are now you have 30 towels and you really only needed six. you know you have You have a few that don't match what you already had and Exactly. Exactly. And don't get me wrong. I love a registry. But also, i like as someone who had to put together a registry not too long ago, it's really hard to do when you already have a home because you want to be respectful of everybody's budgets. You want to have gifts on there that run the the range price ranges. But i don't know. That's just me. I feel like at this point, let's just stop pretending that, you know, feeling the need to give a gift.
00:50:18
Speaker
Send a check. Send a gift card. Send cash. And don't be ashamed if it's only 20 bucks, you know, if that's what you would have spent on a gift, then thank you. I appreciate the fact that you care and think about me.
00:50:31
Speaker
And I think that's how everybody should do it. Yeah. Having said that, if I ever do get married again and you guys want to send me presents, I do like presents. So you can do that. ah I just like, I love presents. We know. i love them.
00:50:46
Speaker
Well, guys, I think that's it. We have sent the happy couple off to their honeymoon. And that means the party is over. Time to go. We're so glad you were able to make it. Don't forget to keep in touch. We would love to gab with you on our socials where we're always talking about what we're reading or watching.
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:51:05
Speaker
And if you're looking for your next great book, check out Libro.fm, the audio book source that supports local bookstores. And if you use our affiliate link in the show notes, it helps to support your favorite podcast too.
00:51:17
Speaker
For now, don't forget to RSVP, say thank you to your hosts, and maybe go easy on the champagne. We're going to start the cleanup so we can see you on the next chapter of Based on a Book.
00:51:31
Speaker
Bye. Bye.