A Wedding (1978)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Robert Altman (story) &
John Considine (story) ...

Release Date:

29 August 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

What he did to the military in M*A*S*H he does to marriage in... [DVD Australia]

Plot:

Muffin's wedding to Dino Corelli is to be a big affair. Except the ageing priest isn't too sure of the ceremony...

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Horse Riding | Thunderstorm | Dysfunctional Family | Topless

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Desi Arnaz Jr.	...	Dino Sloan Corelli (as Dezi Anaz, Jr.)
Carol Burnett	...	Katherine 'Tulip' Brenner
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Rita Billingsley
Howard Duff	...	Dr. Jules Meecham
Mia Farrow	...	Elizabeth 'Buffy' Brenner
Vittorio Gassman	...	Luigi Corelli
Lillian Gish	...	Nettie Sloan
Nina Van Pallandt	...	Regina Sloan Corelli
John Cromwell	...	Bishop Martin
Paul Dooley	...	Liam 'Snooks' Brenner
Peggy Ann Garner	...	Candice Ruteledge
Lauren Hutton	...	Florence Farmer
Viveca Lindfors	...	Ingrid Hellstrom
Pat McCormick	...	Mackenzie 'Mac' Goddard
Dina Merrill	...	Antoinette 'Toni' Sloan Goddard

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

Robert Altman admits that the whole production of the film came as a joke. A reporter had asked him what he planned to do next and he jokingly said that he was going to film someone's wedding, seeing as that was becoming a more common thing to do at the time. As he reflected on it, he decided it was actually quite a good idea, as he had never been to a wedding where something didn't go wrong.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Tracy arrives at the reception she apologizes to Toni for "missing the wedding." It was stated earlier that only family members were invited to the actual ceremony. As Dino's ex-girlfriend, Tracy wouldn't have been expected to attend.

Quotes:

Dr. Jules Meecham: What the hell is that?
Reverend David Ruteledge: That's a glass of milk.
Dr. Jules Meecham: You're kidding?
Reverend David Ruteledge: Dr. Meecham as a physician you should know the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Dr. Jules Meecham: You mean you don't drink?
Reverend David Ruteledge: No.
Dr. Jules Meecham: In other words, when you get up in the morning that's as good as you're gonna feel all day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gosford Park (2001)

Soundtrack:

Give Me the Simple Life

One of the last classic 70's films to come out of the decade...

Though not as fully realized a film as MASH or Nashville, this is still a great film worthy of study in film classes and deserving of a better reputation than it currently receives. Altman showcases a wedding between two different classes of American society from vows to alcohol sodden, pot hazed, emotional let down end. I think what bothers most people about this film is that it doesn't hone in on any particular story line or character. Curiously, many recent films, Love Actually and Magnolia, for example, also present many story lines, but in too much detail, attempting to force the audience to care about each and every disparate story line and in my opinion, fails miserably. Altman, instead, only presents snippets of conversations, glimpses into the characters assembled for the wedding. For some reason this movie reminds me very much of the famous painting by Velasquez, Las Meninas. Velasquez's painting shows a royal family, posed rather informally and in the background can be seen the painter himself, painting the picture that is in fact being viewed. Many clues are given by the painter about the people shown, but nothing is obvious. Things are not as they appear to be. And the painting can keep it's audience at a distance if the viewer is not informed or it can bring the viewer into it's closed circle, if the viewer has the intelligence to know where to look. So too, does Altman's A Wedding, keep it's viewers at a distance and yet at the same time, constantly provides portals into the world of its characters. I think Altman does an outstanding job of treating the viewer as if he were an invisible guest at the wedding. Though the bride's father is a successful business man, he's a self made man and not to the manor born and while he can afford to give his daughter an opulent wedding it does not alter the fact that the family his daughter is marrying into, comes from a different echelon of society. One that has lineage and history as well as financial success. It's hard to relate to the groom's family unless one has been exposed to or comes from that world. Altman accurately portrays the idosyncrasies and cultural idioms that make up the world of the cushioned and privileged. This is a great film that holds its own in film culture and in the pantheon of great films from Altman.