Betsy's Wedding (1990)

Director:

Alan Alda

Writer (WGA):

Alan Alda (written by)

Release Date:

22 June 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

The wedding picture doesn't always tell the whole story.

Plot:

Offbeat fashion student Betsy Hopper and her straight-laced investment-banker fiancé, Jake Lovell, just want an intimate little wedding reception...

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Jewish | Police Officer | Mobster | Police

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Alan Alda	...	Eddie Hopper
Joey Bishop	...	Mr. Hopper - Eddie's Father
Madeline Kahn	...	Lola Hopper
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Stevie Dee
Catherine O'Hara	...	Gloria Henner
Joe Pesci	...	Oscar Henner
Molly Ringwald	...	Betsy Hopper
Ally Sheedy	...	Connie Hopper
Burt Young	...	Georgie
Julie Bovasso	...	Grandma
Nicolas Coster	...	Harry Lovell
Bibi Besch	...	Nancy Lovell
Dylan Walsh	...	Jake Lovell
Camille Saviola	...	Angelica
Allan Rich	...	Nate Tobias
Sully Boyar	...	Morris (Lola's Dad)
Monica Carr	...	Joy
Frankie Faison	...	Zack Monroe (as Frankie R. Faison)
Tom Mardirosian	...	Dave Delahees
Larry Block	...	Barber
Helen Hanft	...	Fitter
Mario Todisco	...	Anselmo (Bodyguard)
Paul B. Mixon	...	Plumber
William Duff-Griffin	...	Caterer
Thomas John Caliguri	...	Man at Wedding
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Taxi Dispatcher (Mickey)
Janet Pasquale	...	Georgies Companion
Harry L. Seddon	...	Man On Phone / Taxi Garage
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carol Bawer	...	Disgruntled Patron (uncredited)
Curtis Lambert	...	Groomsman (uncredited)
Hamilton Perkins	...	Man Outside Restaurant (uncredited)
Larry Rapp	...	Man Outside Restaurant (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Alda

Writing credits (WGA)
Alan Alda		(written by)

Produced by
Martin Bregman	....	producer
Michael Bregman	....	associate producer (as Michael Scott Bregman)
Louis A. Stroller	....	producer

Original Music by
Bruce Broughton

Cinematography by
Kelvin Pike

Film Editing by
Michael E. Polakow

Casting by
Mary Colquhoun

Production Design by
John Jay Moore

Set Decoration by
Barbara Kahn

Costume Design by
Mary Malin

Makeup Department
Dalaree Goodwin	....	assistant hair stylist
Jeff Goodwin	....	makeup artist
Herita Jones	....	assistant makeup artist
Peggy Nicholson	....	hair stylist
Jeffrey Sacino	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jacob Conrad	....	assistant unit manager
Jeffrey L. Hayes	....	production manager
Daniel J. Heffner	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yudi Bennett	....	first assistant director
Barbara D'Alessandro	....	second assistant director
Debra Kent	....	second second assistant director: New York
Liz Ryan	....	assistant director: New York

Art Department
Kip Bartlett	....	on-set dresser
Robert Beck	....	property master (as Robbie Beck)
Beth Giles	....	set dresser
General Fermon Judd Jr.	....	set dresser (as Fermon Judd)
Leigh Kyle	....	set dresser: New York
Andrew Moore	....	assistant art director
James F. Oñate	....	scenic foreman
Leslie A. Pope	....	set decorator: New York
Gus Ramsden	....	model coordinator
Thomas Michael Ryan	....	gang boss
Jeffrey Schlatter	....	construction coordinator
Eric 'Skip' Skipper	....	model maker
Mark S. Turner	....	scenic
Debbie Nolan	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bruce Bell	....	foley artist
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Blufer	....	sound effects recordist
Robert Bradshaw	....	sound editor (as Bob Bradshaw)
Tobie Joanne Caron	....	sound effects coordinator
Gordon Ecker	....	supervising sound editor
John Michael Fanaris	....	sound effects coordinator
Jessica Gallavan	....	adr supervising editor (as Jessica Galavan)
Hector C. Gika	....	sound editor
Frank Haber	....	sound mixer
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley artist
Scott D. Jackson	....	adr foley supervisor
John Kwiatkowski	....	sound editor
Anthony Milch	....	sound editor (as Anthony R. Milch)
Andy Napell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Josephine Nericcio	....	assistant adr editor
Jeffrey Perkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Pritchett	....	sound mixer
Katie Rowe	....	foley artist
Kim Secrist	....	sound editor
Bruce Stambler	....	supervising sound editor
Shawn Sykora	....	foley editor
Maggi Travis	....	boom operator: New York
Donald L. Warner Jr.	....	sound editor (as Don Warner)
Richard E. Yawn	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Greg Hull	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Chino Binamo	....	stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunts
John Cenatiempo	....	stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunt coordinator
Roy Farfel	....	stunts
Frank Ferrara	....	stunt coordinator
Frank Ferrara	....	stunts
Robin Grathwol	....	stunts
John Hayden	....	stunt double
Don Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
Jim Lovelett	....	stunts (as James Lovelett)
Gino Lucci	....	stunts
Steve Mack	....	stunts
David Meeks	....	stunts
Bruce Moriarty	....	stunts
Mick O'Rourke	....	stunts
Janet Paparazzo	....	stunts
William Pitts	....	stunts
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts
Rick Sawaya	....	stunt double
Jeff Ward	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Adam Alphin	....	assistant camera
Michael F. Barrow	....	gaffer (as Michael Barrow)
Jock Brandis	....	rigging gaffer
Ted Churchill	....	steadicam operator
Maurizio Dotto	....	first assistant camera: New York
Edward Gold	....	camera operator (as Eddie Gold)
Jeff Graham	....	second assistant camera
Jim Cody Harrington	....	key grip (as Cody Harrington)
Patricia Harrison	....	first assistant camera
Steve Head	....	assistant camera
George Hesse	....	second assistant camera: re-shoots
Alan Pickelsimer	....	grip
Monty Rowan	....	camera operator
Patricia Van Over	....	first assistant camera (as Pattie Vanover)
Donald Vetick	....	dolly grip
Mike Repeta	....	video playback operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Karen E. Etcoff	....	extras casting: New York
Craig Fincannon	....	extras casting
Mark Fincannon	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lucy W. Corrigan	....	costumer: New York
Laurie Johnson	....	costumer: New York
Lisa Lovaas	....	costume supervisor
Eileen Sieff Stroup	....	costumer
Alonzo Wilson	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Jeff Etcher	....	assistant editor
Carole Henderson Harrington	....	assistant editor
William Shaffer	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bill Benton	....	music editor
Frank Haber	....	music editor
Jim Harrison	....	supervising music editor
Dan Marfisi	....	song
Mark McKenzie	....	orchestrator
Don Nemitz	....	orchestrator
Armin Steiner	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Anthony Forester	....	transportation captain (as Anthony 'Bubba' Forester)
Roy A. Grace	....	driver

Other crew
Carol Bawer	....	set production assistant
Sidney Brammer	....	unit production coordinator: New York
Cindy Cullom	....	stand-in
Chrissie Davis	....	production coordinator
James Ellis	....	script supervisor
Ken Hudson	....	production assistant
Deena Kilmon	....	stand-in: Molly Ringwald
Michael Klawitter	....	assistant to Martin Bregman and Louis A. Stroller
John C. Kruize	....	assistant accountant
Pamela Kuri	....	key set production assistant
Geni Marino	....	assistant to Martin Bregman and Louis A. Stroller
Vicki Matlin	....	caterer
David Meeks	....	animal handler
Virginia Newton	....	production assistant
Randall Pickett	....	craft service
Julianna Pitt	....	production assistant
Michael W. Stroud	....	location manager (as Michael Stroud)
Elissa Van Poznak	....	production assistant
Michael Zorek	....	production assistant
Cleland Hoff	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Touchstone Pictures (presents)
• Silver Screen Partners IV (in association with)
• Martin Bregman Productions
• Betsy's Wedding

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1990) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Ephraim Gilad & Co (199?) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Films (1990) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (UK) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures International)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (199?) (Finland) (VHS)
• Touchstone Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Touchstone Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Pacific Title (titles and opticals)

Other Companies

• Fincannon & Associates  casting
• Segue Music  music editing

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Sweden:7 | USA:R | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Inspired by Alan Alda's own daughter's wedding.

Quotes:

Stevie Dee:I could be whatever you need. I could do anything for the woman I love. I believe in saying what you feel. You are the blood in my veins, I would walk through fire for you. I will always be available, I belong to you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Wedding Week 3 (#7.118)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Chapel of Love

Fizzles After a Terrific Set-Up

A father (Alda) learns that his daughter (Ringwald) wants to get married. He is determined to give her an extravagant wedding even though his construction business is not doing well and he is in bad need of money.

If this thing had been played to it's full potential this might have been a real slam bang wedding satire. All the ingredients are there: feuding in-laws, disagreements on religions, seating arrangements, fashion styles, cost, and of course all those other unforeseen catastrophes. Unfortunately, like with all of Alda's films, he never plays anything out. He starts with something interesting and then pulls back just as it is about to get good. Some keen insights into the wedding process are lost. The climatic wedding 'disaster' is limp and only half of what it could have been. The needless story thread involving Alda's 'initiation' into a Italian crime family is both dumb and highly sterotyped.

The films lone payoff is the appearance of Bishop. He plays Alda's dead father and appears sporadically as 'visions'. Some of his observations are funny. Pesci also gives his part a lot of energy in a role that is slightly atypical for him. Yet none of it is enough to make it memorable.

3 out of 10.