Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton, Robert DeNiro, and the late Robin Williams are marvelous in their roles and still "got it going on" to make you feel good. There are only a couple issues with The Big Wedding, written and directed by Justin Zackhman. For example, this movie is a big "white" in set-decoration and characters. The story does include about 25% diversity with Latino characters but sadly, no authentic Latino actors. It's not that they didn't try. An important character to the story is the adopted son Alejandro who was born in Columbia (real life British actor, Ben Barnes) and his biological mother from Columbia (Patricia Rae, US born and Columbian descent) & sister from Columbia (Ana Ayora, US born and Miami native). Patricia Rae is the closest we get to actor diversity. If you can forget all that, the issues raised in the story connect well with the audience because the sexuality is real, and the characters are believable - outlandish at times - but believable. My only other issue is that one scene is out of order after an intimate event between the DeNiro & Keaton characters. The next morning, the couple presents Alajandro with a meaningful wedding gift that began a long time ago and connects them emotionally. Th gift is the soul of the movie and no doubt will inspire real-life engaged couples to replicate. The problem with this scene is the next time we see DeNiro is at the wedding where he obviously fell-off-the-wagon. Wait, he was fine that morning and suddenly he's tormented. It's too much of an emotional shift, isn't it? The abrupt emotional shift within only a few hours could, but probably wouldn't happen in real life. Isn't it better that the DeNiro & Keaton's characters present the gift to Alajandro, go to the rehearsal dinner, have the sexual conflict, and then be tormented playout better logically? None the less, Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia, 2008), Topher Grace (That 70s Show) and Kyle Bornheimer (Marriage Story) help make the story come alive. Feel good endings are more important than ever because of the current pandemic, wildfires, inequality, and political climate. And The Big Wedding delivers a good ending. My husband and I laughed throughout the movie and we liked the happy, feel good ending that includes all the characters. With my husband related to the family values, issues raised, characters, actors, and the story and we wish there were more stories with this demographic appeal, but with diverse actors as well as characters. Shamelessly I will add that The Big Wedding reminds me of a Screenplay I wrote with Sarandon and Keaton in mind - in my dreams, I know. We watched on Netflix; September 8, 2020.
Review of The Big Wedding
