A Wedding (1978)

The daughter of a Louisville truck driver marries the scion of a very wealthy family, but the reception at the family estate is boycotted by the invited guests.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

John Considine (screenplay), Patricia Resnick (screenplay)

Stars:

Carol Burnett, Desi Arnaz Jr., Paul Dooley

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carol Burnett	...	Tulip Brenner
Paul Dooley	...	Snooks Brenner
Amy Stryker	...	Muffin Brenner
Mia Farrow	...	Buffy Brenner
Dennis Christopher	...	Hughie Brenner
Gerald Busby	...	Rev. David Ruteledge
Peggy Ann Garner	...	Candice Ruteledge
Mark R. Deming	...	Matthew Ruteledge
Mary Seibel	...	Aunt Marge Spar
Margaret Ladd	...	Ruby Spar
Lesley Rogers	...	Rosie Bean
Tim Thomerson	...	Russell Bean (as Timothy Thomerson)
Marta Heflin	...	Shelby Munker
David Brand	...	Ruteledge Child
Christian Brand	...	Ruteledge Child (as Chris Brand)

Storyline

Muffin's wedding to Dino Corelli is to be a big affair. Except the aging priest isn't too sure of the ceremony, only the families actually turn up as the Corelli Italian connection is suspect, security guards watch the gifts rather over-zealously, and Dino's grandma dies in bed just as the reception starts. Could be quite an occasion.

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Plot Keywords:

estate | security guard | wedding | bride and groom | male female relationship | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The house featured in the film is the current home of singer Richard Marx and his wife, actress Cynthia Rhodes.

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Goofs

Two boys plan to put a frog in the newlyweds' bed. However, it is obvious from the decorated new car in front of the house that they are going to leave in it after the reception and will not spend their wedding night in the house.

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Quotes

Tante Marge Sparr: Again. You know I've been married four times, and never thought I was gonna do it again. At least I didn't think so.
Jim Habor: Well I've never been married.
Tante Marge Sparr: Never?
Jim Habor: Never. Not unless you can call being married to a lawn mower a marriage.
Tante Marge Sparr: There's uh, there's nothing wrong with you is there?
Jim Habor: No. There's nothing wrong with me.
Tante Marge Sparr: Well have you ever given some real thought maybe to a, a trip to New Jersey, huh?
Jim Habor: You have some hedges that need trimming my dear?
Tante Marge Sparr: I got a whole lawn that needs trimming.
Jim Habor: That sounds good.

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Alternate Versions

The credits in the German version have a completely different order compared to the original release.

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Connections

Referenced in Národ sobe aneb Ceské more v osmnácti prílivech (2003)

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Soundtracks

Bridal Chorus
(1850) (uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Music by Richard Wagner
Played for the wedding

User Reviews

An affair to remember

I think this film does a splendid job of showing both the charm and the pitfalls of Robert Altman's style of direction. And curiously, it may be his most likable film.

Of course, Altman's trademark soft-focus drama and overlapping soundtrack are in evidence here, giving us a clear approximation of what it is like to be thrust into a big, bustling and poorly-organized social event. A WEDDING shows us what Altman does best, creating an atmosphere where individuals come into and out of focus seemingly at random and the storyline unfolds less like a narrative than as a string of half overheard bits of gossip. The large and varied cast performs with seemingly exaggerated gusto, a necessity to help make clear the individual threads of the tangled narratives. You either love this about Altman's films, or it infuriates you -- sometimes it does both.

Yet, as much as this meandering style of film-making can exhilarate the game viewer, it can also rob the story of a sense of gravity. Certainly, the point of the film is that such an event as a phoney-baloney society wedding is a trivial affair, at the same time when the film turns to matters of life and death, the Altman style makes this seem trivial as well. Altman has never been able to punch home his films with "a big climatic moment" -- and he has never really tried -- and that is what is missing from A WEDDING. It just sort of peters out, like guests who randomly wander out of the party without saying goodbye.

Still, there is something endearing about A WEDDING that is missing from much of Altman's other works. Despite the large hubbub of characters, this is an intimate affair and little bits of bittersweet drama filters through. The lightly sketched vignettes give us an insightful vision of family ties in various states of unraveling. The characters, though ludicrous from a distance, are somehow endearing when viewed up close. Kudos must go to vivid performances by such unlikely costars as Carol Burnett, Pat McCormick, Dina Merrill, Geraldine Chaplin, Lillian Gish, Nina Van Palandt, Mia Farrow and Lauren Hutton, some of whom have but a few seconds of screen time to create memorable characterizations. Like many a real-life wedding, A Wedding is vaguely disappointing, yet strangely unforgettable.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

27 September 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Wedding

Filming Locations:

Waukegan, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lion's Gate Films, Major Studio Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1