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Parents' Guide to

Father of the Bride

By Randy White, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Appealing remake has sweet messages, sexual references.

Movie PG 1991 105 minutes
Father of the Bride Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Jason J.
Jason J. Parent of 12 and 15-year-old
October 2, 2018
age 12+

Great film!-Just wish this site didn’t drop the ball with the adult content.

Enjoyed this movie when I was a kid and was excited to share it with my own kids. Didn’t remember anything wrong with it, so as is our custom, we checked CommonSenseMedia first. When we saw the rating and that there were “no sex or language issues present”, we sat the family down for a movie night. Obviously we were surprised when a couple mature jokes/lines were spoken (“don’t forget to fasten your condom... er, uh, seatbelt!” and “don’t you remember all the rooms we did it in in my parents’ house?!”). Really wish there was a warning when we checked CommonSenseMedia.org before watching with our kids.
coloradorich
coloradorich Parent of 10 and 12-year-old
May 18, 2013
age 12+

Steve Martin is absolutely hilarious as the over-anxious dad; I'd go 12 and up on this one.

CSM's review missed the fact that there are several sexual references: the parents talk about how 'we did it in every room of your parent's house when we were younger', there's a condom gag reference, and two scenes of deep kissing to be aware of.
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In FATHER OF THE BRIDE, 22-year-old Annie (Kimberly Williams) comes home from a semester abroad and shocks her parents with the news that she's engaged. While her mom, Nina (Diane Keaton), is excited, dad George (Steve Martin) struggles to deal with the idea of his little girl growing up, as well as the financial side of the wedding, which keeps growing bigger by the day.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (20 ):

The film spins a pretty web of nuptial fantasy, though it makes you wonder whether such frenzied consumerism is really what weddings should be about. That said, there's a lot to like in Father of the Bride, especially its warm, witty star: Martin embodies the fiercely overprotective dad struggling to let go, prickly but loving, and a real softie at heart. Keaton has little to do here but smile through tears; her role has been usurped by Martin Short's Franck, the wedding planner who leans into lazy gay stereotypes, but whose over-the-top performance can still often be funny. The scenes between Franck and George are superb, making up for the overly sweet sentiment elsewhere.

Also to its credit, this film manages to capture a sense of the specific bond that can exist between father and daughter. As George wrestles with the fact that his little girl, who saw him as her hero, is growing up, he experiences emotions that most parents and children will relate to. And in a welcome update of the 1950 original, Annie has more to offer than just a pretty face: She's pursuing a career in architecture, and she can play a mean game of basketball, too.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why George acts up the way he does in Father of the Bride. Why can it be hard to watch loved ones change?

  • What do you think about Annie's big day? Discuss the role of tradition and that of the wedding industry in how we perceive what a wedding should look like.

  • What stereotypes did you notice in the film? Can you think of other films that have shown similar clichés?

Movie Details

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