Latin twist on Father of the Bride a lot of fun

Now, in culturally inclusive 2022, the old father’s tale turns its back on a WASP wedding in favour of a Cuban-American one starring Gloria Estefan and Andy Garcia as mum and dad.

Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Diego Boneta, and Adria Arjona in Father of the Bride

Father of the Bride (PG)
Foxtel on Demand, Binge
★★★
The American author Edward Streeter is long dead but his second novel keeps on delivering. He was alive to see Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor have the first crack at it in 1950 but had shuffled off by the time Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Kimberly Williams had their turn four decades later.

Now, in culturally inclusive 2022, Father of the Bride turns its back on a WASP wedding in favour of a Cuban-American one. The result is a refreshing take on the perennial story of an over-protective father struggling to let go of his daughter. This time around the father, Billy Herrera (Andy Garcia), is a successful Miami architect who came to America with “NOTHING”. The caps are needed, as he declares this at the outset and numerous times thereafter.

His wife Ingrid (the singer Gloria Estefan, who is terrific) is an interior designer but has spent most of her life keeping home and raising their two now-adult daughters, Sofia (Adria Arjona) and Cora (Isabela Merced).

When Sofia, having graduated from law school in New York, returns home and announces her engagement, it comes at an awkward time, for several reasons.

First, in a twist from the earlier films, the parents have agreed to divorce. However, Sofia’s announcement means mum and dad agree to keep that quiet until after the wedding in a month’s time. Second, her colleague turned fiance Adan Castillo (Diego Boneta) is from Mexico, which is OK, but the couple plans to move there, which is not, as far as father is concerned.

Even worse, they intend to work for a non-profit legal organisation that helps refugees. The father makes the point he is an exile, not an immigrant. And, perhaps even worse, Adan does not follow sports, drink booze or eat meat.

“I don’t know what she sees in him,’’ the father of the bride-to-be tells his wife. “Fake bohemian, vegetarian, soft voice … seriously, grow a pair.”

This sets up the drama: husband v wife, husband v fiance, father v daughter and older lawyer daughter v younger fashion designer daughter. It’s a romantic comedy, though, so it’s mild-mannered drama.

The arrival of the wedding planner, Natalie Vance (Chloe Fineman from Saturday Night Live), is a highlight. She’s not as funny as Martin Short (always a tall order) in the 1991 version, but she’s still funny.

Equipped solely with a mobile phone, she brings a digital-age sensibility to the story.

This 118-minute movie is the English language feature debut of Mexican filmmaker Gaz Alazraki, who had a hit with the black comedy Nostros los Nobles (The Noble Family) in 2013.

Garcia and Estefan are Havana-born and they, the director, the writer Matt Lopez and the other cast members bring a genuine Latin vibe to this engaging update of an old father’s tale.