The Big Wedding Synopsis: Don and Ellie Griffin have been divorced for several years, but when their adopted son’s Catholic, ultraconservative biological mother decides to attend his wedding, they are forced to pretend to be married to avoid upsetting her. The ruse creates tension and conflict within the family, and with Don’s second wife, Bebe, putting the family, and wedding, in jeopardy.
Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton (whom I could watch in just about anything) play Don and Ellie, a divorced couple who are forced to pretend they’re still married when their adopted son Alejandro’s ultra-conservative, Catholic (Ben Barnes – who seems to have been sprayed with self-tanner to appear Hispanic) biological mother and sister arrive to attend his wedding to Missy (Amanda Seyfried).
The problem is Don has lived with Ellie’s (ex) best friend, Bebe (Susan Sarandon), for the past eight years. The movie also touches upon Alejandro’s adopted siblings, Topher Grace and Katherine Heigl.
Grace plays Jared, a 29-year-old doctor and a virgin who is suddenly eager to lose it to Al’s biological sister Nuria. Heigl is Lyla, a woman suffering from infertility and separation from her husband. She also holds some immense hostility toward Don for cheating on her mother with Bebe.
The Big Wedding feels too big. There are too many characters, too many storylines, and not enough movie. We don’t get to know the characters all that well before the wedding day is among us.
The storylines seem far-fetched, the conflicts are quickly brushed off as if nothing happened (a quick apology from Lyla’s estranged husband is enough to call it water under the bridge?), and while there are a few laughs, there aren’t enough to save the clunky storytelling.
Oh, and Robin Williams, who is usually a bright spot in most movies he stars in, is so woefully underused. Anyone could have probably stepped into his role, and it would have been just as shrug-worthy.
The Big Wedding is disappointing, to say the least.
Watched: 08/30/2018
Notable Song: Save The Last Dance for Me by Michael Buble
