Relive These Heartwarming Facts About The Father of the Bride

As I delve into the heartwarming tale of Diane Keaton’s character, Annie Banks, from the timeless classic “Father of the Bride,” I find myself utterly enamored by her journey. This movie beautifully encapsulates the emotions and trials of preparing for a wedding, but with a dash of humor that makes it relatable to anyone who has ever planned a big event.

Okay, we’re just going to say it.

It was understandable that George Banks (Steve Martin) had reasons to complain, given his circumstances. His 22-year-old daughter, who was portrayed by Kimberly Williams-Paisley at the time, came back from a three-month overseas trip with an unmet boyfriend, and she wanted her father to pay for a lavish wedding with over 500 guests on their spacious California property. The cost of this extravagant event was $250 per plate.

In simpler terms, as the patriarch expressed in “Father of the Bride,” “I purchased this house 17 years ago for less than what it currently costs to have my daughter marry and become Annie Banks-MacKenzie. It’s said that one day I will recall all this with a lot of fondness. I truly hope so.

And yet, despite what eccentric wedding planner Franck (Martin’s frequent costar Martin Short) labeled as the titular father’s curmudgeonly ways, Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer‘s remake of the Spencer Tracy– and Elizabeth Taylor-led 1950 classic about a dad’s begrudging acceptance that his little girl isn’t all that little anymore so thoroughly charmed audiences that it raked in $129 million at the worldwide box office.

Approximately three decades following its December 20, 1991 debut, we eagerly logged onto YouTube and Facebook to catch up with the Banks family (including matriarch Diane Keaton and younger brother Kieran Culkin) during Netflix’s September 2020 virtual reunion special titled “Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)” in September 2020.

Williams-Paisley shared with TopMob News her affection for the enduring impact of this film on people’s lives over time and the remarkable influence it has had on numerous families. She also discussed her involvement in the movie and the impressive feat accomplished by her and her husband Brad Paisley’s Nashville charity, The Store, which distributed over 1.5 million meals during its inaugural year.

Despite some adjustments to their original 2020 launch date because of COVID-19, she expressed that things got off to a swift start. What made it interesting was that everything was already in place, enabling us to assist those in dire need immediately.

Indeed, it seems people often approach her in the aisles to discuss their cherished film, as she revealed. Over the years, she’s frequently had conversations about people’s weddings, playing basketball with their fathers, and various other memories.

It’s understandable that they feel this way. Just as Annie Banks quickly fell head over heels for her new fiancé Bryan MacKenzie (George Newbern), we too were captivated by the heartwarming coming-of-age story. To honor 33 years of memorable father-daughter moments and brides secretly wearing sneakers under their wedding dresses, will you promise to cherish these fascinating facts about “Father of the Bride” as deeply as we do?

Steve Martin was already cast as the main character in “Father of the Bride” remake, long before Nancy Meyers started writing the script for this 1950s comedy reboot. (Paraphrased)

During the 2015 BAFTA & BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture Series, Meyers remarked that writing for Steve Martin is a blessing because it allows them to infuse humor, freedom, and creative twists and turns into their work.

2. She also envisioned Diane Keaton, who starred in her and co-screenwriter Charles Shyer’s 1987 romantic comedy “Baby Boom,” as a potential choice. However, persuading her for this role proved to be more challenging.

In 1996, Michael Keaton shared with Film Scouts that directors Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyers had to plead to cast him in “Father of the Bride”. He was grateful for their persistence because they were strong advocates for him. Interestingly, just prior to “Father of the Bride”, he had starred in “The Good Mother” which turned out to be a major flop. In fact, it was such a failure that it marked the end of his career with Disney. So when Shyer and Meyers wanted Keaton for “Father of the Bride”, Disney were hesitant due to his previous unsuccessful collaboration with them.

3. Martin Short didn’t create wedding planner Franck Eggelhoffer independently; instead, the character was inspired by real-life event planner Kevin Lee, who is famous for his thick accent and phrases like, “Welcome to the ’90s, Mr. Banks!”. In an interview with Bravo’s The Daily Dish in 2016, Lee confirmed this, saying, “Yes, absolutely it was me!” Lee, known for orchestrating Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt’s 2000 wedding, was the source of inspiration.

When Short was initially reluctant about the sequel, he admitted that it was due to his concern that the character might seem too intense following the success of the first film and didn’t want to spoil it. This was expressed in a 1995 interview with Charlie Rose.

Initially, the character in question was based on a real person and served as a comedic point of contention for Steve Martin. This is what Short explained, highlighting how Martin’s George had difficulty comprehending Franck in the original movie. In the follow-up film, however, there’s no confusion about what’s being said because we’ve already addressed that issue. To maintain the character’s essence, Short slightly toned down the accent without compromising it entirely.

19-year-old Kimberly Williams-Paisley (who was known as just Kimberly Williams during her time at Northwestern University) confessed that she was more anxious about making it to her audition than the actual reading. She admitted to TopMob News that her intention wasn’t necessarily to land the role, but rather to test her ability to navigate the L train into Chicago for the first time. Having grown up in New York and being accustomed to subways, she felt confident enough to explore the city from Evanston, curious to see if she could handle this new train system.

She found it surprising to land the role of the film’s bride. After briefly leaving college, she moved to L.A. alone, a terrifying experience for her since she knew no one there. “They took good care of me,” she said, “but I didn’t have any friends, and it was nerve-wracking navigating my way around and dealing with the high pressure of a big movie.

8. She acknowledged her on-screen love interest, George Newbern, as her real-life anchor. “George was my lifesaver because it was this massive Hollywood production, and I felt a bit overwhelmed by Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, even though they were both fantastic to me,” she shared with Glamour in 2014. “I mean, Steve genuinely looked out for me and showed me the ropes. He was so kind. And Diane was simply hilarious. But George was my partner in crime. It was a mix of terror and delight.

Apart from offering guidance, Steve was exceptionally generous in other ways as well. For instance, he frequently invited me to lunch almost every day, and he’d often bring along intriguing individuals. I recall a particular occasion when Steve extended an invitation, and Michael Caine unexpectedly joined us for lunch. He associated with some truly fascinating people, and his inclusiveness was admirable. I felt incredibly fortunate. And let me tell you, Diane and I shared many hearty laughs because she had such a great sense of humor.

10. One particularly “tense” incident continues to linger in the memory of Williams-Paisley: The point where Annie receives a blender from her fiancé, which triggers doubts about the type of wife he thinks she should be. As she frets over whether he expects her to abandon her architect aspirations, Annie breaks down in tears.

In a 2017 essay for ABC News, the actress reminisced, “The main issue was, I struggled to,” referring to her ability to cry on demand. “During every one of my four auditions, there was shared anxiety among us all that if I landed the role, I wouldn’t be able to produce tears when required. At that point in my training, I hadn’t developed much skill in tapping into emotions, and as I fretted over being expected to cry, it seemed increasingly unlikely.

Acting out the scene with Martin (whose job it was to find and comfort her), she failed to conjure up tears through 40-some takes. Sitting on set, “‘I’m not cut out for this,’ I thought. ‘I don’t belong here. I am failing,'” she recalled. “‘I’d cried many times in my life, not to mention recently, why couldn’t I do it now?'”

In her mind, she lamented her poor acting skills, but as she expressed later, “It felt like a gut-wrenching blow that made me cry out,” she admitted. “What a relieving cry!” Director Shyer called for action, and tears flowed down her cheeks: “That final take was the one they ultimately chose.

Indeed, she admitted it was somewhat pressuring to follow in the footsteps of Elizabeth Taylor. As the original film was well-known, she confided to TopMob News that she waited until production was over before watching it, fearing it might affect her performance or increase her anxiety levels.

Later on, I felt compelled to connect with the iconic screen star, as people were often saying, “Wonder what Elizabeth Taylor would think?” I shared. My heart yearned for a chance to meet her personally, but unfortunately, the five-time Academy Award recipient never got back to me.

12. Despite all the turmoil, Williams-Paisley attributes the film to transforming her life in every way, even leading her to her real-life spouse Brad Paisley. Back in 1991, the future country artist was still an aspiring musician, and for him and his girlfriend, it was their movie, as shared with TopMob News. However, the 18-year-old singer found it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the stunning actress he admired onscreen.

Four years on, single once more with a touch of melancholy, he revisited the theater for the sequel, Father of the Bride Part II, and just as before, he was captivated by the leading actress. “I remember thinking, she appears to be an exceptional woman—intelligent, humorous, and those qualities that are so elusive,” he shared with Good Housekeeping.

Later on, he composed a song based on his film viewing experience for his 2001 album titled “Part II“. At that time, he shared with the magazine, “It seemed fitting to invite her to be part of it. I wasn’t sure about her marital status or if she was recovering from rehab.

The actress was none of those things, but she was intrigued. “He woke up one morning and decided he wanted to call me, so I said alright because I’m a sucker for someone who’s interested,” she recalled to Meredith Vieira, “and we started dating and pretty soon after that, we were engaged.”

Reframing the narrative slightly, they often recount their charming encounter that’s reminiscent of a classic romantic comedy. As Williams-Paisley narrated to TopMob News, “His take on our meeting story is, ‘Oh yeah, I was dating someone else and happened to spot you in a movie,’ while mine is more along the lines of, ‘Well, he was essentially stalking me, so it seemed simpler to just tie the knot.’

13. It was fitting for Williams-Paisley to rejoin the film during a crucial phase of her life. “At 19, I couldn’t resonate with that at all,” she admitted to TopMob News. “But when I got engaged, I began quoting the movie. It seems like, ‘Ah, now I absolutely understand it.’

When Mom recorded the third segment featuring Florence Pugh as her sibling and Ben Platt as her adult child, it made her feel “I’m in with my children!” or simply “I became more accepted by my kids!

15. The actress drew a little inspiration for her 2003 vows, and as she shared with Glamour, she chose to wear sneakers instead of heels, replicating Annie’s wedding day fashion (considering her father runs an athletic shoe company).

She explained, “It was fantastic! Initially, I wore heels down the aisle, but afterward, I switched to sneakers. It’s logical to do so since it’s such a lengthy event. I wanted comfortable shoes because there’s so much talking and dancing, you really need them!” Regarding her wedding plans, she confessed to TopMob News, “I had to deviate entirely from the movie’s theme because my wedding could never live up to it. I didn’t want guests thinking, ‘The movie was superior.’

17. The movie wasn’t the sole source of inspiration for brides; many have been influenced by it. The location where they filmed both the wedding and backyard scenes, Alahambra, Calif., was sold for almost $2 million in 2016. Interestingly, the house exterior scenes were shot at an eight-bedroom Pasadena residence purchased by Sarah Bradley and Darrell Spence in 1999. This very same house was later used as their venue for their wedding, held 10 months after the purchase.

As a fortunate resident myself, I remember when Bradley brought on a planner and shared our address with her. She exclaimed, “Ah, you’re living close to the house from ‘Father of the Bride!'” I corrected her, saying, “No, we are the house from ‘Father of the Bride.'” To my delight, her reaction was, “I’ll be Franck!” Over the years, it has been a joy to witness numerous inspired couples exchange their vows right outside our home.

18. Indeed, the movie wedding was quite costly, to put it mildly. The meal for 572 guests alone came at $250 per plate, adding up to $143,600. Adding $10,000 for the bridesmaid dresses and a staggering $68,000 for the bride’s gown, BeFrugal.com estimated the total cost at an impressive $249,323. Williams-Paisley didn’t seem surprised if it was even more expensive. “With swans and all that grandeur—the large tent adorned with beautiful flowers and everything,” she said, “there’s no doubt that wasn’t a budget wedding.

2024-12-20 14:18

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