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Father of the Bride (1950) More at IMDbPro »

Father of the Bride (1950) (vhs):

Amazon.com Essentials: This 1950 Vincente Minnelli classic may show its age here and there, but it's still a far sturdier movie than the 1991 Steve Martin vehicle. Spencer Tracy earned yet another Oscar nomination for his wonderfully well observed portrayal of Stanley Banks, a decent (if occasionally long-winded) fellow who gets caught up and cut up in the rudderless spectacle that is the wedding of his only daughter (Elizabeth Taylor, of course). It's a sage commentary on the class mores of the day--how much does one spend? (Or, more accurately, when does one quit spending?) Does one invite one's work colleagues, even if they don't know the bride? Tracy is simply magnificent, gruffly warm and funny, whether he's getting sloppy drunk and discoursing at length or simply sitting by, silently amazed, as his daughter and her beau make up after a spat. The film inspired a sequel (1951's Father's Little Dividend--try getting that title made nowadays), a remake, and a remake of its sequel, as well as a TV series--all in all, almost as many incarnations as Taylor had weddings. --David Kronke

Elizabeth Taylor Collection (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Three Elizabeth Taylor films have been collected in this interesting boxed set. Taylor won an Oscar for Butterfield 8, in which she plays a good-time girl who wants to give up hooking because she's found a wealthy john who seems to want her, in this adaptation of a John O'Hara novel. Father of the Bride (remade 40 years later with Steve Martin) is really Spencer Tracy's movie, but Taylor shows a deft hand at light comedy as the daughter about to disrupt her old man's whole life by getting married. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof stars Taylor as Maggie the Cat, trying to make a man out of her husband Brick (Paul Newman) and negotiate the treacherous political shoals in the home of Big Daddy (Burl Ives), in this film version of Tennessee Williams's hit play. --Marshall Fine