A Wedding (1978)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Robert Altman (story) &
John Considine (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 August 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

What he did to the military in M*A*S*H he does to marriage in... [DVD Australia]

Plot:

Muffin's wedding to Dino Corelli is to be a big affair. Except the ageing priest isn't too sure of the ceremony...

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Horse Riding | Thunderstorm | Dysfunctional Family | Topless

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Desi Arnaz Jr.	...	Dino Sloan Corelli (as Dezi Anaz, Jr.)
Carol Burnett	...	Katherine 'Tulip' Brenner
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Rita Billingsley
Howard Duff	...	Dr. Jules Meecham
Mia Farrow	...	Elizabeth 'Buffy' Brenner
Vittorio Gassman	...	Luigi Corelli
Lillian Gish	...	Nettie Sloan
Nina Van Pallandt	...	Regina Sloan Corelli
John Cromwell	...	Bishop Martin
Paul Dooley	...	Liam 'Snooks' Brenner
Peggy Ann Garner	...	Candice Ruteledge
Lauren Hutton	...	Florence Farmer
Viveca Lindfors	...	Ingrid Hellstrom
Pat McCormick	...	Mackenzie 'Mac' Goddard
Dina Merrill	...	Antoinette 'Toni' Sloan Goddard
Virginia Vestoff	...	Clarice Sloan
Dennis Christopher	...	Hughie Brenner
John Considine	...	Jeff Kuykendall, Head of Security
Robert Fortier	...	Jim Habor
Marta Heflin	...	Shelby Munker
Ruth Nelson	...	Beatrice Sloan Cory
Bert Remsen	...	William Williamson
Cedric Scott	...	Randolph the Butler
Tim Thomerson	...	Russell Bean
Maysie Hoy	...	Casey (as Maisie Hoy)
Belita Moreno	...	Daphne Corelli
Craig Richard Nelson	...	Capt. Reedley Roots
Susan Kendall Newman	...	Chris Clinton
Allan F. Nicholls	...	Jake Jacobs (as Allan Nicholls)
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	Wilson Briggs
Gigi Proietti	...	Dino Corelli I
Beverly Ross	...	Nurse Janet Schulman
Mona Abboud	...	Melba Lear
Margery Bond	...	Lombardo
Gerald Busby	...	Reverend David Ruteledge
Pam Dawber	...	Tracy Farrell
Mark R. Deming	...	Matthew Ruteledge
Amy Stryker	...	Margaret 'Muffin' Brenner Corelli
David Fitzgerald	...	Kevin Clinton
Margaret Ladd	...	Ruby Sparr
Dennis Franz	...	Koons
Harold C. Johnson	...	Oscar Edwards
Jeff Perry	...	Bunky Lemay
Patricia Resnick	...	Redford
Lesley Rogers	...	Rosie Bean
Ann Ryerson	...	Victoria Cory
Mary Seibel	...	Tante Marge Sparr
Maureen Steindler	...	Libby Clinton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ellie Albers	...	Gypsy Violinist
Amy Brand	...	Ruteledge Child
Christian Brand	...	Ruteledge Child (as Chris Brand)
David Brand	...	Ruteledge Child
Jenny Brand	...	Ruteledge Child
Jay D. Jones	...	Ruteledge Child
Jeffrey Jones	...	Ruteledge Child
Paul D. Keller III	...	Ruteledge Child
Tony Llorens	...	Piano Player
Courtney MacArthur	...	Ruteledge Child
Alexander Sopenar	...	Victor
Chuck Banks	...	And His Big Band (uncredited)
Gary Houston	...	Caterer (uncredited)
Terry Kinney	...	Caterer (uncredited)
Chris La Kome	...	Singer (uncredited)
Hedda Lubin	...	Maid (uncredited)
John Malkovich	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Laurie Metcalf	...	Maid (uncredited)
George Wendt	...	Caterer (uncredited)
Alan Wilder	...	Caterer (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Altman

Writing credits
Robert Altman		(story) &
John Considine		(story)
Robert Altman		(screenplay) &
John Considine		(screenplay) &
Allan F. Nicholls		(screenplay) &
Patricia Resnick		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Altman	....	producer
Scott Bushnell	....	associate producer
Robert Eggenweiler	....	associate producer
Tommy Thompson	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Charles Rosher Jr.

Film Editing by
Tony Lombardo

Art Direction by
Dennis J. Parrish		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jerry Turnage	....	hair stylist
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
William A. Sawyer	....	post-production supervisor (as Bill Sawyer)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter L. Bergquist	....	second assistant director
Bob Dahlin	....	second assistant director
Tommy Thompson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Stephen Altman	....	assistant property master (as Steve Altman)
Sally Benton	....	bridal portrait
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master
Jeffrey R. Renfrow	....	assistant property master (as Jeff Renfrow)

Sound Department
Jim Bourgeois	....	sound
Sam Gemette	....	sound editor
Chris McLaughlin	....	sound
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Hal Sanders	....	sound editor
Jim Stuebe	....	sound
James E. Webb	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Reed Altman	....	assistant camera (as Bobby Altman)
James Blanford	....	assistant camera (as Jim Blanford)
Gerrit Dangremond	....	assistant camera
Ed Nielsen	....	assistant camera
Ed Nielson	....	assistant camera
Steven Poster	....	camera operator (as Steven B. Poster)
Jack L. Richards	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
J. Allen Highfill	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Michael Altman	....	assistant film editor
John W. Carr	....	assistant film editor (as John Carr)

Music Department
Jim Bourgeois	....	location music recording
Betty Di Sorei	....	musician: Chicago Brass Ensemble
John Hotchkis	....	composer: fanfare music
Ruth Pelz	....	musician: church organ
Robert Rushford	....	musician: Chicago Brass Ensemble
Jim Stuebe	....	location music recording
Tom Walls	....	music supervisor
Richard Webster	....	conductor: The Choir of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Evanston, Ill.
Ted Whitfield	....	music editor
Timothy J. Kent	....	musician: trumpeter: Chicago Symphony Orchestra (uncredited)

Other crew
Victoria Barney	....	production coordinator
Ed Horwitz	....	personal assistant: Robert Altman
Carole Keagy	....	production assistant
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
Patrice Ryan	....	title designer
Lucie Salenger	....	liaison: Illinois Film Office (as Lucy Salenger)
Ann Tait	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Lions Gate Films
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• City Film (1979) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1979) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Other Companies

• Alyce Designs Inc.  bridal and bridal party gowns
• Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.  bridal and bridal party gowns
• Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.  bridal consulting
• Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.  wedding gift table
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)
• Gingiss Formalwear  grooms party fashions
• Priscilla of Boston  bridal and bridal party gowns

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

Instead of using a typical boom mike to pick up dialogue, director Altman required all the actors wear portable microphones to assist in creating overlapping dialogue. He used this technique several times since first developing it for this film.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Tracy arrives at the reception she apologizes to Toni for "missing the wedding." It was stated earlier that only family members were invited to the actual ceremony. As Dino's ex-girlfriend, Tracy wouldn't have been expected to attend.

Quotes:

Tante Marge Sparr: Again. You know I've been married four times, and never thought I was gonna do it again. At least I didn't think so.
Jim Habor: Well I've never been married.
Tante Marge Sparr: Never?
Jim Habor: Never. Not unless you can call being married to a lawn mower a marriage.
Tante Marge Sparr: There's uh, there's nothing wrong with you is there?
Jim Habor: No. There's nothing wrong with me.
Tante Marge Sparr: Well have you ever given some real thought maybe to a, a trip to New Jersey, huh?
Jim Habor: You have some hedges that need trimming my dear?
Tante Marge Sparr: I got a whole lawn that needs trimming.
Jim Habor: That sounds good.

Movie Connections:

References Frogs (1972)

Soundtrack:

The Second Time Around

One of the last classic 70's films to come out of the decade...

Though not as fully realized a film as MASH or Nashville, this is still a great film worthy of study in film classes and deserving of a better reputation than it currently receives. Altman showcases a wedding between two different classes of American society from vows to alcohol sodden, pot hazed, emotional let down end. I think what bothers most people about this film is that it doesn't hone in on any particular story line or character. Curiously, many recent films, Love Actually and Magnolia, for example, also present many story lines, but in too much detail, attempting to force the audience to care about each and every disparate story line and in my opinion, fails miserably. Altman, instead, only presents snippets of conversations, glimpses into the characters assembled for the wedding. For some reason this movie reminds me very much of the famous painting by Velasquez, Las Meninas. Velasquez's painting shows a royal family, posed rather informally and in the background can be seen the painter himself, painting the picture that is in fact being viewed. Many clues are given by the painter about the people shown, but nothing is obvious. Things are not as they appear to be. And the painting can keep it's audience at a distance if the viewer is not informed or it can bring the viewer into it's closed circle, if the viewer has the intelligence to know where to look. So too, does Altman's A Wedding, keep it's viewers at a distance and yet at the same time, constantly provides portals into the world of its characters. I think Altman does an outstanding job of treating the viewer as if he were an invisible guest at the wedding. Though the bride's father is a successful business man, he's a self made man and not to the manor born and while he can afford to give his daughter an opulent wedding it does not alter the fact that the family his daughter is marrying into, comes from a different echelon of society. One that has lineage and history as well as financial success. It's hard to relate to the groom's family unless one has been exposed to or comes from that world. Altman accurately portrays the idosyncrasies and cultural idioms that make up the world of the cushioned and privileged. This is a great film that holds its own in film culture and in the pantheon of great films from Altman.