A Wedding (1978)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

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

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

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:

The house featured in the film is the current home of singer Richard Marx and his wife, actress Cynthia Rhodes.

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:

Dr. Jules Meecham: What the hell is that?
Reverend David Ruteledge: That's a glass of milk.
Dr. Jules Meecham: You're kidding?
Reverend David Ruteledge: Dr. Meecham as a physician you should know the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Dr. Jules Meecham: You mean you don't drink?
Reverend David Ruteledge: No.
Dr. Jules Meecham: In other words, when you get up in the morning that's as good as you're gonna feel all day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gosford Park (2001)

Soundtrack:

Beautiful Dreamer

Promises promises

Robert Altman's "A Wedding" was shown recently on cable. Having seen it when it was first released, I was curious as to how it kept after all these years. Being an admirer of Mr. Altman's work, it was worth watching again, although the movie seems a bit too long on second viewing.

Mr. Altman brings two families into a formal wedding that are as dissimilar as oil and water. The groom's family is old money and the bride's is new money, perhaps, although the latter one seem to be out of place. The immediate reaction is: why are these two people marrying? Frankly, it makes no sense, at all.

We are treated to a wedding reception from hell! The wedding party as well as some of the few guests that attend the reception are an odd lot indeed. Logic would indicate that if a wedding is at the center of the story, the bride and the groom should be more prominently focused, but this being an Altman film, they are not as important as the people around them.

There is the old matriarch with no sense of time, at all! Then there is the old bishop that might be in the beginning states of dementia. The old family doctor who likes to touch all females' breasts. We have a wedding planner who has no sense of style. The mother of the bride is swept off her feet by the uncle of the groom in a hysterical sequence. The sister of the bride also had relations with the groom and his class at the military academy!

We get to spy on most conversations. Mr. Altman makes us silent witnesses to what is going on behind the scenes. This is his device for telling his story; he lets us hear snippets of conversation to get an idea of what is really going on.

"A Wedding" is a minor Altman. Somehow this story doesn't grab the viewer the same way as some of his best pictures, but it's a fun ride all the same. At the end we have learned the secrets of the two families and frankly, most of it was not that interesting. That is why, perhaps, this movie, although it tries, never found a wider audience when it came out in 1978.

This film is for Altman fans, mainly.