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At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Initially concerned about his teenage daughter getting married at such a young age, a loving father gradually becomes more worried about the escalating cost of financing the wedding in this Spencer Tracy comedy. Opening with Tracy talking to the camera - and carrying on with him as narrator - the film benefits greatly from the charisma that Tracy brings to the role. There are some excellent early moments as he scoffs over who his daughter's potential suitor might be and as he ends up waxing poetic about his own marriage during a meeting in which he intended to grill his future son-in-law. The second half of the film is not as funny though as Tracy becomes less vexed over his daughter marrying the right man and more concerned with the cost of the wedding. The gags in this section are all fairly predictable (e.g. accidentally ripping his old suit) and Tracy himself is more sympathetic when playing an overprotective father rather than a penny-pinching killjoy. There is, however, a very well done surreal nightmare sequence in the second half, which is pretty much the highlight of the whole movie. 'The Catered Affair' - released six years later - is of interest as a more dramatic approach to the same basic idea. This earlier film is not half-bad, but the choice to play everything as a buoyant comedy causes 'Father of the Bride' to resonate less in the mind.

"Father of the Bride" is such a flawless film that you cannot truly appreciate its artistry unless you watch it more than once. Splendidly cast, splendidly thesped, and perfectly hilarious without stooping to lowest common denominator humor to score points, this comedy was made when comedies could be funny without being stupid. Everything is told from the perspective of the eponymous character. Indeed, the entire movie constitutes a flashback as it opens with a disheveled Stanley Adams (Spencer Tracy) and his wife Ellie (Joan Bennett) sitting in the shambles of their house after their daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) has been hitched to Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor). Most of the comedy grows out of the predicaments that Tracy and company find themselves in when it comes time to throw a marriage for their daughter. For example, at the announcement of Kay's wedding, Stanley has planned a small speech, but he finds himself stuck in the kitchen of their house mixing drinks for the guests. When he finally gets a chance to get out of the kitchen and deliver his speech, everybody has left the premises. Later, Stanley has a nightmare about Kay's wedding; he dreams that he is trying to walk up the aisle, but the aisle turns into a surreal path and it is little for than a trampoline and our protagonist is struggling to keep his suit on no matter how rough the aisle becomes. At one point, when Buckley decides that Kay and he should honeymoon in Nova Scotia because the fishing is fantastic, Kay almost has the wedding canceled. She complains to Pops that she wouldn't have the opportunity to display herself in all her evening apparel. Predictably, Buckley arrives and they fall into each other's arms. Clocking in at 94 nimble minutes, "Father of the Bride" qualifies as superior entertainment for the entire family. Incidentally, a sequel followed entitled "Father's Little Dividends" with Spencer Tracy and virtually the entire cast reprising their roles under the sure-handed direction of Vincente Minnelli. Other interesting scenes that stand out include the Coke scene in the kitchen when a younger man has to teach Spencer Tracy the correct way to remove the cap from a bottle of soda pop. Another cute scene involves an older Tracy trying to squeeze into his old cutaway suit. Although he manages to squeeze into it, Stanley later splits the seams in the back when he struggles to open two jammed door. Yes, Steve Martin stepped into Tracy's shoes for the 1991 remake and the 1995 sequel.

TCM is showing this movie for Father's Day and they are so right. I wish I had the kind of father's love Spencer Tracy had for his daughter. Joan Bennett is so beautiful she could have been Elizabeth Taylor's real mother. This is about the very rich family Banks in the 1950's giving their daughter a wedding (the wedding the mother always wanted but never had). The love expressed by this family and the family of the groom is beautiful. The groom's mother the wonderful Billie Burke the Good Witch of OZ is great!! It's in Black and White and you know I think it is better this way because you see the people not the sets not the glamour of the places and costumes but the reality of their emotions. The funnest part is the dream Spencer has before the wedding, then his sweet little talk with Elizabeth before the big day. I have always thought "Father of Bride" should be co-billed with "A Catered Affair" with Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine It's also about the daughter getting married (Debbie Reynolds as the girl) but this family are working class. Also great acting and a great story more true to real life of the 1950's. I submit Father of the Bride a 10 because when I come across this movie on TV either in the beginning or the middle or near the end I always stop and watch it. Every scene is a gem.

i did enjoy this film,which was remade in 1991 with Steve Martin.this version is more of a romance than comedy,though there are a some comic bits that do work pretty well.this is the first movie movie i have seen with Spencer Tracy,and i kinda thought he overacted a bit at times.maybe that was intentional,i'm not sure.Steve Martin overacted in his version too,in my opinion.i find it amusing how back then in the 50's they weren't allowed to show a couple sleeping in the same bed,and of course there's a scene where the husband and wife are sleeping in separate beds in the same room,less than a foot away from each other.this trend continued into the 70's.anyway,for a pleasant diversion,you can't go wrong with this movie.for me,Father of the Bride (1950)is a 6/10