Acting Matrimony (Film Review: The Big Wedding)

It would be too easy to dump on "The Big Wedding." The story is contrived, with sitcom situations that are barely believable, and the film seems to have been chopped up that I bet the original screenplay had a lot more meat in it. But what is undeniable here is that this is an all-stellar all-star cast, with four (count 'em) Academy Award Winners in it. (Plus a Tony Award winning one, too) So, there is not one bad performance in here, and they are all game, and you know what? Dare I say it, but they made it work. The whole cast here gave honest performances and the end result, instead of being an utter disaster, is more acceptable fun. I saw this on a sunny Saturday matinee, and I had a good time. It won't be remembered for all ages, but it was very pleasant, and it was great to see wonderful adult performance for a movie meant for an adult audience. The irony here is that these adults do act like kids, but that's not their fault, is it? It was great to see Robert DeNiro, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton ham it up. They look like they are having a good time. These roles may be too familiar for Topher Grace and Katherine Heigl, but they still give it their all. Ben Barnes is adorable and cute, and it was also nice to see Christine Ebersole on screen. And Robin Williams steals every scene he is in, even as he is somewhat more subdued here. Their wonderful performance are great to watch, making this not an entirely disaster of a time.