In one of his best performances, Spencer Tracy carries this film to be better than it would have been in other hands as the nervous and scared father of the bride. His wonderful mixture of firmness and gentleness make him a lovable character that we all can relate to. He gives us the feelings that he is experiencing while his only daughter, whom he was very close to as she grew up, gets married and leaves his life. Elizabeth Taylor is simply gorgeous as the bride-to-be, and Joan Bennett does very fine as the mother. Vincente Minnelli directs very well, but I can't help but wonder if this would have been better in color with all the dramatic settings during the wedding scenes. Nevertheless, the many colorful emotions that come with a wedding, both angry and happy, are finely displayed in this solid, well-made movie that explores one of life's greatest pleasures on the screen. This is a film for all kinds of people.
Review of Father of the Bride
