A Wedding-1978

Director Robert Altman

Starring Desi Arnaz, Jr., Carol Burnett, Geraldine Chapman

Scott’s Review #539

Reviewed December 17, 2016

Grade: A

A Wedding (1978) is an obscure, brilliant gem penned and directed by Robert Altman, a film genius and one of my most adored directors.

I love most of his movies, and A Wedding is no exception. The creative way that Altman weaves intersecting storylines and dialogue, thereby creating a real-life tone, gives immense realism to his films.

In A Wedding, he takes a basic life event and turns it into a well-nuanced, fascinating, comical, yet dramatic story.

He is known for having enormous casts (in A Wedding, there are 48 principals!), but every character serves a purpose.

The viewer will feel like a fly on the wall at a real wedding.

Altman’s actors primarily improvise their dialogue, speaking at the same time, which lends a realistic edge. I adore this quality.

The film is a satire- people either love or loathe attending weddings, and Altman’s film caters to the latter. He creates a setting, from the ceremony to the reception, riddled with awkward moments and social gaffes.

In pure satirical soap-opera fashion, two wealthy families gather at a lavish estate for the ceremony to begin. Hilarity ensues when the corpse of the matriarch of one family lies in her bed, nobody realizing she is dead.

Other hi-jinks, such as the revelation of a nude, life-size portrait of the bride, the caterer falling ill, and a tornado wreaking havoc.

Slowly, the families reveal secrets as alcohol flows and the characters become entangled in perilous situations.

Altman does it again, creating a masterpiece based on real-life situations most can relate to.