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Son of the Bride
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Wikipedia article
'Son of the Bride' is a 2001 Argentine comedy drama film directed by Juan Jos Campanella and written by Campanella and Fernando Castets. The executive producers were Juan Vera and Juan Pablo Galli, and it was produced by Adrin Suar. It stars Ricardo Darn, Hctor Alterio, Norma Aleandro, Eduardo Blanco and Natalia Verbeke.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0292542/ 'El hijo de la novia'] at the Internet Movie Database.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won the Silver Condor for Best Film.
Plot
Rafael Belvedere's (Ricardo Darn) mother Norma (Norma Aleandro) suffers from Alzheimer's disease and he has not seen her in a year. Rafael sees his father Nino (Hctor Alterio) frequently but his friends rarely. He's fielding offers to sell the restaurant he runs in Buenos Aires, but changes his mind because it was started by his mother and father and has been in the family for years. His childhood friend Juan Carlos (Eduardo Blanco), who he has not seen for twenty years, drops by the restaurant and renews their old friendship, demonstrating the fact that he has become an actor.
One day, Rafael suffers a heart attack and, as he recovers in the intensive care unit, he is forced to reevaluate his life and determine his priorities. He now wants to sell the restaurant and move to southern Mexico and raise horses. At the same time his father wants to remarry his wife because they were never married in the Catholic Church and she always wanted a church wedding. Rafael is opposed to the renewal of vows because his ailing mother will not be able to be much of a participant, due to her Alzheimer's. As part of his new life, he tells his much-younger girlfriend Nati that he wants some space and some freedom. At first she is hurt and tells him that he is no Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, or even Dick Watson (Rafael is puzzled about the identity of Dick Watson, and it becomes a running joke. The end credits make clear that it refers to a character in a porno film). Although Rafael tries to get her to understand his perspective, she breaks off their relationship. Rafael tries to deal with his struggles with this relationships and the fact that the Church cannot re-marry them due to canonical law, and he ends up selling the restaurant and having Juan Carlos act the role of a priest at his parents' second wedding.
The film ends after the wedding, with Rafael opening a new restaurantthe down-on-its-luck location across the street from the old Belvedereand apologizing to Nati; she joyously forgives him. Juan Carlos takes a strong interest in Rafael's ex-wife and is shown pulling up a chair, inserting himself between her and her boyfriend, and chatting animatedly.
Cast
* Ricardo Darn as Rafael Belvedere
* Hctor Alterio as Nino Belvedere
* Norma Aleandro as Norma Belvedere
* Eduardo Blanco as Juan Carlos
* Natalia Verbeke as Nati
* Gimena Nbile as Vicki
* David Masajnik as Nacho
* Claudia Fontn as Sandra
* Atilio Pozzobon as Francesco
* Salo Pasik as Daniel
* Humberto Serrano as Father Mario
* Fabin Arenillas as Sciacalli
* Mnica Cabrera as Carmen
* Giorgio Bellora as Marchiolli
* Mnica Virgilito as Hospital nurse
* Adrin Suar as Dodi
* Juan Jos Campanella as Doctor
* Alfredo Alcn as Himself
Critical reception
'Son of the Bride' garnered mostly positive reviews from film critics. On review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an overall 86% "Certified Fresh" approval rating based on 57 reviews, with a rating average of 7.3 out of 10. The site's consensus is: "A film about one man's mid-life crisis, The Son of the Bride is both touching and funny." At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 0100 reviews from film critics, the film has a rating score of 68 based on 29 reviews, classified as a generally favorably reviewed film.
'Variety' magazine film critic Eddie Cockrell lauded the film in his review and wrote, "A 42-year-old Buenos Aires workaholic discovers family means more than his restaurant business in superb contempo comedy 'The Son of the Bride.' Unflaggingly genial and universally funny pic is already generating favorable word of mouth on twin strengths of Montreal competish jury's Special Grand Prix and kudos as best Latin American film of the fest. Wedding bells will ring in cinema cathedrals worldwide, with whirlwind honeymoons and long and happy lives on the tube and in homevid."Eddie Cockrell. [https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/the-son-of-the-bride-1200470020/'Variety,' film review], September 9, 2001. Last accessed: January 21, 2008.
Critic Jeff Stark liked the comedy and wrote, "Argentinean director Juan Jos Campanella's 'Son of the Bride' is about a lot of things, but at its core it's about a man's midlife crisis. A witty script, a fleet camera and a pitch-perfect cast keep the movie from being dragged under by the selfishness of its central character...By the end, this crisply agreeable picture has made several points. One, I suppose, is that there are different levels of reconciliation, in troubled families and beleaguered businesses as well as in nations beset by permanent crisis. A more important one, perhaps, is that there's a difference between dropping out and running away."[http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/2002/03/22/son_of_bride/ Stark, Jeff]. 'Salon,' film review, "This crisp, witty best foreign film nominee captures a beleaguered restaurateur's midlife crisis (and Argentina's)," 2002. Last accessed: January 21, 2008.
'New York Times' film critic Stephen Holden gave the comedy drama a mixed review, writing, "Although there is much to like in this psychologically canny film and in Mr. Darin's warm-hearted central performance, the movie is also rambling and digressive. It is so determined to delve into every cranny of Rafael's world, from his minor business woes to his rekindled friendship with the zany childhood friend with whom he used to play games of Zorro, that it has the feel of an unedited personal journal."[https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/22/movies/22BRID.html?ex=1201064400&en=6ab3bfa0ef8a77b5&ei=5070 Holden, Stephen]. 'The New York Times,' film review, "One Man's Rocky, Rambling Journey Through Midlife," March 22, 2002. Last accessed: January 21, 2008.
Distribution
The film opened wide in Argentina on August 16, 2001. Later it was presented at the Montral Film Festival on August 29, 2001.
The picture was screened at various film festivals, including: the Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain; the Havana Film Festival, Cuba; the 'Muestra de Cine Mexicano en Guadalajara', Mexico; the Latin America Film Festival, Poland; the Copenhagen International Film Festival, Denmark; and others.
It opened in the United States on a limited basis on March 22, 2002, and it was later optioned for a remake with an American setting and characters.
Awards
Wins
* Havana Film Festival: Audience Award; OCIC Award; both for Juan Jos Campanella; 2001.* Montral World Film Festival: Best Latin-American Feature Film; Special Grand Prize of the Jury; both for Juan Jos Campanella; 2001.
* Valladolid International Film Festival, Valladolid, Spain: Silver Spike, Juan Jos Campanella; 2001.
* Via del Mar Film Festival, Via del Mar, Chile: Paoa, Best Supporting Actress, Norma Aleandro; 2001.
* Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Actor, Ricardo Darn; Best Director, Juan Jos Campanella; Best Editing, Camilo Antolini; Best Film; Best New Actress, Claudia Fontn; Best Original Screenplay, Juan Jos Campanella and Fernando Castets; Best Supporting Actor, Eduardo Blanco; Best Supporting Actress, Norma Aleandro; 2002.
* Cartagena Film Festival: OCIC Award, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
* Gramado Film Festival: Audience Award Latin Film Competition, Juan Jos Campanella; Golden Kikito Latin Film Competition - Best Actress, Norma Aleandro; Kikito Critics Prize Latin Film Competition, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
* Lima Latin American Film Festival: Elcine First Prize, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
* Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain: CEC Award, Best Supporting Actor, Hctor Alterio; 2002.
* Ondas Awards, Barcelona, Spain: Film Award, Best Actress, Natalia Verbeke, (also for 'El Otro lado de la cama'); 2002.
* Oslo Films from the South Festival: Audience Award, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
* Sant Jordi Awards, Barcelona, Spain: Best Foreign Actor, Ricardo Darn (also for 'La Fuga' and 'Nueve reinas'); Best Foreign Film, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
* So Paulo International Film Festival, So Paulo, Brazil: Audience Award, Best Feature - Foreign Language, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
Nominations
* Montral World Film Festival: Grand Prix des Amriques, Juan Jos Campanella; 2001.* Valladolid International Film Festival: Golden Spike, Juan Jos Campanella; 2001.
* Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Foreign Language Film, Argentina; 2002.
* Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Art Direction, Mercedes Alfonsn; Best Cinematography, Daniel Shulman; Best Music, ngel Illarramendi; Best Supporting Actor, Hctor Alterio; 2002.
* Cartagena Film Festival: Golden India Catalina, Best Film, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
* Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain: CEC Award, Best Actor, Ricardo Darn; Best Supporting Actress, Norma Aleandro; 2002.
* Gramado Film Festival: Golden Kikito, Latin Film Competition - Best Film, Juan Jos Campanella; 2002.
References
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