The first film was the remake of the original version starring Spencer Tracy and Dame Elizabeth Taylor, and it became very popular, so naturally they felt like a sequel was needed to continue the story. Basically George Banks (Golden Globe nominated Steve Martin) is getting used to the fact that his daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) has become the bride now wife and got married to Bryan MacKenzie (George Newbern), and more surprisingly a mother when she reveals she is pregnant. With this revelation comes out George has a small midlife crisis, and he tries to recapture his youth, including dying his hair, but he does eventually settle somewhat and get used to the idea that he will be a grandfather. But then he is shocked to find out he will be a father again as well when his wife Nina (Diane Keaton) reveals that she is also pregnant, and it may appear that both her and Annie's baby will be born on the same day. With these things happening, and the house having leaks and termites there is the opportunity to change things by selling the house to Mr. Habib (Eugene Levy), but he changes his mind later. When George manages to get the house back, despite a higher price, he gets the help of camp wedding planner/coordinator, now interior designer, Franck Eggelhoffer (Martin Short) to make the baby rooms and get things ready for the arrival of children. There are a couple of false alarms from Annie where she thinks the baby is coming, but eventually it comes to the real thing, and they rush to hospital, and of course Nina goes in to labour as well. In the end George is very happy to be holding both his new baby son and his new baby granddaughter is his arms, before his daughter and her husband move away to their own new home. Also starring Kieran Culkin as Matty Banks, B.D. Wong as Howard Weinstein, Peter Michael Goetz as John MacKenzie, Kate McGregor-Stewart as Joanna MacKenzie and Jane Adams as Dr. Megan Eisenberg. I can see what the critics mean by giving it two out of five stars in certain places, it certainly isn't as funny as the original film, it concentrates more on the sentimental material, but that's not a bad thing for this comedy drama. Okay!
Review of Father of the Bride Part II
