I watched this on Sunday, and saw it in a different light.
This 1950 release touched me. My own daughter is getting married later this summer, and I found myself relating with the titular patriarch.
Spencer Tracy stars as "Stanley Banks", a lawyer who's doing alright for himself financially. His wife "Ellie" (Joan Bennett) is attractive, loyal and smart as a whip. They have three kids, the eldest being "Kay" (Elizabeth Taylor). She's daddy's girl all the way.
Kay surprises her father one evening over dinner. There's a guy she's serious about, "Buckley Dunstan" (Don Taylor). Buckley, the son of wealthy parents, has a lot of ideas about the future. He wants Kay as a key part of his present and future. He wants Kay as his wife. Stanley is taken aback, over-reacts, then becomes our point-of-view throughout the rest of the movie.
This movie captures many striking feelings - worry, elation, determination, frustration. Watching Stanley navigate through the shifting emotions of his wife, daughter, friends and family is a real eye-opener. Just watching the scene where Ellie figures out which families must be invited is a most complicated calculus, indeed. It's funny, but a very real concern for wedding planners.
One scene that really cracked me up was the wedding announcement party at the Banks home. Stanley has this fancy speech developed, and looks forward to presenting it to family and friends. However, he gets stuck in his kitchen making drinks for the guests. The smart guy he is, he's prepped a tray of martinis. Too bad the guests have varied tastes...
One scene that gave me cold sweats was the dream sequence where Stanley finds himself late for the wedding. He can't quite get a stable path on which to walk. His tuxedo is torn from his body. Scornful faces watch his failure. His own daughter, the blushing bride, is horrified to see her dad in such dire straits during her special day.
Overall, I liked the movie. Elizabeth Taylor's role left me a bit confused. Even as a child actress, she seemed so self-possessed on-screen. For a lot of this film, however, she seemed to be a bit of a one-trick pony. What she wants is what she wants, and she lets everybody know it. Towards the end, though, her character mellows.
As the reception finishes, when Stanley wants to wish his newly-married daughter well upon her departure, I kinda got choked up. Stanley gets close enough to see her and her husband drive off. A few minutes later, when she calls her daddy from the train station, that was a nice touch. The closing scene, where Stanley and Ellie dance amid the leftover trash from the reception, was another piece that fit well. They were tired, but they survived this monumental day together.
I am sure this movie will come to my recollection when I'm walking my daughter down the aisle later this summer. I love this movie.
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