For the longest time, Father of the Bride has been one of my favorite movies. Even as a kid, watching George Banks (one of the best on-screen dads) lose his mind and turn into a neurotic mess as he prepares to walk his daughter down the aisle was something that made me laugh more than just about anything. But I recently watched the iconic wedding movie for the first time as a parent, and the experience had quite an impact on me.
No, I still love the movie. There’s nothing that could change that. But watching George trying to come to terms with the fact that his daughter is no longer the little girl who once depended on him or always down for a quick game of pick-up basketball made me come to a startling realization, one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since. Allow me to explain…
Watching The Movie As A Father Of Two Daughters Was A Different Experience Entirely
The last time I watched Father of the Bride was when my wife and I were expecting our first child a decade ago. I remember watching the movie and thinking what it would be like to go through a child getting married and how that relationship would change. I’m still years away from walking my two daughters down the aisle (many, many years, I hope), but revisiting the 1991 Charles Shyer classic with my girls next to me led to a whole new experience, and it actually made the all-time great romantic comedy even better.
During previous viewings, I was solely focused on George Banks’ journey as he went from a somewhat successful and centered basketball shoe manufacturer to a mess of a man over the course of six months. But this time around, I was more focused on the bond shared by George and his daughter, Annie Banks (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). I kept picturing myself in George’s shoes and trying to get into the mindset of what it’ll be like to come to terms with my kids growing up one day.
It’s A Good Reminder That I Need To Stop Taking My Kids’ Childhoods For Granted
But the biggest takeaway I have after watching Father of the Bride for the first time as a parent is that the movie is a good reminder that I need to stop taking my kids’ childhoods for granted. A lot of parents whose kids have grown up, moved out of the house, and got married have told me that they would give anything to be where I’m at right now. And after watching George Banks go crazy over a $250/head wedding, have emotional conversations with his daughter, and try to make sense of an existential crisis, I get it.
I need to slow things down and make the most of my time raising my kids before they grow up, take a hyphenated last name, and start calling me by my first name. I’m sure a lot of parents are this way, but oftentimes, I miss the forest for the trees. I don’t mean to; it just happens, and I sometimes forget the big picture.
Also, All The Scenes With A Young Annie Banks Really Got Me This Time
It doesn’t help that my daughters look a lot like the various versions of Annie Banks in Father of the Bride, but those flashbacks and daydream sequences where he’s speaking with his daughter as a 3-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 12-year-old got me this time. Having kids around all of those ages added so much weight to those great albeit brief scenes, and it really drove home the “Slow down and enjoy the ride” feeling that I talked about just earlier.
Father of the Bride is currently streaming for anyone with a Disney+ subscription (and a Hulu subscription if you have the bundle). However, I don’t think I’m ready for Father of the Bride Part II and all its life lessons.