A Wedding

Directed by Robert Altman, A Wedding is a 1978 ensemble comedy-drama film that fuses elements of romance, humour, and sophisticated drama, featuring a star-studded cast led by Desi Arnaz Jr., Carol Burnett, and Geraldine Chaplin.

The movie is built around the concept of a lavish wedding linking two diverse but equally eccentric families from different socio-economic backgrounds. One is a decadent, upper-class family from the Chicago suburbs, the Sloan family, known for their high status and prestige, while the other is an uncultured, nouveau-riche family from the mountains of Carolina, the Brenner family, who have just skyrocketed into wealth courtesy of their roadside diner cum gas station business.

Desi Arnaz Jr. is playing the role of Marvin "Dino" Corelli, the dashing groom of the Italian American Sloan family, who is about to tie the knot with the innocent but increasingly neurotic bride, Muffin Brenner, played by Amy Stryker. Their whirlwind romance has resulted in a sudden wedding, with only a few months of courtship.

Carol Burnett, the doyenne of comedy, steals the show as Tulip Brenner, Muffin's flamboyantly unlikely, overdramatic mother, who, despite her new-found wealth, struggles to fit into the snobbish sophistication of the Sloan family. On the other hand, Paul Dooley plays the patriarch of the Sloan family in a wonderful balancing act, portraying a man torn between his snobbery and the shock of the colorful invaders at his doorstep.

Geraldine Chaplin, in another significant role, stars as Rita Billingsley, the sister of the groom's mother. Rita is a direct counterpoint to Tulip's character - shy, introverted, and hopelessly addicted to Italian soap operas.

The movie masterfully employs a wide range of emotions and themes, fluctuating between hilarious comedy and potent drama. Altman uses the wedding setting to expose the eccentricities of both families, from hidden secrets to illegal affairs to alcoholism. The beauty of this movie lies in its realistic portrayal of the chaos, joy, and many surprising incidents that often accompany such gatherings, graced by an overflowing guest list of bizarrely delightful characters.

Given the ensemble cast, each character carries their unique storyline, reflecting off one another. Furthermore, the characters are pitch-perfectly flawed, making them incredibly compelling and lifelike. The movie delves into an exploration of American elitism, juxtaposed with the crassness of the nouveau riche, all while highlighting family relationships and the dynamics of a big fat wedding.

A Wedding is a character study that strikes a delicate balance between humor, drama, and the bittersweet realities of family gatherings. It showcases a multidimensional palette of satire, love, secrets, and a subtle essence of tragedy, all centered around a wedding held at a vast, Victorian-style suburban house.

Visually, the film is a delight, with luxurious costumes, set designs, and scenic outdoor beauty, offering viewers an authentic insight into an upper-class 70s-era wedding. Simultaneously, it skilfully utilizes the upstairs-downstairs trope, providing a voyeur's view into the contrasting worlds of the servants, family members, and wedding guests.

At its core, Robert Altman's A Wedding is about the blend of two families and their clash of personalities, traditions, and backgrounds, portraying the rollercoaster of emotions that such an event entails. It brilliantly captures the essence of a wedding ceremony, where underneath the façade of joyful union, it's often laced with a chaotic collision of egos, cultural gaps, and hidden secrets. It's a sharp, witty film that combines biting satire, black comedy, and quiet contemplation in a character-rich tapestry interesting, engaging, and, above all, relatable.