GC Movie Review - Our Family Wedding

Starring: Forest Whitaker, America Ferrera, Taye Diggs, Regina King, Fred Armisen, Lance Gross, Carlos Mencia
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Theatrical Release: Mar 12, 2010 Wide

Synopsis: "Our marriage, their wedding." It's lesson number one for any newly engaged couple, and Lucia (America Ferrera) and Marcus (Lance Gross) are no exception. In Fox Searchlight Pictures' OUR FAMILY WEDDING, they learn the hard way that the path to saying "I do" can be rife with familial strife. When they return from college and too suddenly announce their marriage plans, they soon discover that their fathers - two highly competitive over-the-top egos - can wreak a major amount of havoc on their special day.

It didn’t take much for me to get excited about this film. I simply love America Ferrera (Real Women Have Curves, Ugly Betty, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants). In a short period of time, she’s proven herself to be a truly remarkable, honest and vulnerable actress. As well, Lance Gross (Tyler Perry’s Meet the Brown’s film and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne) has too, proven himself as a credible actor. Aligning these two was a brilliant move by director Rick Famuyiwa (The Wood, Brown Sugar and Talk to Me).

I did however, want to understand, based on the title of the new film, “Our Family Wedding”, releasing Friday, March 12, 2010, which direction we were being taken in and if we were going to enjoy the ride or want to get off and get our money back – per se.

Already the director of three of my favorite films (The Wood, Brown Sugar and Talk to Me) Famuyiwa has continued to please with this film. He was very specific to not make this a film just about the groom and bride to be, but he wanted to reflect on the reality that when you get married, you are literally marrying into your spouses ENTIRE family, whether you like it or them or not. The film was believable.

Marcus (Lance Gross) and Lucia (America Ferrera), both from families that are very excited by the promise they will bring to the family name, Marcus as a doctor and Lucia as a lawyer are caught off guard when plans suddenly change. Hesitant but committed to bringing their families together to share in the good news of their upcoming wedding, Marcus doing volunteer work in Laos and Lucia dropping out of law school to volunteer as a school teacher and then move to Laos with her husband; neither were prepared for what was about to ensue. This news was supposed to take the amount of time it takes to have a family to have dinner but it doesn’t.