Mother of the Bride movie review (2024) | Roger Ebert (2025)

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Mother of the Bride movie review (2024) | Roger Ebert (1)

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Over the last few years, there has been a trend of opulent destination wedding romantic comedies. Two years ago, there was "Ticket to Paradise" starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts and "Shotgun Wedding" starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel. Most recently, "Anyone But You," starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, got rave reviews and made bank at the box office. So it was about time a watered-down Netflix version of this new sub-genre emerged. Enter "Mother of the Bride" starring Brooke Shields, Miranda Cosgrove, and Benjamin Bratt. Like a magpie, it takes bits and pieces from better films and cobbles it together with some paper-thin characters into something that is a movie in definition only.

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I am normally a fan of the films Brad Krevoy and Steve Stabler (working under the moniker Motion Picture Corporation of America) have made with Netflix. I've rewatched both "The Knight Before Christmas" and "A Castle for Christmas" (also starring Shields) more times than I care to share. I've even written positively about the Lindsay Lohan vehicles "Falling for Christmas" and "Irish Wish" on this very website. Director Mark Waters has a pretty strong track record in the genre, helming star-studded films like the original "Mean Girls," "Freaky Friday," and "Just Like Heaven." Even his less-than-stellar films like "Head over Heels" and "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” are, I confess, guilty pleasures.

So what exactly went so wrong here? The hackneyed script from Robin Bernheim, best known for writing and producing the Netflix "The Princess Switch" trilogy, strands the film's cast in shallow waters.

Shields is game as Lana, a world-renowned geneticist nursing some decades-old romantic wounds. This vein of slightly neurotic, screwball comedy is something she's honed since her "Suddenly Susan" sitcom days. Lana goes into a full-on tailspin when she discovers her daughter Emma (an incredibly bland Miranda Cosgrove) is marrying RJ (Sean Teale), who turns out to be the son of Will (Benjamin Bratt, sadly sapped of his trademark charm), the man who broke her heart in college. Rachael Harris basically plays herself as Lana's perpetually horny cougar sister, who at one point describes a beefed-up Chad Michael Murray as a "Hemsworth hottie." Michael McDonald and Wilson Cruz play the token happily married gay couple, whose entire raison d'être is to be sassy and supply the audience with exposition.

Emma is a lifestyle influencer who has inked a six-figure deal with a mega-corp to which she has essentially sold her wedding as a product to promote their resort in Phuket, Thailand. While there is endless chatter about Instagram photo shoots and designer dress fittings, the film doesn't explore the economics in play here. What could have been a sharp satire about the commodification of our lives, down to those days that are supposed to be the most sacred, becomes a limp lesson in work-life balance. This theme is so threadbare it makes "27 Dresses" seem downright didactic in comparison. The only cast member who seems to be on this satirical page is Tasneem Roc as a singularly unhinged brand manager named Camala, who mercifully supplies the film with its few paltry laughs.

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You may have noticed I have not even mentioned the groom yet. That is because he may as well not even be in the film. His character is so underdeveloped, he feels likethose Instagram boyfriends who take pictures of their influencer girlfriends but whose face you never see. Only he doesn't even do that! Vague dialogue in the beginning explains his joband how he and Emma met and fell in love. Still, it's so inconsequential by the time you get to the actual wedding you not only don't remember who's getting married, you don't even know why they're getting married. What do they like about each other? How does he make money? Why does his dad give them a multi-millionaire dollar condo in Tribeca if they met and fell in love while working together in London? The script would have to include something other than stock characters to answer any of those questions.

Maybe a film this shallow is exactly what this sub-genre deserves, considering how blissfully unaware any of these films (even the ones I enjoy) tend to be about the obscene privilege and wealth that someone must have to attend a destination wedding in the first place. Maybe, in some twisted way, the hollowness of this film is its own kind of criticism.

It’s a shame to see someone as talented as Shields end up in drivel like this. Ultimately, “Mother of the Bride” is the nadir for almost everyone involved.

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Film Credits

Mother of the Bride movie review (2024) | Roger Ebert (9)

Mother of the Bride (2024)

Rated PG

89 minutes

Cast

Brooke Shieldsas Lana

Miranda Cosgroveas Emma

Director

  • Mark Waters

Writer

  • Robin Jill Bernheim

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Mother of the Bride movie review (2024) | Roger Ebert (2025)

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Mother of the Bride movie review (2024) | Roger Ebert? ›

Enter "Mother of the Bride" starring Brooke Shields, Miranda Cosgrove, and Benjamin Bratt. Like a magpie, it takes bits and pieces from better films and cobbles it together with some paper-thin characters into something that is a movie in definition only.

Is Mother of the Bride a good film? ›

Worth a Watch. First of all, can we talk about the whole cast, Brook Shields, Benjaminm Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Chad Michael Murray and very many more. They did really great. The storyline of the story is honestly entertaining, it's just a light movie but really entertaining.

What was Ebert's last review? ›

The last review by Ebert published during his lifetime was for The Host, which was published on March 27, 2013. The last review Ebert wrote was for To the Wonder, which he gave 3.5 out of 4 stars in a review for the Chicago Sun-Times. It was posthumously published on April 6, 2013.

What happened between Will and Lana in Mother of the Bride? ›

Confronting Lana, Will demands to know why she's been ignoring him. She asks him about Katrina and he reveals that she is his secretary, who's brought the ring he'd bought for Lana many years ago. Will proposes and, after a moment's hesitation, she happily accepts.

Is Will RJ's dad in Mother of the Bride? ›

It follows Emma (Miranda) who jets off to Thailand to marry her new beau RJ (Sean Teale). But when she introduces her mother Lana (Brooke) to RJ's dad Will (Benjamin Bratt), they make a shocking realisation: Will is Lana's college ex-boyfriend who absolutely shattered her heart all those years ago.

Are there any inappropriate scenes in Mother of the Bride? ›

Parents need to know that Mother of the Bride is a romantic comedy starring Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, and Miranda Cosgrove that's set in Phuket, Thailand and contains some swearing, drinking, and suggestive scenes. Adults kiss, flirt, and comment on appearances, including objectifying a man as a "young…

Is Mother of the Bride worth watching on Netflix? ›

Our Call: SKIP IT and SKIP IT hard. Anyone But You is a destination-wedding rom-com that's also on Netflix. Watch that one instead. It's funny where Mother of the Bride is inane: all the way down to its bones.

What is the highest reviewed movie ever? ›

To date, Leave No Trace holds the site's record, with a rating of 100% and 252 positive reviews.

What was Roger Ebert's net worth? ›

Ebert's personal net worth was U.S. $9 million.

Were Siskel and Ebert friends? ›

The two slowly developed a friendship and even a sort of love for each other over several decades, but the one-upmanship between them always remained. Siskel, a habitual gambler and Playboy Mansion regular would sabotage Ebert's interviews in order to steal his scoops whenever possible.

Who is the aunt Janice in The Mother of the Bride? ›

Mother of the Bride (2024) - Rachael Harris as Janice - IMDb.

Which resort was Mother of the Bride filmed in? ›

The hit romantic comedy was filmed at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas and is a love letter to the enchanting island of Phuket in Thailand.

Who is the father of the groom in Mother of the Bride? ›

In Mother of the Bride, Bratt plays Will. Will is the father of Emma's fiancé who also happens to be the ex-boyfriend who broke Lana's heart in college.

What was Will hiding in Mother of the Bride? ›

Will confronts Lana about her sudden coldness toward him at Mother of the Bride's big wedding and ultimately reveals that his only secret is a plan to propose.

Is the Mother of the Bride movie connected to Father of the Bride? ›

Nope. Pratfalls, the “pickle ball incident,” Mom and Dad thrown together with romantic possibilities, a younger doctor nicknamed “sexy Doogie Howser” (Chad Michael Murray) might spice things up, but doesn't. Aunt of the bride Janice (Rachael Harris) should sass things up, but doesn't.

What is the meaning of Mother of the Bride? ›

She is responsible for helping the bride with the wedding planning process and also there to support her daughter in whatever capacity on the actual wedding day. The mother of the bride is an integral part of the emotional support system for the bride and plays a significant role in the ceremony and reception.

What is the rating of Mother of the Bride? ›

Mother of the Bride [2024] [TV-PG] - 4.3. 4 | Parents' Guide & Review | Kids-In-Mind.com.

Is the Mother of the Bride supposed to stand out? ›

A: The Mother of the Bride is special. She needs to stand out a bit from the bridesmaids, so her dress should complement rather than match the bridesmaid's dresses. For example, the MOB could wear a dress in a similar color to the bridesmaids but in a deeper shade.

Why is the Mother of the Bride so important? ›

She is not just a guest of honor; she is a crucial part of the celebration. She knows that eyes will be on her little girl, but also on her as well. But with all of the chaos that can (potentially) occur on the wedding day, the mother of the bride can often the glue that holds everything (and everyone) together.

Is it worth it to watch The Princess Bride? ›

This is great stuff. Told as a story read from a book, just like The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride provides a magical mix of romance and fantasy and action and comedy to provide an enormously entertaining film for moviegoers of all ages.

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