Father Of The Bride: 15th Anniversary Edition

Quick note to Hollywood studios: Please ensure that editions of films marked with the word "anniversary" or "special" actually contain substantial additions, or else the general public will be upset. Well, maybe this isn't the case, as the general public seems to continue buying them. Either way, it must annoy some people, as each week a new batch of these "editions" hit stores, and more often than not, they are nothing but a simple re-packaging of a previous version. One example from this week is the Steve Martin/Diane Keaton comedy Father of the Bride, in its 15th Anniversary packaging. Father of the Bride is a half-decent comedy that was a mild hit back in 1991 (wait, wasn't that 14 years ago?). Martin plays George Banks, a father who is not ready to let his daughter (Kimberely Williams, who 14 years later, has made quite a career for herself) get married. Keaton plays his sympathetic wife and Martin Short plays the wedding planner, whose stereotypical performance seems a little dated in the era of gay marriages. While there is definitely heart sprinkled throughout, it's not quite enough to warrant any sort of "Anniversary Edition." The worst part (other than the miscalculation of the anniversary) is that the extras seem to resemble the previously released edition of Father of the Bride in a remarkable fashion. There are the usual deleted scenes, a commentary by director Shyer (which actually is new to this edition), a boring "making of" featurette and a hilariously bizarre segment called "Martin & Short Interview Each Other," which has Steve and Martin going at it. So, while Father of the Bride is not a complete waste of time, and is actually beloved by a lot of people, it is probably ten dollars cheaper in its original packaging. (Buena Vista)