Father of the Bride is a touching comedy-drama dealing with a father's feelings about "giving his daughter away" in marriage. George, the father (played by Steve Martin), narrates the story in flash-back fashion and focuses heavily on pleasing his daughter, even to the point of hiring a wedding planner and agreeing to having the reception—with hundreds of guests—held in his own home.

A critical plot question is: Will George focus so heavily on his daughter and her happiness that his wife will become lost in the shuffle? After all, he's not just "the father of the bride"; he is still a husband.

Toward the end of the film, the day of the wedding has finally arrived … and things couldn't be going worse. For one thing, there is snow, lots of it—in southern California, no less! The wedding planners are caught up in shoveling rather than organizing the reception. The florist is trying desperately to thaw out the freshly planted walkway tulips … with a hair dryer. The swans that were supposed to be floating gracefully in a newly-built fountain pool are instead warming themselves in the porcelain tub of an upstairs bathroom!

All of this for George's beloved daughter.

But what about his wife, Nina (played by Diane Keaton)? Has she been forgotten? It appears so, until one poignant scene. George stands at the front door, in a hurry to be on time for the ceremony in the garden. He glances up. There at the top of the stairs is Nina, his wife of many years, smiling down at him. "All right," she says. "Relax, honey. Everything's going to be just fine. At least we know they can't start without us." Nina is radiant, gorgeous. And at that moment George recalls that he, too, (still) has a bride on this day.

He looks at her again … and sees beauty. We hear him thinking, "I knew I'd never be able to remember what Nina wore that day. But I also knew I'd never forget the way she looked."

He hugs and kisses her. "Nina," he says. "You shouldn't look this beautiful. It's not fair to the bride."

Content: Generally the film, rated PG, is morally acceptable, reinforcing the values of fidelity, family, and a high view of marriage. However, there are a few instances of mildly offensive language and a scene of drinking in a bar.

Elapsed Time: Measured from initial flashing of the studio symbol, this scene begins at 1:20.50 and ends at 1:24.00.