The Rewatchables: ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins

Published 2021-12-22; 1:31:28 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Rewatchables (The Ringer)” and the episode “Father of the Bride with Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins”.

Hosts: Bill Simmons. Guests: Amanda Dobbins.

Subject films: Father of the Bride (1991).

On the transcript: No speaker labels; Simmons and Dobbins infer by self-reference (daughter/Zach, 7 years old). Auto-transcript has many dropped words and some spelling-garble.

Awards and segments (61)

Most rewatchable scene

pick The opening monologue, where Steve Martin talks to the camera
“The opening monologue I mentioned before.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:25:55
pick Annie tells her parents she's getting married
“So, this scene was rewatchable anyway because Steve Martin's so funny in it.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:27:40
pick Meeting Brian, the son-in-law
“Next scene, meeting Brian, the son-in-law.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:34:00
pick Cutting down the wedding list
“Next one I have is cutting down the wedding list, which is a shorter scene, but if you've ever been married is so, it's so cutthroat as you're trying to figure out whatever you want to get to your number.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:35:03
pick The blender fight between Annie and Brian, and George grappling with the blender
“The uh, the Bunder fight, which we needed a little melodrama in there, but I actually think, I think Kimberly Williams, and we'll talk about her later too.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:35:27
pick The kid montage into the father-daughter basketball scene
“Last one I have is the kid montage basketball scene.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:36:12
pick Annie saying she's getting married, the first family dinner scene
“Mine is Annie saying she's getting married.”
Bill Simmons · 0:37:12
pick The hot dog and hot dog bun math scene
“The hot dog hot dog bun scene.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:44:21

What Aged the Best · What about the movie holds up best today.

pick Kieran Culkin as Matty Banks: Watching the kid who grows up to be Roman Roy on Succession.
“It is so fucking hilarious to watch this and think that kid's going to be Roman Roy.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:37:34
pick Kimberly Williams as Annie Banks: Likable, with real father-daughter chemistry with Steve Martin.
“Just a utter delight in this movie.”
Bill Simmons · 0:38:41
pick San Marino: A wonderful place he has visited for soccer games.
“I'm putting that in as a wet stage, the best, especially after having gone to many soccer games there and, uh, It's a wonderful place.”
Bill Simmons · 0:40:41
pick The father-daughter basketball scene: As well as a dad-daughter basketball scene could go.
“I have the basketball scene for what stage the best, only because we've seen this go badly.”
Bill Simmons · 0:41:34
pick The overwhelmed dad who can't afford the wedding: Still accurate to how weddings spin out of control.
“A couple more would say it's the best. The overwhelmed dad who can't totally afford the wedding is just a great movie plot.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:43:06
pick The house
“We mentioned the house for what stage the best.”
Bill Simmons · 0:43:49

What Aged the Worst · What about the movie plays worst today.

pick Annie getting married at 22: Felt abrupt even in 1991.
“We mention it, but let's hit it again, 22 getting married at 22.”
Bill Simmons · 0:45:58
pick The virtual Netflix sequel (Zoom table read): Called a low point of the pandemic.
“The virtual Netflix sequel.”
unknown · 0:47:27
pick The parking situation at the wedding: Nobody would drive to a wedding now; too many cars; cops and kids driving.
“Um, The parking situation at the wedding is the wood stage the worst, just because nobody would drive to a wedding now for a couple of reasons.”
unknown · 0:48:06
pick Diane Keaton's clothes: Of a moment, though the high-waisted khaki look is coming back, so it may be aging best now.
“Diane Keaton's clothes, some some winners.”
unknown · 0:48:51
pick Diane Keaton as the mom (stunt casting): Was a hook at the time; nobody would see it as stunt casting now.
“Slight stunt casting with Diane Keaton as the mom in this movie at the time that now nobody would think was dunk casting.”
unknown · 0:49:41
pick Falling in the pool: Too hacky and unrealistic compared with the rest of the movie.
“I just don't love the falling in the pool scene.”
Bill Simmons · 0:50:40
pick Franck the wedding planner's accent gag as Franck (Martin Short): The running accent joke is not comedy in 2021; also a one-note gag.
“Well, because I would say, specifically, like the accent gag, just is not a type of comedy we do anymore of, like, oh, what?”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:51:47

Casting What Ifs · Almost-castings and recasts.

pick Steve Martin as George Banks: Cast before the screenplay was written; the movie was built around him.
“Steve Martin cast before they wrote the screenplay.”
Bill Simmons · 0:53:35
pick Phoebe Cates as Annie Banks: Offered the role but turned it down because she was pregnant.
“Phoebe Cates, who my generation, um, completely loves and is all in on, but, um, never had like, like great follow-up role and then just got married to Kevin Klein started having kids.”
Bill Simmons · 0:54:20
pick Diane Keaton as Nina Banks: Reads her account that Disney did not want her after The Good Mother and Shyer and Meyers had to beg.
“Charles Shire, Nancy Myers, who'd worked with me before, had to beg to get me into Father of the Bride.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:55:06
pick George Clooney as Brian MacKenzie: 1991 Clooney as the son-in-law, boyish and charming, and a bit more of a threat.
“And now as you're watching this years later, it's like, 0 my, I can't believe George Clooney was the son-in-law, just would have been a fun wrinkle.”
Bill Simmons · 0:59:37

Best That Guy (Joey Pants Award) · Best familiar face whose name people don't know.

nominee B.D. Wong as Howard Weinstein: Past winner; Bill thinks he has graduated from the award.
“It B.D. Wong's won this before.”
Bill Simmons · 0:55:47
winner George Newburn as Brian MacKenzie: Prolific actor and an Audible narrator with over 350 credits.
“All right, so we'll give him we'll give it to George Newburn.”
Bill Simmons · 0:57:31

Vincent Hanna Award · Best overacting.

winner Martin Short as Franck: Reframed as most overacting rather than best.
“Martin Short.”
Amanda Dobbins · 0:57:44

Dion Waiters Award · Best heat check in a small role.

nominee Eugene Levy as Mr. Mackenzie: In one scene, fine.
“Eugene Levy's in one scene.”
unknown · 0:58:03
nominee B.D. Wong as Howard Weinstein: Funny facial expressions that add something.
“I really like B.D. Wong.”
unknown · 0:58:07
winner Kieran Culkin as Matty Banks
“We'll give it to Karen Culkin.”
Bill Simmons · 0:58:49

Apex Mountain · Whether this movie is the peak of a person's or thing's career.

pick Steve Martin: True apex is around 1978-79, but this starts mainstream Steve Martin and counts as the apex of that second career.
“Yeah, mainstream Steve Martin.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:05
pick Diane Keaton: No; her apex is Annie Hall, and mainstream peak is later (Something's Gotta Give, circa 2003).
“Yeah. Like 13, 14 years before this movie.”
unknown · 1:02:34
pick Kimberly Williams: Yes.
“Kimberly Williams, yes.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:38
pick Father-daughter movies: Undeniably yes.
“Father daughter movies, undeniably, yes.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:40
pick Nancy Meyers: No.
“Nancy Myers, no.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:44
pick San Marino: Yes, 100%.
“San Marino, 100%, yes.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:45
pick Wedding movies: Yes; it is the happy wedding-movie apex and started the 90s wedding movie explosion.
“Even though we have nitpicks, I still think it's the wedding movie Apex.”
Bill Simmons · 1:03:02

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a movie they love, mostly about the wedding.

pick No father-daughter dance; the father would be in the run of show
“There's no father, father-daughter dance.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:03:55
pick The wedding planner gets an invitation: He's working the wedding and would not need an invitation.
“No, you don't have to invite him.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:05:48
pick A 500-person initial guest list
“The initial list is like 500 people.”
Bill Simmons · 1:06:11
pick Annie says nothing to her parents for three months in Italy, yet the in-laws knew
“So she's in Italy for 3 months, falling in love with Brian.”
Bill Simmons · 1:07:20
pick No rehearsal dinner
“Also, where was the rehearsal dinner?”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:09:12
pick The couple leaves for the honeymoon the same night
“This only happens in movies where people get married and then they immediately have to go on a plane to wherever the honeymoon is.”
Bill Simmons · 1:10:31
pick 14-year age gap between Annie and Matty
“There's a 14 year age difference between Kimberly Williams and Kieran Culkin?”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:11:39
pick Snow in LA that does not cancel the wedding and melts by night
“It snows in LA in this movie, which is now you can make a case.”
unknown · 1:12:31
pick Fitting 200 guests in the house and tent
“200 people in that house is you're really going to be crammed.”
unknown · 1:14:20

Remade as a Netflix Show · Whether and how the movie could be remade today.

pick A 10-episode Netflix remake with Martin and Keaton as grandparents
“Could this be remade as a 10 episode Netflix show?”
Bill Simmons · 1:14:58
pick The same remake: Resisted at first, then agreed in under 90 seconds.
“All right, I'm talked into it, fine.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:16:09

Unanswerable questions · Open questions about the movie.

pick How much the wedding cost: between $60,000 and $90,000 in 1991 dollars
“So we'll say somewhere between like 60,000 and 90,000.”
unknown · 1:18:27
pick A show would be called Grandfather of the Bride
“Grandfather of the bride.”
unknown · 1:18:56
pick Father of the Bride as the best Steve Martin movie: Her sentimental favorite.
“But it's, it's my sentimental favorite for sure, and it's such a sentimental favorite that it's hard for me to detach from it.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:19:13
pick Father of the Bride as the best Steve Martin movie: Considered The Jerk, Roxanne and Parenthood, and lands on this one.
“I think it's this.”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:15
pick Annie was a bad daughter as Annie Banks: Never told her parents, ignored her dad at the wedding, left without a goodbye.
“Are we sure Annie was a good daughter?”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:26
pick Annie was inexperienced, not bad as Annie Banks: Defends her: great movie moment, and she's only 22.
“My defenses are, number one, again, great movie moment.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:22:03

Memorabilia · A prop or piece of the movie they would own.

pick The front of the house
“I just want the front of the house.”
Bill Simmons · 1:24:27
pick The cappuccino maker
“I would take the cappuccino maker.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:25:22
pick The bedazzled wedding sneakers
“I would take the sneakers.”
Bill Simmons · 1:25:30

Roger Ebert's Review · The hosts read Roger Ebert's review.

pick Father of the Bride: Three stars; Bill hoped for 3.5.
“Kind of was kind of hoping for 3.5 , but he did say, uh, one of the movies with a lot of smiles and laughter in it and a good feeling.”
Bill Simmons · 0:23:49

Who Won the Movie · Who came out of the movie best.

winner Steve Martin
“I think it has to be Steve Martin.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:25:52
nominee Nancy Meyers: A case since it all comes together here, but more so later.
“You could make a case for Nancy Myers because this is when it all comes together, but it comes together more for her later on.”
Amanda Dobbins · 1:25:54

Films that came up

Claims (46)

lineage (remake): Father of the Bride → Father of the Bride. The 1991 film remakes the Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor original, and the duo argue the remake anxiety has faded with time.
“there is obviously the original with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor, but fine.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:02:04 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (remake-distance analogy): Father of the Bride → Blade Runner. A 1991 remake of a 1950 film is like remaking Blade Runner now, 40 years on.
“think about movies in 1982 now that that would be the 40 year mark where it would be like if they were remaking Blade Runner”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:08:22 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (dad-persona precursor): Father of the Bride → Parenthood. Martin had been doing family-friendly dad stuff before, in Parenthood, but this is where he nails it.
“he had been doing some of this like family friendly dad stuff before parenthood, et cetera.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:08:43 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
contrast (tonal opposite): Father of the Bride → Rachel Getting Married. Rachel Getting Married is the dysfunctional, intense wedding movie; Father of the Bride is the gentle one where everyone ends up loving each other.
“the bizarre version of this is Rachel's getting married.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:09:23 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
people (dad performance): Father of the Bride → Rachel Getting Married. The dad in Rachel Getting Married, and the kitchen meltdown scene, is amazing but intense in the opposite way.
“the dad is amazing in that movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:09:39 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
unmapped (aged-comedy peers): The Jerk → Airplane!. The Jerk is grouped with Airplane and Blues Brothers as all-time bangers that faded as years passed.
“like airplane, Blues Brothers, some of those where they were just like, all kind, all time bangers, and then as the years passed, they've kind of faded”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:12:25 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
unmapped (same actress, sexiness as a trait): The Man with Two Brains → Body Heat. Kathleen Turner's sexiness is exploited as a trait in both films, an all-time hot performance.
“between that and body heat, all time hot performance by an actress where it's just like the sexiness of the actress is actually a trait they're exploiting in the movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:13:18 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
unmapped (earlier edgier Martin): Father of the Bride → Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Three Amigos show a Martin edgier than the dad persona, like discovering your dad was cool in his 20s.
“you go back and you see 3 of me, it goes, and you see dirty rotten scoundrels.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:14:32 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career turn): Baby Boom → Diane Keaton. Baby Boom was the first time Keaton moved away from Annie Hall and Woody Allen and the Godfather to lead a movie herself.
“it was the 1st time she moved away from Annie Hall, Woody Allen's 70s, Kate Corleone, and it's like, can she actually lead a movie herself and she did?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:18:52 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
unmapped (yuppie trilogy): Baby Boom → The Intern. Baby Boom starts a Meyers run that comes back around through It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give and The Intern.
“they're sort of like the, the yuppie trilogy that starts with Baby Boom.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:19:10 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (creative lineage): Father of the Bride → Baby Boom. Baby Boom has some of the Meyers aesthetics (the Vermont kitchen), but Father of the Bride is where the full Nancy Meyers formula clicks in.
“I think Father of the Bride is really where you see the Nancy Myers formula, just like clicking in the house, the kitchen, the skirt suits”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:19:21 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Baby Boom → Father of the Bride. The house and kitchen look of Nancy Meyers movies starts in Baby Boom and clicks into place in Father of the Bride.
“Baby Booms has some of the aesthetics, like the Vermont home that Diane Keaton moves to has a beautiful kitchen, but I think Father of the Bride is really where you see the Nancy Myers formula”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:19:21 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
theme (recurring motif): Father of the Bride → It's Complicated. Everyone in Meyers movies is an architect: Annie here, and Steve Martin renovating Meryl Streep's kitchen in It's Complicated.
“Steve Martin, later on, and it's complicated, also an architect, renovating Meryl Streep's house, specifically the kitchen, remember?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:21:04 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
unmapped (marriage and directing team): Nancy Meyers → Charles Shyer. Husband and wife team who did Baby Boom and both Father of the Bride films, then divorced and she went on to direct Parent Trap and others.
“they were like a husband and wife directing team, and they did Baby Boom, they did Father-Bride, Father-Bride part 2, and then they flip, and she directs Parent trap.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:22:00 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career path): Nancy Meyers → Something's Gotta Give. After the divorce she developed a corner of films about women of a certain age thriving in later life.
“the corner that she eventually develops is like woman of a certain age, just real, like figuring out how to thrive in later life”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:22:18 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
people (same writer-director): Father of the Bride → The Parent Trap. Meyers directed Parent Trap after the split with Shyer; Dobbins calls it weirdly important and Lohan's double role one of the great kid performances.
“It's one of the great kid actor performances ever.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:23:33 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (remake-distance analogy): Father of the Bride → Risky Business. Remaking a film starring the biggest stars of 1982-83 would still have them hanging over it, as Elizabeth Taylor hung over the 1991 remake.
“if you remade risky business, Tom Cruise would hang over that movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:25:08 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
unmapped (narration that works): Father of the Bride → Goodfellas. Narration is usually a crutch, but it works in Goodfellas and here because the monologue is good and the narration lets George say what he cannot say.
“Narration is usually a crutch and you really, like Goodfellas is a good example of like, narration totally worked.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:26:40 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
people (same actor, later role): Kieran Culkin → Succession. Watching child Kieran Culkin as Matty, they see future Roman Roy in his reaction shots at the dinner table.
“his tiny little face is not that different from Roman's face sitting at some of the like succession boardroom tables.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:37:39 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
people (actor follow-up): Father of the Bride → Indian Summer (Big Show ripoff, per speaker). Kimberly Williams's next notable role was Indian Summer, a Big Show ripoff, and she never broke out.
“she was in Indian summer, which was one of the many terrible big show ripoffs.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:39:40 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
unmapped (basketball scene scale): Father of the Bride → Teen Wolf. Teen Wolf has the worst basketball scene ever; Father of the Bride's father-daughter scene rates about an eight against its one.
“The worst, the worst basketball scene ever in a movie is in Teen Wolf.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:42:02 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
lineage (physical comedy callback): Parenthood → Father of the Bride. Parenthood's famous little league scene shows Martin's athleticism, used to argue he made a Father of the Bride trick shot himself.
“Because you think about like the parenthood, the famous little league scene.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:42:54 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (sequel): Father of the Bride → Father of the Bride Part II. Dobbins is okay with Part II because it comments on weddings and pregnancy smartly and she likes the family; it made $76.6M on a $30M budget.
“I'm okay with Father of the Bride too.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:46:18 · Amanda Dobbins (0.90 sure it was them)
what-if (joke what-if): Father of the Bride Part II → Succession. Part II might be better if Culkin leaned into Roman Roy as a 13-year-old.
“Maybe Father of the Bride too is better if Kieran Culkin really is leaning into Roman Roy.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:47:14 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (pandemic sequel): Father of the Bride → Father of the Bride Part 3 (Netflix Zoom reunion). The virtual Netflix reunion is called a low point of the pandemic.
“The virtual Netflix sequel. I think was one of the low points of the pandemic.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:47:27 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
unmapped (built around star): Father of the Bride → Steve Martin. Martin was cast before the screenplay was written; the movie was built around him.
“Steve Martin cast before they wrote the screenplay.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:53:35 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
what-if (casting what-if): Phoebe Cates → Father of the Bride. Cates was offered Annie Banks but turned it down because she was pregnant.
“Phoebe Cates. Offered the role of Annie Banks. had to turn it down because she was pregnant.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:53:56 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
what-if (alternate-universe rival): Phoebe Cates → Demi Moore. Cates would have taken half of Demi Moore's parts if she had fought for them.
“If she had just said, I'm fighting for every Demi Moore part with Demi Moore. she gets half of them.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:54:41 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career setback): Diane Keaton → The Good Mother. Keaton says Disney wanted nothing to do with her after the failure The Good Mother, and Katzenberg resisted her casting.
“I'd done a movie called The Good Mother, which was a big failure, like big failure, and that was it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:55:12 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
people (same actor, later role): George Newbern → Scandal. Newbern had a long run on Scandal and Providence and looks so different he is not recognized as the Father of the Bride guy.
“I forgot that he had a long run on Scandal, which I did watch. In Providence.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:57:14 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (casting what-if): George Clooney → Father of the Bride. Recasting Brian with 1991 Facts of Life-era Clooney would have made him more of a threat and pulled the focus.
“I'm thinking Moet, Facts of Life, George Clooney, where it's like, he's still boyish.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:59:22 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
people (bookend casting): Tom Irish → Father of the Bride. He debuted in the 1950 film and made his last appearance in the 1991 remake, playing Ben Banks in both.
“made his film debut in the father of the bride in 1950, and his last film appearance in this movie, and he played the same character in both Ben Banks.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:00:10 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
theme (character basis): Martin Short → Kevin Lee. Short's wedding planner is based on Kevin Lee of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills who helped with Pitt and Aniston's wedding.
“Martin Short portrayed the wedding planner. is the portrayal is based on somebody named Kevin Lee.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:00:32 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (career apex): The Jerk → Steve Martin. The Jerk and SNL in 1978-79 are Martin's true Apex Mountain as the biggest comic in the world.
“it's probably 1978 or 1979 range when he's got the jerk out. He's the biggest comic in the world.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:01:38 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
career (career pivot): Father of the Bride → Steve Martin. The film cements Martin's shift from wild-and-crazy comic to America's dad and starts mainstream Steve Martin (Oscars host, etc.).
“I don't think he like hosts the Oscars or does any of his sort of just kind of America's dad stuff without this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:01:59 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (career apex): Something's Gotta Give → Diane Keaton. Keaton's mainstream apex is Something's Gotta Give, her full Meyers star vehicle, while her true Apex Mountain is Annie Hall.
“it's something's got to give, which is her like full Nancy Meyers movie that she stars in.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:02:20 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (peer Apex Mountain): Steve Martin → Diane Keaton. Both Martin and Keaton had their true peaks 13-14 years before this movie.
“So what's interesting is they both have their Apex Mountain. Right. Like 13, 14 years before this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:02:31 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
contrast (tonal opposite): Father of the Bride → Rachel Getting Married. Apex pick: Father of the Bride is the happy wedding movie, not the one with complete dysfunction.
“not Rachel's getting married where it's just complete dysfunction and people fucking in the basement.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:03:06 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
people (wedding movie exclusion / actor redemption): Father of the Bride → The Godfather. Simmons does not count The Godfather as a wedding movie, and says Keaton's performance here makes up for Kay Corleone.
“I don't count the godfather as a wedding movie, even though the wedding is important.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:03:21 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
lineage (genre influence): Father of the Bride → Four Weddings and a Funeral. Father of the Bride starts the 90s wedding-movie explosion that includes Four Weddings, Wedding Planner and Wedding Singer.
“This like really starts the 90s explosion of everything from 4 weddings and a funeral to wedding planner and wedding singer and you name it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:03:26 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (shared wedding-movie trope): Father of the Bride → My Best Friend's Wedding. Both end with newlyweds leaving for the honeymoon immediately, which never happens in real life.
“By the way, my best friend's wedding does it too.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:11:05 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (revival analogy): Father of the Bride → Sex and the City. Dobbins would watch a Father of the Bride series even if it betrays the original, like she watches the Sex and the City revival.
“there's a new Sex in the City remake episode to watch, you know, even though it's like one of, it's, it's not really working”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:15:17 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (best-Martin-movie rival): The Jerk → Father of the Bride. The Jerk would have been the pick for a while but has not got the legs.
“I think the jerk would have been there for a while, but I just don't think it's gotten the legs.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:19:32 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (best-Martin-movie rival): Roxanne → Father of the Bride. Roxanne was a massive movie that people feared he could not pull off, but this is still his best.
“Roxanne was a massive movie. And was a movie that people were not were worried that he was going to pull it off and they did, and it's really good.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:19:38 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (best-Martin-movie rival): Parenthood → Father of the Bride. Some would pick Parenthood as his best because it tried this type of movie first and spun off into a TV show.
“Some people might say parenthood actually, because it's the 1st type of movie that tried to do the stuff they did.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:19:51 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
unmapped (ending alternative): Father of the Bride → My Best Friend's Wedding. A last-minute run back for a hug would echo My Best Friend's Wedding and The Graduate.
“It's like sort of like a reverse to the graduate. Or my best friend's wedding when he pops up at the end”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:23:38 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)

Fun items (23)

fun, about Steve Martin: Martin gave up stand-up because he was so famous at it that crowds treated him like a jukebox, and he wrote a book about it.
“they were like jukebox, he became a jukebox.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:15:52 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride: The film's catchphrase-adjacent scene: the dad's opening monologue to camera. Dobbins hates talking to camera as a device but says it works here because the monologue is excellent, and it sets up voiceover narration that lets George say what he cannot say to the family.
“It works in this one because the monologue's really good and he's really good in it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:26:18 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride: Steve Martin's dinner list of consolations: Paul Simon tickets at the Forum, a Lakers game, and 'independent communications consultant' as code for unemployed. Dobbins used the line on her in-laws.
“Independent communications consultant is still...”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:33:04 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (most rewatchable scenes): Cutting the wedding list: the crossing-off gag where they ask if someone died last year is a Simmons favorite. Also the blender box scene with Martin grappling a blender.
“wait, didn't Harry Kirby die last year?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:35:15 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (most rewatchable scene): Annie announces she is getting married at the first family dinner. It sets up all the dynamics, and Steve Martin's expressions and Diane Keaton's welling-up are the payoff.
“it's got to be that 1st family dinner scene because it sets up all of the dynamics of the movie and everybody's very funny in it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:37:14 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Kieran Culkin: Best 'what ages the best': a child Kieran Culkin in the dinner scene whose face already looks like Roman Roy. Simmons and wife waited for the 8-year-old equivalent of a dick pic scene.
“It is so fucking hilarious to watch this and think that kid's going to be Roman Roy.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:37:34 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about San Marino: Both hosts give San Marino, the film's suburb, a best-aged vote; Simmons says it is a secret like Fight Club, with old-school drugstores with ice cream sundaes. The house exteriors are actually in Pasadena.
“I think San Marino is a little like fight club.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:40:49 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (basketball scene): The kid montage into the father-daughter basketball scene set to a Darlene Love song. Simmons grades it an eight against Teen Wolf's one, and notes dads do not play one-on-one with a 5-foot-2 daughter.
“So if that's a one, this is like an eight, I would say.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:42:13 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (hot dog buns): The hot dog bun math gag still persists: Dobbins had a meltdown ordering curtain rings (7 holes, packs of 9) and thought of the scene; Simmons tells his daughter that tips and hot dog fractions are the only math adults need.
“All I could think about was the hot dog, hot dog bun scene and father of the bride.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:45:00 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Martin Short: Worst-aged: the whole fake-accent wedding planner gag is one note, and Simmons's teenage daughter just found him annoying; Dobbins says the gag is not comedy in 2021. Both think B.D. Wong is funnier.
“I actually think B.D. Wong is funnier than him.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:52:36 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Phoebe Cates: Casting what-if: Phoebe Cates was offered Annie Banks but was pregnant. Simmons says she and Demi Moore would have split the Demi Moore parts.
“Phoebe Cates. Offered the role of Annie Banks. had to turn it down because she was pregnant.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:53:56 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
fun, about Diane Keaton: Casting what-if: Keaton says Disney's Jeffrey Katzenberg did not want to work with her after The Good Mother flopped, and Shyer and Meyers had to beg to get her into the film.
“Charles Shire, Nancy Myers, who'd worked with me before, had to beg to get me into Father of the Bride.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:55:06 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about George Newbern: Best That Guy (Joey Pants Award) debate: Brian the son-in-law is George Newbern, who has hundreds of credits and over 350 audiobook credits on Audible as of September 2020. Simmons gives him the award over B.D. Wong.
“As of September 2020, over 350 credits on Audible.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:57:02 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about George Clooney: Recast-and-catch: George Clooney as the son-in-law, in 1991 Facts of Life mode, which Simmons says would make him a bit more of a threat and make a fun wrinkle.
“I can't believe George Clooney was the son-in-law, just would have been a fun wrinkle.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 0:59:37 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Tom Irish: Trivia: an actor debuted in the 1950 Father of the Bride and made his last film appearance in the 1991 remake, playing Ben Banks in both.
“he played the same character in both Ben Banks.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:00:19 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (the house): The house exterior is in Pasadena and the rest is sets or another house; the reception house sold for $1.998 million in August 2016. Fans take photos like at the Michael Myers house.
“It's like the like the Michael Myers house and a bunch of other ones.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:01:27 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
fun, about Steve Martin (Apex Mountain): Apex ruling: Martin's true apex is 1978-79 (The Jerk and SNL); mainstream Steve Martin starts here. Keaton's apex is Annie Hall; Kimberly Williams and father-daughter movies yes; Nancy Meyers no; San Marino 100%; wedding movies likely.
“This is Apex mode.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:02:07 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (nitpicks): Nitpick roll: no father-daughter dance, no rehearsal dinner, honeymoon flight that night, LA snow that melts perfectly, and a 14-year age gap between Annie and Matty.
“It snows in LA in this movie”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:12:31 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (remake as series): Unanswerable: Dobbins talks Simmons into a 10-episode series called Grandfather of the Bride with Kimberly Williams and George Newbern as the parents and Martin and Keaton as grandparents, and no Zoom version.
“Kimberly Williams and George Newburn would be the parents.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:15:58 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (wedding cost): Unanswerable question: wedding cost estimated at $250K by a frugal site; the hosts use their own math to land on $60K-$90K in 1991 prices, and a 500-person list cut to 150.
“So we'll say somewhere between like 60,000 and 90,000.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:18:27 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Annie Banks: Unanswerable: is Annie a good daughter? Simmons prosecutes (never told them for 3 months, ignored dad at the wedding, only called to say goodbye); Dobbins defends: she is 22, and the call is a great movie moment. Verdict: Simmons says bad daughter.
“Is she a bad person or is she just inexperienced?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:23:00 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Sidekick / George Banks: Piece of memorabilia: the bedazzled bridal sneakers (Simmons's wife and daughter went nuts); Dobbins takes the cappuccino maker; both wonder if George's Sidekick shoe company merged with Foot Locker.
“it's probably more likely he like merges with foot locker and it doesn't really work out that well.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:25:12 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Father of the Bride (who won the movie): Who won the movie: Steve Martin. Nancy Meyers is the alternate, though it comes together more for her later.
“I think it has to be Steve Martin.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins · 1:25:52 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves Steve Martin's whole career and sentimental family movies; a sucker for dad-daughter material now that he has a 16-year-old. Cannot stand Martin Short's one-note gag, mis-cast Diane Keaton in The Godfather, and sloppy wedding logistics. Loves celebrity trivia, rating scales, and 90s nostalgia.
Amanda Dobbins (guest): Loves Nancy Meyers world, the family house and kitchen aesthetic, Steve Martin as dad, and earnest comforting movies. Can't stand talking-to-camera as a device and one-note accent comedy. A sucker for nostalgia, sequels and revivals she says she will watch anyway.

The show's recurring bits

Apex Mountain: The moment a star peaks; where on the mountain a performance sits.
Who Won the Movie: The hosts name the person who came out of the film best off.
The Ebert review: Roger Ebert's original review and star rating read aloud. Ebert is cited, never on the show.
Casting what-ifs: Who was almost cast, or who should have been.
Most rewatchable scene: The scene each host would stop on while flipping channels.
Aged best / aged worst: What holds up and what does not.
Picking Nits: The little things in a film the hosts love that they don't think totally work: the nits.
Double feature: The film each host would pair it with; a programming pick.

Names the transcriber got wrong

Amanda Diamonds → Amanda Dobbins
Nancy Myers → Nancy Meyers
Charles Shire → Charles Shyer
George Newburn → George Newbern
Tom Iris → Tom Irish (Tom Irish)
Kate Corleone → Kay Corleone
Sidekick (company) as said
father of the bribe → Father of the Bride
Frock / Franck (wedding planner) → Franck
Lily Thomas → Lily Tomlin
Vincent Hanna / Deion Waiter's Award → show's category awards (Vincent Hanna Award for overacting, Deion Waiters Award for best heat check)
Karen Culkin → Kieran Culkin
S&Ojos / S&O → SNL