Our Family Wedding (Blu-ray)
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Year: 2010
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 103 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English
Subtitles: SDH, Spanish, French
Region: A
MSRP: $ 39.99
Release Date: July 13, 2010
Review Date: July 14, 2010
The Film
2/5
One would think that portraying the culture clashes between Latino and African-American families over an impending wedding would be fodder for some fresh comic takes on an overly familiar situation, but nothing could be farther from the truth in Rick Famuyiwa’s clichéd and flat-footed comedy Our Family Wedding. This wedding definitely has something old and something borrowed which will make viewers feel blue, but it’s lacking anything new to bring to the table, and that’s the real shame with this picture.
Springing their engagement and upcoming wedding on their unsuspecting families, Lucia Ramirez (America Ferrera) and Marcus Boyd (Lance Gross) must agree to let their shocked and squabbling parents take charge of the wedding ceremony making it a grander affair than they wanted. And for things to even remotely have a chance of working out smoothly, fathers Brad Boyd (Forest Whitaker) and Miguel Ramirez (Carlos Mencia) are going to have to bury their hatchets of hatred for one another and try to work together for the good of their children. The cultures clash over every possible wedding point: the venue, the wedding dress, the tuxes, the cake, the disc jockey. And with war constantly breaking out between the households, it isn’t long before Lucia and Marcus get swept up into the fighting as well.
An upcoming wedding where the families don’t get along and the fathers especially dislike one another: that’s a premise that was old news in the silent era, and unfortunately, the Wayne Conley-Malcolm Spellman-Rick Famuyiwa screenplay doesn’t introduce any fresh ideas into the mix. Instead, we’re given a bunch of slapstick situations in a fancy bathroom, at the bakery for wedding cake tasting, and even a runaway goat disrupting pre-wedding preparations. The writers and director try for one original moment: a fantasy sequence involving the seating of various members of the clashing families at the reception, but it’s underwritten thus wasting a promising idea with stereotypical results. Elsewhere, the film just spins its wheels with a needless softball game involving the families and in a tiresome act three trio of romantic tiffs between the engaged couple, her parents, and his father and the woman who raised him played by Regina King. Trying to insert a little drama amid the chaos of failed comedy set-ups doesn’t work either as the drama is too lightweight and not well established by what has happened in prior scenes. The screenplay for the film really needed a thorough rewrite and a fresh set of ideas to make it a viable screen property.
Though her personality sparkles with adorable pluck on TV’s Ugly Betty, America Ferrera doesn’t have much opportunity to display anything similar in this lackluster romantic comedy. Her fiancé played by Lance Gross is even more colorless. The big moments here are reserved for the two fathers played by Forest Whitaker and Carlos Mencia. They bicker and jab with each other throughout the affair, and some of it has a fair degree of spontaneity, but the writing constantly lets them down, and Whitaker isn’t always comfortable as a comedian. Regina King, who oftentimes is better than the material she’s given to perform, does a wonderful job as the longtime love interest who wants more from her relationship.
Video Quality
4/5
The film’s theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is delivered faithfully in the colorful 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Sharpness is usually very good though occasionally shots sneak in that are less than optimum and occasionally the image has an odd, almost digital look. Black levels are good but not the best. Color saturation is handled well with accurate flesh tones on display. The film has been divided into 28 chapters.
Audio Quality
3/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix follows the usual pattern for romantic comedies: front heavy with very little in the way of rear surround activity or use of the LFE channel. Even the music only occasionally echoes a bit into the rears giving the film a less than optimum immersive experience.
Special Features
2.5/5
There are six deleted scenes which may be viewed separately or in one 17-minute grouping. They’re presented in 1080p.
There are two extended scenes which may be viewed individually or in one 4-minute group.
“Til Dads Do Us Part” is the making-of documentary for the film, 15 minutes with the stars, the director, the producers, and the costume designer discussing the story and their characters. Whitaker talks about his challenges playing comedy while Mencia discusses his trials playing the more dramatic scenes. It’s in 1080i.
The gag reel is in 1080p and runs 2 ¾ minutes.
The movie’s theatrical trailer runs for 2 ¾ minutes and is in 1080p.
There is a BD-Live portal on the disc, but there were no featurettes there for Our Family Wedding.
There are 1080p preview trailers for Hot Tub Time Machine, Date Night, Why Did I Get Married 2, and Just Wright.
The second disc in the set is the digital copy of the movie with instructions enclosed for installing it on PC and Mac devices.
In Conclusion
2.5/5 (not an average)
A romantic comedy of no distinction, Our Family Wedding is a disappointing farcical look at racial clashes concerning an upcoming wedding. The Blu-ray does have an appealing video transfer and a handful of bonus material, but this is thin material indeed for a date night at home.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
