Mother of the Bride Is Not A Movie To Marry

When people think of romantic conflicts in teen movies, it is basically a default situation when the main characters refuse to directly discuss their issues with each other. But, when grown experienced adults are placed in similar storylines and conflicts, it becomes frustrating to watch.

While it does not need to be said that adults are not perfect, and thus do not always communicate perfectly in every aspect of their lives, the entire premise of Mother of the Bride relies on the concept that ex-lovers Lana and Will can not be bothered to directly confront their previous romantic issues that led to their split and the eventual aftermath.

In this Netflix romcom, Lana is shocked to discover that her daughter, Emma, has returned home with a new fiance, RJ. But, of course, it can never be as easy as her daughter's unexpected wedding. The big plot twist finds that RJ's father is actually Will, Lana's ex-boyfriend who had unexpectedly picked up and left her, and then Lana had changed her phone number and moved away to ensure that he could never find her and hurt her again.

Due to an array of coincidences, their children are due to walk down the aisle, and Lana and Will are forced to confront the past that they never quite got over. Except, Mother of the Bride goes out of its way to hold off that conversation for as long as possible, making both Lana and Will come off as being immature and causing drama while Emma runs in circles preparing for her wedding and trying to balance her rising professional career.

In contrast to Lana and Will, Emma does not wait long to be honest with RJ about her concerns about the uncertainty of their future. RJ is not given much to do other than being a fairly fun-loving guy, and the movie barely develops him beyond being a kind supportive man who loves Emma, which means it also never directly contradicts Lana's negative claims about him either. However, Mother of the Bride never quite allows Lana's claims to hold any depth either beyond RJ excitedly hanging out high-fives and fist bumps.

Mother of the Bride is also frustratingly surface about what is supposed to be a more complex relationship between Emma and Lana. Still, at least Mother of the Bride tries with them by giving the duo multiple scenes together. The father-son dynamic between Will and RJ is practically non-existent as their relationship is never quite explored, even though they both have significant relationships with each of the film's leading women.

Although Mother of the Bride may be a fun Mother's Day watch, and there is something to be said for a cute mother-daughter light-hearted story, there are better options out there if viewers are looking for a funny or emotionally heartfelt mother-daughter movie.