Our Family Wedding

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres this Friday from director Rick Famuyiwa and Fox Searchlight Pictures is the uniting of families in a different way with “Our Family Wedding”.

This film tells the story of Lucia (America Ferrara) and Marcus (Lance Gross), two young people who are in love and want to marry. The problem is – their families.

On Lucia’s side of the family is her father Miguel Ramirez (Carlos Mencia) a very proud Hispanic man. Hard working in his garage business he loves his family and is very protective of them. Also working with dad is sister Sonia (Diana-Maria Riva), just as hard headed as her dad.

On Marcus’ side of the family is his father Brad Boyd (Forest Whitaker), a prominent African-American late night radio host who is living the single life. With his assistant Angela (Regina King) he is living the good life.

What the two lovebirds don’t know is that the father’s have met previously and not on such a good note. Both being very competitive the fireworks start from the moment the two families meet.

Eventually Lucia and Marcus begin to rethink the wedding and as chaos takes over will love win out?

FINAL WORD: Mencia as Miguel has his moments. He is over protective but it seems he cares more for his machismo and his business than he does his family. Whitaker as Boyd was more of the same. There were funny moments between these two fathers but just not enough to carry it off.

Ferrara as Lucia was cute as she begins to show her grown up anti-Betty self. Gross was plain as Marcus as there just didn’t seem to be a connection between these two characters, other than angst.

I’m sure this film will find its audience but not a big one. It is a mediocre comedy at best that tried to hard and missed the racial wedding mix mark.

Other cast members include: Lupe Ontiveros as Grandma Cecila, Anjelah Johnson as Isabella Ramirez, Charlie Murphy as TJ, Tonita Castro as Aunt Rosita, and Anna Marie Horsford as Diane Boyd.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “Our Family Wedding” two and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. It was mildly entertaining with even milder laughs. Personally, I don’t know what the need was to have a comedy full of stereotypes. I thought it was politically incorrect now-a-days to laugh at stereotypes or to contribute to them. Oh well, I must be getting old and confused.

In the end…repeat after me “our marriage, they’re wedding!”