Lisa Schwarzbaum's top 10 wedding films
Everyone loves a good wedding movie -- that's why so many great ones are released almost each and every year. From instant heart-warming classics like "Father of the Bride," to modern-day laugh-fests like "Wedding Crashers" and "Bridesmaids," the list of films that celebrate the love and lunacy of a couple's big day goes on and on.
To help us narrow down some of the best wedding flicks, CBSNews.com spoke with movie critic Lisa Schwarzbaum, who offered up her top 10 marriage movies of all time.
"Father of the Bride," 1950 and 1991
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Bennett (1950)
Starring: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams, George Newbern, Martin Short, B.D. Wong and Kieran Culkin (1991)
Fun fact: A George by any other name... Steve Martin's character of George Banks was named after David Tomlinson's character of the same name in "Mary Poppins." George's middle name, Stanley, is named after Spencer Tracy's character in the original "Father of the Bride."
Lisa Schwarzbaum: "Often when a movie is remade, in my opinion, the remake does not live up to the original, but 'Father of the Bride,' is an example of an exception to that rule in that they are equally good. The first one was 1950 with Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett playing the parents of Elizabeth Taylor -- and it is about being the father of the bride and all of the funny things that go on -- when it was remade with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, they brought a charm that was contemporary. It would be a fun screening night to watch the two of them back to back; I think they would really live up. When you take something from 1950 to 1991 morays and social conventions have changed, but what matters in these movies, is they kept the sense of the worrying father, and what it means to each generation, they carry the same tone and the same warmth about family."
"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," 1954
Starring: Jane Powell and Howard Keel
Fun fact: The title of this film had many incarnations. It was going to be called "The Sobbin' Women" (the film is based on a story about the ancient Roman legend of The Rape [abduction] of the Sabine Women, but MGM executives thought that audiences would not be interested in seeing a film with this title. It was first retitled "A Bride for Seven Brothers", but the censors thought it sounded too risque, so it was altered to "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."
"The In-Laws," 1979
Starring: Alan Arkin and Peter Falk
Fun fact: Fran Drescher was originally cast as the daughter, Barbara Kornpett, but was fired shortly after filming began and was replaced by Penny Peyser.
Lisa Schwarzbaum: "'The In-Laws' was with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin playing father-in-laws to be, and the unlikely relationship between the two of them as their families get embroiled in madcap, zany adventures. It's difficult to describe how unconventional 'The In-Laws' was for 1979, the sense of humor of the script by Andrew Bergman had not quite been heard before. This happens to be a situation where the remake did not live up to the original, even though the [2003] remake had an interesting cast with Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks."
"The Princess Bride," 1987
Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Andre the Giant, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane
Fun fact: Whoopi Goldberg campaigned for the role of Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright).
Lisa Schwarzbaum: "Princess Bride came out in 1987, but we had no idea it was going to become such a cult favorite. People are still reciting lines to this day. The cast is so good that it's one of those movies that you go back to again and again, and there are new generations watching it who never saw it back in 1987, and who are falling in love with it all over again with this crazy story of the girl and the boy. There are fan clubs built around this movie."
"Wedding Banquet," 1993
Starring: Winston Chao, May Chin, Ah Lei Gua, Sihung Lung and Mitchell Lichtenstein
Fun fact: The film, which was directed by "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" director Ang Lee, is the first of three movies that Lee would make about gay characters; the second is Oscar-winning "Brokeback Mountain," and the third is "Taking Woodstock."
"Four Weddings and a Funeral," 1994
Starring: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, James Fleet, Simon Callow, John Hannah and Kristin Scott Thomas
Fun fact: Marisa Tomei, Melanie Griffith and Brooke Shields all turned down the role of Carrie (Andie MacDowell) for various reasons."Late Marriage," 2001
Starring: Lior Ashkenazi, Ronit Elkabetz, Moni Moshonov and Lili Kosashvili
Fun fact: "Late Marriage" is known for its frank and realistic love scene, something that's uncommon in today's highly-stylized and choreographed Hollywood sex scenes.
"Wedding Crashers," 2005
Starring: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper and Jane Seymour
Fun fact: Following complaints from the United States Congress, the producers of the film took down a printable Purple Heart from the movie's official website that was advertised as a gimmick to pick up women and get free drinks.
Lisa Schwarzbaum: "To me, 'Wedding Crashers' was the high-point of the Vince Vaughn era of big luggish, funny, slightly dork-guy stuff -- and Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson together. For me, a little bit of Owen Wilson goes a long way, but here they were perfectly matched. And any time Christopher Walken shows up, it's a party. It's about guys who have a great scam going about going to weddings to meet babes. It's a beautifully constructed movie about what weddings are really about. Sometimes it's not always about the bride and groom, sometimes it's about everybody hustling to hook up."
"Rachel Getting Married," 2008
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin and Debra Winger
Fun fact: Jenny Lumet wrote the screenplay for this film. She is the daughter of director Sidney Lumet and the granddaughter of Lena Horne.
Lisa Schwarzbaum: "We know Anne Hathaway these days as the 'Les Mis' woman, love her, hate her, however, you want to think about her, but I think the best work she has ever done is in 'Rachel Getting Married.' She really did knockout serious work in this movie directed by Jonathan Demme. She plays a drug addict...it's serious acting. It's a stunning movie, it's an upsetting movie, and it's not an easy movie. There's a fantastic relationship between the two sisters, Rachel, who is getting married, played by Rosemarie DeWitt, and there is an amazing performance by Debra Winger, who is the mother. It's really quite stunning. Rosemarie DeWitt is one of those actors that have a devoted following, any role that she is in, she pops out in it and this was really the place to see what she can do."
"Bridesmaids," 2011
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd and Jill Clayburgh
Fun fact: Before moving to Hollywood, Jon Hamm (who played Kristen Wiig's jerk boyfriend, Ted), was a high school drama teacher at the John Burroughs School in Ladue, Mo., where one of his acting students was Ellie Kemper, who plays Becca (one of the bridesmaids, who also appeared in "The Office").