Popular Franchise Adds New Movie Shot Through Zoom
Critically acclaimed director Nancy Myers decided to take on an ambitious project during her time quarantining in the pandemic: a Zoom film. Aiming to create a short film remotely and maintain safe conditions for the cast and crew, she decided to record her footage over the Zoom app that everyone had already been using to communicate.
In her short film, Myers returned to her popular ‘90s franchise “Father of the Bride.” She is quoted in a New York Times article saying, “I told Steve [Martin] I thought his character, George Banks, a self-admitted overreactor, was ripe to revisit during the pandemic.”
The film centers around a Zoom wedding of George Bank’s son Matty as the latter decides he does not want to wait until after the pandemic to get married.
The film features the entire original cast of the film with stars like Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, but also adds new cast members Florence Pugh and Ben Platt who play George Banks youngest daughter and his grandchild respectively.
In order to film remotely, the actors needed to be both cast and crew. They were each sent cameras, microphones, and lights in order to mimic a film set at home. Some actors, like Kieran Culkin, were sent a green screen in order to have sets that looked more similar to where the characters were supposed to be. The actors also used pieces from their own wardrobes in order to bring the characters to life.
While the film only lasts for 30 minutes, hence the name “Father of the Bride 3(ish)”, fans get to see the characters they know and love dealing with the stress of the pandemic that we all have been facing. The film jokes about the craziness at the beginning of the pandemic and how some of the characters were hoarding food and supplies, but also touches on essential workers and the disappointment over event cancellations that everyone has experienced.
The film also doubles as a fundraiser for the World Central Kitchen that gives emergency food and supplies to families in need. The film discourages the audience from hoarding food and supplies like some of the characters in the film, and instead provides a platform for viewers to donate and support those in need during this difficult time.