A Wedding
Encyclopedia
A Wedding is a 1978 black comedy film
directed by Robert Altman
, starring Carol Burnett
, Lillian Gish
, Geraldine Chaplin
, Vittorio Gassman
, Mia Farrow
, Lauren Hutton
, Craig Richard Nelson
, Pam Dawber
, Desi Arnaz, Jr.
, Paul Dooley
, Dennis Christopher
, and Howard Duff
. The dialogue is humorous, and the story is told in the trademark Altman style, with multiple plots and overlapping dialogue.
The stories unfold in a single day during a lavish wedding that merges a middle-class Southern family with a wealthy one that has connections to organized crime. Capped with a somewhat tragic ending, the film concludes with a cover version of Leonard Cohen
's "Bird on the Wire
".
Roger Ebert's review: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19780307/REVIEWS/41129005/1023
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
, starring Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
, Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
, Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
, Vittorio Gassman
Vittorio Gassman
Vittorio Gassman Knight Grand Cross OMRI , popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian theatre and film actor and director...
, Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
, Lauren Hutton
Lauren Hutton
Lauren Hutton is an American model and actress. She is best-known for her starring roles in the movies American Gigolo and Lassiter, and also for her fashion modeling career.-Personal life:...
, Craig Richard Nelson
Craig Richard Nelson
Craig Richard Nelson is an American theater, film and television character actor.- Acting career :Nelson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and studied acting at the University of Utah and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts...
, Pam Dawber
Pam Dawber
Pam Dawber is an American actress best known for her lead television sitcom roles as Mindy McConnell in Mork & Mindy and Samantha Russell in My Sister Sam .-Life and career:...
, Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Desi Arnaz, Jr. , is an American actor and musician and the son of entertainers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.-Early life:...
, Paul Dooley
Paul Dooley
-Personal life:Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene , a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at...
, Dennis Christopher
Dennis Christopher
Dennis Christopher is an American actor. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for playing Dave Stoller in Breaking Away and tragic film buff psychopath Eric Binford in Fade to Black....
, and Howard Duff
Howard Duff
Howard Green Duff was an American actor of film, television, stage, and radio.Duff was born in Charleston, Washington, now a part of Bremerton. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle in 1932 where he began acting in school plays only after he was cut from the basketball team...
. The dialogue is humorous, and the story is told in the trademark Altman style, with multiple plots and overlapping dialogue.
The stories unfold in a single day during a lavish wedding that merges a middle-class Southern family with a wealthy one that has connections to organized crime. Capped with a somewhat tragic ending, the film concludes with a cover version of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's "Bird on the Wire
Bird on the Wire
"Bird on the Wire" is one of Leonard Cohen's signature songs. It was recorded 26 September 1968 in Nashville and included on his 1969 album Songs from a Room. A May 1968 recording produced by David Crosby, entitled "Like a Bird", was added to the 2007 remastered CD...
".
Cast
- Desi Arnaz Jr. as Dino Sloan Corelli (as Dezi Anaz, Jr.)
- Amy Stryker as 'Muffin' Brenner
- Carol BurnettCarol BurnettCarol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
as Katherine 'Tulip' Brenner - Geraldine ChaplinGeraldine ChaplinGeraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
as Rita Billingsley - Howard DuffHoward DuffHoward Green Duff was an American actor of film, television, stage, and radio.Duff was born in Charleston, Washington, now a part of Bremerton. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle in 1932 where he began acting in school plays only after he was cut from the basketball team...
as Dr. Jules Meecham - Mia FarrowMia FarrowMia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
as Elizabeth 'Buffy' Brenner - Vittorio GassmanVittorio GassmanVittorio Gassman Knight Grand Cross OMRI , popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian theatre and film actor and director...
as Luigi Corelli - Lillian GishLillian GishLillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
as Nettie Sloan - Nina Van PallandtNina van PallandtNina, Baroness van Pallandt is a Danish singer and actress.-Personal life:Born Nina Magdelene Møller-Hasselbalch, she married Frederik, Baron van Pallandt in 1960. They formed a singing duo, Nina & Frederik, and achieved worldwide popularity with their calypso-style songs...
as Regina Sloan Corelli - John CromwellJohn Cromwell (director)Elwood Dager Cromwell , known as John Cromwell, was an American film actor, director and producer.-Biography:...
as Bishop Martin - Paul DooleyPaul Dooley-Personal life:Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene , a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at...
as Liam 'Snooks' Brenner - Peggy Ann GarnerPeggy Ann GarnerPeggy Ann Garner was an American actress.A successful child actor, Garner played her first film role in 1938 and won the Academy Juvenile Award for her work in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn...
as Candice Ruteledge - Lauren HuttonLauren HuttonLauren Hutton is an American model and actress. She is best-known for her starring roles in the movies American Gigolo and Lassiter, and also for her fashion modeling career.-Personal life:...
as Florence Farmer - Viveca LindforsViveca LindforsElsa Viveca Torstensdotter Lindfors , better known under her professional name of Viveca Lindfors, was a Swedish stage and film actress.-Life and career:...
as Ingrid Hellstrom - Pat McCormick as Mackenzie 'Mac' Goddard
- Dina MerrillDina Merrill-Early life:Merrill was born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton in New York City, New York, the only child of Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her second husband, Wall Street stockbroker Edward Francis Hutton...
as Antoinette 'Toni' Sloan Goddard - Dennis ChristopherDennis ChristopherDennis Christopher is an American actor. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for playing Dave Stoller in Breaking Away and tragic film buff psychopath Eric Binford in Fade to Black....
as Hughie Brenner - Craig Richard NelsonCraig Richard NelsonCraig Richard Nelson is an American theater, film and television character actor.- Acting career :Nelson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and studied acting at the University of Utah and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts...
as Capt. Reedley Roots - Pam DawberPam DawberPam Dawber is an American actress best known for her lead television sitcom roles as Mindy McConnell in Mork & Mindy and Samantha Russell in My Sister Sam .-Life and career:...
as Tracy Farrell
See also
Roger Ebert's review: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19780307/REVIEWS/41129005/1023