You know that feeling when you're looking at a bill and your eyes just sort of glaze over? That’s basically the entire energy of George Banks.
If you grew up in the 90s, or even if you just catch it on cable now, the movie Father of the Bride with Steve Martin feels like a warm hug that occasionally punches you in the wallet. It’s a weirdly perfect time capsule. Released in December 1991, it wasn't just another remake; it was the moment Steve Martin transitioned from the "wild and crazy guy" into America’s favorite stressed-out dad.
The $250 a Head Nightmare
Honestly, the most relatable part of the whole thing is the money. George Banks, a guy who owns a successful shoe company called Side Kicks, absolutely loses his mind over the costs. In the film, he’s told the wedding will cost $250 per person.
Back in '91, that was astronomical.
To put that in perspective, with 572 guests on the initial list, George was looking at a $143,000 bill just for the party. If you adjust that for 2026 inflation, we're talking about a wedding that would easily clear half a million dollars. No wonder he had a meltdown in the grocery store over hot dog buns.
The "bun scene" is legendary for a reason. George finally snaps because he has to buy eight buns but the hot dogs come in packs of ten. He starts ripping bags open in the aisle. It’s a total breakdown of a man who feels like the world is conspiring to nickle-and-dime him while he loses his daughter. It's funny, sure, but it's also deeply painful if you've ever felt like life was getting too expensive to handle.
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Behind the Scenes: It Almost Didn't Have Diane Keaton
It’s hard to imagine anyone else as Nina Banks. She’s the literal glue holding that family together. But interestingly, Disney (specifically Touchstone Pictures) was originally hesitant to cast Diane Keaton.
She had just come off a movie called The Good Mother which didn't do well at the box office. The studio heads weren't sure she was "bankable." Director Charles Shyer and writer Nancy Meyers actually had to fight for her. They’d worked with her on Baby Boom and knew she had the perfect "quicksilver" energy to balance out Steve Martin’s frantic George.
And then there’s Kimberly Williams-Paisley. This was her first-ever movie role. She was only 19. The studio originally wanted Phoebe Cates, but she was pregnant at the time. Kimberly’s "girl next door" vibe was so authentic that she reportedly struggled with the scene where she has to cry over the blender gift. She couldn't get the tears to come until she got so frustrated with her own acting that she actually started crying for real. That’s the take they used in the final cut.
The Franck of It All
We have to talk about Franck Eggelhoffer. Martin Short is a chaotic genius in this role.
The character was actually inspired by a real-life celebrity wedding planner named Kevin Lee. If you’ve ever seen The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you might recognize Lee—he’s the guy who always says "Shi-shi-shi!" Short took that inspiration and turned it into a performance that is almost entirely indecipherable.
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He’s the ultimate foil for George. George wants a "small, backyard thing" and Franck wants to fly in tulips from Holland and serve Beluga caviar. It’s the classic battle between practical fatherhood and the "wedding industry industrial complex."
The House: A Tale of Two Properties
The Banks family home at 24 Maple Drive is basically a character itself. Most people think it’s one house in San Marino, California.
Actually, it's a bit of a Hollywood lie.
The front of the house—the iconic white Colonial with the basketball driveway—is located at 843 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena. However, the backyard where the actual wedding and the basketball scenes were filmed? That’s a completely different house in Alhambra (500 North Almansor Street).
The owners of the Pasadena house have said for years that fans still show up to take photos on the sidewalk. Some people have even gotten engaged on the lawn. It represents this "perfect" American life that feels both aspirational and oddly attainable, even if the interior was just a set on a soundstage.
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Why It Still Works (Even in 2026)
So, why does the movie Father of the Bride with Steve Martin still rank so high on everyone’s watch list?
It’s the shift in perspective. When you're a kid, you side with Annie. You want the big party, the swan, and the move to Rome. When you get older, you realize George isn't being a jerk—he’s just terrified. He’s watching his "little girl" (literally shown in those weirdly sweet/creepy hallucinations) turn into a stranger who belongs to someone else.
It’s a movie about the death of the "middle-class dream" where you could control your family’s world. By the end, George is standing in his own house, and he doesn't even recognize the place. He misses the ceremony because he's moving cars. He misses the food because he's greeting guests.
There’s a profound sadness in the final scene where he finally gets to talk to Annie on the phone after she’s already left. It’s the realization that the "big day" wasn't for him at all. It was for her. And he did his job.
Quick Facts You Might Have Missed:
- Kieran Culkin’s Debut: He plays the younger brother, Matty. It was his first big speaking role, long before he became a household name in Succession.
- The Soundtrack: Alan Silvestri (who did Back to the Future) composed the score, mixing in jazz and Christmas vibes to give it that "cozy" feeling.
- The 1950 Connection: This is a remake of the Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor version. Some lines are actually identical, though the 1991 version added way more physical comedy for Steve Martin.
If you’re planning a wedding—or just watching your bank account dwindle—give this a rewatch. It’s a reminder that while the cake might cost a fortune and the wedding planner might be speaking a different language, the heart of the thing is just a dad trying to say goodbye.
Next Step: You should check out the 2020 "Part 3(ish)" reunion special on YouTube if you want to see the original cast reunite over Zoom—it’s a surprisingly emotional coda to the Banks family story.