SISTER OF THE GROOM: Lose This Invitation

While 2020 has robbed many of their nuptials – whether it be in the dream of a big wedding or all together – the folks at Saban Films are determined to deliver their latest union before the year is up. Unfortunately, Sister of the Groom is a film you will want to lose your invitation for. Neither funny nor comedic, Sister of the Groom is confused with its angle, unsure of who to focus on and what topics it wants to tackle. Like a wedding’s blend of personalities meeting for the first time, this film feels as though it is still in the brainstorming phase, ideas learning to meld with one another, as others fail to find cohesion.

Sister of the Groom is awkward right out the gate, Clemence (Mathilde Ollivier), the film’s bride constantly teetering on Bridezilla territory, sensually mystifying the camera and her subsequent groom attempting to set the stage for passion. Thankfully it does not last long, transitioning to Audrey (Alicia Silverstone) and Ethan (Tom Everett Scott) traveling to the now engaged couple’s wedding.

A Wedding Fit for 2020

Within only a few minutes, Sister of the Groom makes sure viewers have a taste of each narrative it presumably wants to tackle. The struggling architectural dreams of Audry that rest on her brother’s shoulders, a possible medical issue that continuously compromises her self-image and a last-minute change to a wedding that demands not only their attendance but attention to detail. In your face and poorly worked into the dialogue, from the very beginning, Sister of the Groom clearly has its focus on the details rather than on the feelings needed to garner the audience’s attention.

From the moment of their arrival at the wedding, the film engages in a crescendo of tug of war, the bride and Audrey each pushing against one another like magnets while trying simultaneously to avoid each other’s inclusion in the new family being formed. The lines are drawn in the sand and hearts are broken, though with little connection to the audience it so desperately wants to engage with.

A loss of direction and a failed female lead

Sister of the Groom clearly wants to find the comedy and the family connection here, yet fails to give us something worth rooting for. Audrey, many times, fails to fill a sisterly role, struggling with her own insecurities, leaving no humor. She and her brother also seem to clearly lack a connection that audiences will find a hard time rooting for them. And the lack of identity of the film filters into its characters, neither depth nor consistency is truly given below surface level – giving the entire cast mediocre parts to bring to life.

One of the biggest grievences is the eventual treatment of Audrey by the filmmakers. Throughout the film she feels ousted from her family, betrayed, worried for her brother’s well-being, and becoming lost in the possible regret of the path she has chosen in life. While her behavior at times can be daunting and even downright annoying, there is a clear indication that the wedding, the loss of her mother, and her big 40th birthday have become triggers to unresolved issues in her past – all of which have ill-prepared her to cope.

As a female lead, she is left with more against her than for her, leaving her flaws a detriment rather than a strength. I couldn’t help thinking back to Kristen Wiig‘s Annie in Bridesmaids who also had some questionable decisions in her behavior throughout the film, yet she was made to be a likable character. You wanted to root for her. There was growth in learning from her mistakes and owning who she was as a person. There was a joy in seeing her character grow through her experience.

For Audrey though, she is not presented as likable. And her ending is less fulfilling. She makes mistakes though is completely ostracized and cut off – only her ill behavior being focused on. She is the one put down for dreaming of returning to a career that makes her happy, her husband’s failed investment meaning she will have to once again put her dreams on the back burner. In a year where an unprecedented number of women are the ones staying home and leaving their careers during this unprecedented pandemic, it was a slap in the face how this part of the story, her story, is eventually wrapped up. There is a sadness in the treatment of her character, that stems from the ill-conceived notion of who she is and the underlying psychosis that drives her.

Conclusion

Sister of the Groom is not a film I could honestly recommend. There is no excitement, humor or focus. While I want to see where the filmmakers were going or the possibility of missed potential, the film still seems too much in the development phase. It’s hard to not become annoyed watching the childish reactions of the characters, many of which fail to match their personalities or fail to provide any depth overall. Unfortunately, this is a wedding only fit for 2020.

Have you seen Sister of the Groom? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Sister of the Groom will be available in theaters and On Demand on December 18, 2020. 

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