Son of the Bride (2002)
91%RT Audience Score: 91%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
37 wins & 12 nominations total
Juan Jos Campanella’s The Son of the Bride is a cinematic masterpiece that artfully captures the complexities of middle-class, midlife crises. With a wise and endearing script, the film manages to transcend its local trappings and deliver a borderless emotional journey that is both fresh and funny. The performances of Darin, Alleandro, and Blanco are irretocable, and the cinematography by Daniel Shulman is nothing short of exceptional. This instant classic is capable of provoking laughter and tears with equal ease, and it’s a must-see for anyone who appreciates intelligent and perceptive filmmaking.
The Son of the Bride is a heartwarming film that proves it’s never too late to learn and grow. Sure, it may have some middle-class, midlife crisis tropes, but it’s all worth it for the biting humor and fast-paced storytelling. Plus, the performances are irretocáveis (that’s Portuguese for flawless, I looked it up). It’s not quite art, but it’s definitely artful. And who doesn’t love a good Argentine American Beauty comparison? Overall, it’s a classic instantâneo (that’s also Portuguese, I’m on a roll) that will leave you both laughing and tearing up.
Production Company(ies)
Cosmo Films, Distressed Films, Film Nation Entertainment,
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2001
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 4m
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Language(s):Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 2002 Wide
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Ricardo Darín, Héctor Alterio, Norma Aleandro, Eduardo Blanco, Natalia Verbeke, Gimena Nobile, Mariela Besuievski, Fernando Blanco, Pablo Bossi, Jorge Estrada Mora, Gerardo Herrero, directed by Juan José Campanella, written by Juan José Campanella, Fernando Castets, comedy, drama, R rating, box office gross $624.2K, reviewed by Michael Wilmington, Steven Rea, Geoff Pevere, Mark Peranson, Marc Savlov, Michael O’Sullivan, Jas Keimig, Ken Hanke, Mark Halverson, Pablo Villaça, Eric D Snider, mid-life crisis, heart attack, family restaurant, ex-wife, daughter, younger girlfriend, old father, alzheimer’s, poetry, simplicity, excellence, Argentina, Spanish language, Sony Pictures Classics, surround sound, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo, flat aspect ratio
Worldwide gross: $8,772,695
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $14,784,522
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,821
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,612,271
US/Canada gross: $624,757
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,052,896
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,179
US/Canada opening weekend: $34,231
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $57,689
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,146
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Héctor Alterio – Nino Belvedere
Norma Aleandro – Norma Belvedere
Eduardo Blanco – Juan Carlos
Natalia Verbeke – Naty
Gimena Nobile – Vicky
Director(s)
Juan José Campanella
Writer(s)
Juan José Campanella, Fernando Castets
Producer(s)
Mariela Besuievski, Fernando Blanco, Pablo Bossi, Jorge Estrada Mora, Gerardo Herrero
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
37 wins & 12 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (8)
It’s fresh, funny, biting, fast-paced and reasonably perceptive about people and their problems.
July 20, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
It’s a wise and endearing little film.
June 6, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
It would seem that wherever there are middle-class, midlife crises to be suffered, there are movies to be made about those crises, and they somehow all manage to transcend their local trappings in favour of a kind of borderless emotional banality.
May 10, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
What starts off as a possible Argentine American Beauty reeks like a room stacked with pungent flowers.
May 10, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
Mark Peranson
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Cinematographer Daniel Shulman keeps his lens focused on the faces of this fracturing family, and the result is surprisingly affecting, as it mirrors not only the fictional lives onscreen but clearly those of the director and, yes, the audience as well.
May 5, 2002 | Rating: 3/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Like any good romance, Son of the Bride, proves it’s never too late to learn.
April 26, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Though still full of a lot of patriarchal condescension, I ended up liking the movie. I think you will too.
December 8, 2021
Jas Keimig
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Juan Jos Campanella’s The Son of the Bride isn’t art, but it is artful.
December 10, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
August 8, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Capaz de provocar o riso e arrancar lgrimas com a mesma facilidade, este maravilhoso filme acerta em tudo: desde o excepcional roteiro direo de Campanella, passando pelas performances irretocveis de Darin, Alleandro e Blanco. Um clssico instantneo
January 20, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
Pablo Villaça
Cinema em Cena
September 18, 2002 | Rating: B+
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com…
Plot
At age 42, Rafael Belvedere is having a crisis. He lives in the shadow of his father, he feels guilty about rarely visiting his aging mother, his ex-wife says he doesn’t spend enough time with their daughter and he has yet to make a commitment to his girlfriend. At his lowest point, a minor heart attack reunites him with Juan Carlos, a childhood friend, who helps Rafael to reconstruct his past and look at the present in new ways.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ricardo Darín, who plays the lead character Rafael Belvedere, is considered one of Argentina’s most acclaimed and popular actors.
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