By Diana Silva/reporter
It could seem like Our Family Wedding has too much racism, but it’s actually trying to let viewers know that falling in love blinds people from race, heritage and traditions.
The primary conflict in the film is the relationship between two families of different cultures. The path to the altar twists predictably in a slightly fractured fairy tale that places Latino and black characters center stage. Even though this movie was based mainly on hilarity, it seems forced and flat.
It does have some laugh-out-loud moments with the acting of Carlos Mencia and several heartfelt moments between America Ferrera and her character’s family.
But the script doesn’t balance the drama and humor.
It all starts when Lucia (Ferrera) and Marcus (Lance Gross) want to get married. They travel from college to meet each other’s parents and announce their engagement. They also plan to announce she quit law school and wants to volunteer as a teacher.
But the announcements become harder than they thought since Lucia’s family does not want to accept a man of color into their family.
The big issue for this couple is the history between their dads. Brad (Forest Whitaker) and Miguel (Mencia) meet when Miguel tows Brad’s car. The situation turns into an argument and harsh feelings toward each other, just before they find out their daughter and son are getting married and they’ll be part of the same family.
Brad and Miguel try to assert their equally strong personalities by exercising control over the wedding plans.
Throughout the movie, the fathers argue and try to compete in every way, trying to be better than each other, making fun of each other’s traditions and language and fighting about who will pay for the wedding.
“Our marriage, their wedding” is the No. 1 lesson for the couple since both families are trying to plan the wedding their own way, arguing about which traditions to include in the ceremony.
The two families want to turn the small celebration Lucia and Marcus want into a lavish bicultural blowout.
Although it’s certain that all necessary lessons will be learned and every romantic issue resolved by story’s end, the film rings truer in its quiet moments, especially those involving Brad and a few scenes concerning Lucia’s mother (Diana Maria Riva) as she refuses to settle quietly into middle age.
Ferrera could have done a better job because her acting was weak and boring.
Overall, the movie is entertaining. It offers a little bit of everything: humor, sadness and drama.
