Of the 5 movies that opened today I didn't
want to see another war movie or one aimed at dirty minded boys or see
the latest teen heart-throb so just wanting some light hearted fare with
a few laughs I picked "Our Family Wedding". The film didn't disappoint
me but, don't get me wrong, it isn't a great or even good film.

It is the first
time that I can remember a film showing both a Black family and a
Mexican family who are successful, fairly well off, hard workers, live
well and have very little 'drama'. Forest Whitaker (sorry, he really
doesn't have 'comedy' chops) is the single father of Lance Gross with
the former having  a house to die for and, obviously, has done a super
job of raising his son, who is going to Laos to work for Doctors Without
a Country. Carlos Mencia is
Mexican, owns/runs a money making garage and towing business. He and
his wife, Diana Maria Riva, have brought up two smart daughters and the
family is living the American dream, with one daughter, Anjelah Johnson, working with her
dad and the other daughter, America Ferrera,
going to law school or so they think. She has in fact dropped out of
law school and has become a volunteer teacher and is not only planning
to marry Lance Gross but to go with him to Laos.

There is excellent chemistry between America
Ferrera, she looks great, and Lance Gross who also looks great! They are
the backbone of the story having to tell their parents of their
upcoming marriage and their plans go to Laos and her dropping out of law
school. Of course with him being Black and her Brown there will be the
conflict between the families.

There are
the obvious, and stupid, clashes, mainly between the fathers, which
causes the movie to be dumber than it should or has to be. The customs
of both Races does bring forth some new things I didn't know but there
was a lot of stereotyping that was tasteless, not to forget the goat who
eats Viagra pills.

We know going in that the wedding will take place
and that all will end happily ever after but, unfortunately, the movie
aims for the lowest common denominator. The journey to the end
could have been funnier, more meaningful, but for a rainy day in
Florida, as it was today, the movie was pleasant enough.