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CHICAGO – YIPPIE! It’s back, in the neighborhood of its roots. YippieFest 2023 will be August 4th-6th in the Lakeview/Buena Park venue of PRIDE ARTS, 4139 North Broadway in Chicago. The space is less than a half mile from the former Mary-Arrchie Theatre, whose “Abbie Hoffman Festival” was the template for the three-day performance celebration. YippieFest currently has slots for theater acts, including one-act plays, monologue, sketch, improv, vaudeville and other stage performance arts. Artists get free admission to the rest of the festival, so click YiPPIE FEST 2023 to sign up.
Film Review: Turn Down the Invitation to ‘The Big Wedding’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 26, 2013 - 8:12am
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”The Big Wedding” opens everywhere on April 26th. Featuring Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, Ben Barnes, Ana Ayora, and Robin Williams. Written and directed by Justin Zackham. Rated “R”
Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Big Wedding”
Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Big Wedding”
Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version
CHICAGO – “The Big Wedding” begins with Robert De Niro performing a particular love making maneuver on Susan Sarandon, and is caught in the act by Diane Keaton. What could have happened in a cutting-edge indie feature in 1981 is the basis of a lame bit in 2013, and so it goes for the rest of the film.
 Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
The movie is incredibly indecisive. It relishes it’s “R” rating, serving up the aforementioned carnality, as well as a dash of nudity, innuendo and crass absurdity. But at the same time, it wants to be a sentimental statement about love and extended family, and with this element it falls on its face. All of the characters blow with the wind between the two assignments, and the whole thing is a reminder of how, even with a cast of familiar movie stars, if the script stinks the movie stinks. Oddly too, Robin Williams again takes on the role of wacky Catholic priest, as he did in “License to Wed.” One more such role and he will be eligible to skip the first two years of the seminary.
Diane Keaton is Ellie, a divorced mother coming back to her old homestead to witness the marriage of her adopted-from-South-American son Alejandro (Ben Barnes) and Missy (Amanda Seyfried). She walks in on her ex-husband Don (Robert De Niro) and his live-in partner Bebe (Susan Sarandon), but their relationship is friendly. Alejandro’s sister Lyla (Katherine Heigl) and brother Jared (Topher Grace) joins the party, as well as his biological mother Madonna (Patricia Rae) and sister Nuria (Ana Ayora).
Complications arise when Alejandro reveals that he never told his biological über-Catholic mother that Don and Ellie had divorced, so they agree to pretend to be married for the weekend to protect the sanctity. Bebe is upset regarding this arrangement, and keeps reminding them at inappropriate times. Also, Lyla’s husband has left her, Jared is a 30 year old virgin with the hots for Nuria, and Missy’s parents are old school preppies who are suspicious of the groom’s Latino roots. This wedding is bound to be bigger than a bridal basket.
Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Big Wedding” Photo credit: Lionsgate |
Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Big Wedding”
