Friday '56: The Catered Affair

 What is about weddings that brings out the best and the worst in people? 

via tumblr, source unknown

The Catered Affair 

"When Jane tells her parents that she is getting married to Ralph Halloran, her mother Agnes, starts planning an elaborate wedding, even though Jane does not wish it."

Starring: Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine, Debbie Reynolds

Thoughts: There's so much heart to this family drama, it never veers into overdramatic or weepy melodrama. 

You root for Bette Davis, who plays a longsuffering mother who wants to give her daughter the wedding she never got. You root for Ernest Borgnine, the overworked father who knows they can't afford it. You root for Debbie Reynolds, who just wants to get married. 

The play on which is this based was written by Paddy Chayefsky and its screenplay was written by Gore Vidal: two more reasons to watch!