SnoopyStyle Eddie Hopper (Alan Alda) owns a small construction business. The latest project falls through and he decides to go into debt to finish the house. At a family gathering for grandpa (Joey Bishop)'s birthday, his daughter Betsy (Molly Ringwald) announces her engagement to boyfriend Jake Lovell (Dylan Walsh). They want a small intimate wedding. To his wife Lola (Madeline Kahn)'s dismay, he gets into a competition with Jake's rich corporate raider father and ends up paying for an extravagant wedding. He asks Lola's sister Gloria (Catherine O'Hara)'s sleazy cheating developer husband Oscar Henner (Joe Pesci) for help. Oscar introduces him to mobster-like Georgie (Burt Young) who in exchange for a loan installs his nephew Stevie Dee (Anthony LaPaglia) to manage the home construction. Stevie Dee is taken with the house and Eddie's elder daughter cop Connie (Ally Sheedy). Then there is the wedding with fashion student Betsy's unconventional style and conflicting non-religious sensibility. The shootout doesn't help either.Alan Alda wrote, directed, and starred in this movie. It's not that funny and overloaded with story from every other character. The saving grace is that I like everybody starting with Alda. He has an easy charm and the family has a loving chemistry. The wedding dysfunction works some of the time but it is simply not funny enough. As for the Razzie nominations of Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy, I don't get it. Ringwald's character can be a little annoying but that's about it. Sheedy and newcomer LaPaglia are actually endearing together and I love their budding relationship. Somebody at the Razzies must have had it in for this movie.

Amy Adler Betsy Hopper (Molly Ringwald) has an unusual family heritage. Her mother, Lola (Madeleine Kahn) is of Jewish extraction while Eddie, her dad (Alan Alda) has Italian-Catholic roots. When the elder Hoppers got married, long ago, there were so many issues for their two families that their wedding was simple trip to a justice of the peace. Now, Betsy, an offbeat fashion designer, has fallen for banker Luke (Dylan Walsh), whose wealthy family is as whitebread as they come. When the young adults announce an engagement, Betsy tells everyone that they want a very simple wedding. But, not to be outdone by his future in-laws, Eddie insists on throwing something more elaborate. This, even when his construction business has some problems, especially cash flow. Turning to his sister's husband (Joe Pesci) for help, Ed soon realizes he is dealing with mobster loan money from two gents, Stevie Dee (Anthony LaPaglia) and an elder mafia man (Burt Young). Things get even more in a tangle when Stevie falls for Betsy's single older sister, Connie (Ally Sheedy), who has been in a funk since the time of Betsy's announcement. From the wedding invitations to the menu to the choice of a wedding gown, Betsy has to battle the family system for what she wants. Will the ceremony go smoothly and lovingly? This movie, more than twenty years old, has some choice statements about everything from class to religion to money that seem equally relevant today. The large cast, which also includes Joey Bishop and Catherine O'Hara as well as those listed above, is truly great. The New York setting is glamorous while the costumes are well inspired. Then, too, the story and direction ring true to life again and again. Bet on Betsy, if you like family comedies. It is a simple pleasure for most viewers.

mikevezina We thoroughly enjoyed this movie, especially the performance by "Without a Trace" Anthony LaPaglia. It really shows his range as an actor. I would have never thought he could play comedic roles, but his lines and delivery were hilarious!Great cast with Madeline Kahn of Blazing Saddles (she sure looked different).Catherine O'Hara has a great way to deal with a cheating husband Joe Pesci - again he too looks very different with a mustache and different hair. Burt Young of "Rocky" is excellent as the Italian mobster. I'm not a big Ally Sheedy or Molly Ringwall fan, but the other cast more than make up for their lack of charisma.

Boyo-2 A movie like this is only as good as the ensemble in it, and in this case all the actors masterfully create characters that we immediately identify with or sympathize with. Sometimes we laugh with them, too, but unfortunately, not as much as one would hope.Out of the large cast, Ally Sheedy and Anthony LaPaglia shine above the other actors and are memorable. Also Catherine O'Hara is one of those people who makes me laugh just to look at her. If it were up to me, she's be in EVERYTHING.