Betsy's Wedding (1990)

50% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
40% of users liked it
(6,695 ratings)

Offbeat fashion student Betsy Hopper (Molly Ringwald) and her straight-laced investment-banker fiancé, Jake Lovell(Dylan Walsh), just want an intimate little wedding reception, but Betsy's father, Eddie (Alan Alda), a Long Island construction contractor, feels so threatened by Jake's rich WASP… More Offbeat fashion student Betsy Hopper (Molly Ringwald) and her straight-laced investment-banker fiancé, Jake Lovell(Dylan Walsh), just want an intimate little wedding reception, but Betsy's father, Eddie (Alan Alda), a Long Island construction contractor, feels so threatened by Jake's rich WASP parents (Nicolas Coster and Bibi Besch) that he blows the ceremony up into a bank-breaking showpiece, sending his wife, Lola (Madeline Kahn), into a financial panic. Pressure from Betsy's extended family to include their joint Jewish and Italian-Catholic heritage in the ceremony doesn't do much to assuage the title character's worries, nor does the lovelorn bitterness of her older sister, Connie (Ally Sheedy), who's single, her parents assume, because she has the audacity to pursue the unfeminine profession of police officer. With all of his funds tied up into the money pit of a house he's building, Betsy's dad has to turn to his crooked brother-in-law, Oscar (Joe Pesci), for financial assistance, and soon a soft-spoken but menacing young mobster named Stevie Dee (Anthony LaPaglia) is supervising Eddie's construction project and casting his romantic aspirations toward the clueless Connie. Underworld hijinks and unconventional matrimonial practices ensue in this broad domestic comedy written and directed by star Alan Alda. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Alan Alda
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Jun 22, 1990 Wide
On DVD: Sep 3, 2002

Critic Reviews

Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Doesn't summon much of a reaction at all, leaving the eventual parade of sentimentality D.O.A. I was entertained by Wedding, but never enlivened by it.
Bob Grimm, Reno News and Review
Molly Ringwald after the fall.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Nicki M

I have to admit, this one has not aged well. Being a mad Molly Ringwald fan, this is a movie I have seen many times over the years, though not for a good five or six years. The main problem this has is there is not enough of Molly in it, even though she's the title character.… More
I have to admit, this one has not aged well. Being a mad Molly Ringwald fan, this is a movie I have seen many times over the years, though not for a good five or six years. The main problem this has is there is not enough of Molly in it, even though she's the title character. There are some good supporting characters, including Ally Sheedy and Catherine O'hara, but there's a few I could happily have seen less of. I really didn't like the Stevie character a lot. It is mainly a nice little wedding story with a dysfunctional family and in laws thrown in. Nothing that hasn't been done before. Probably won't win any new fans, but might be enjoyed as a nostalgia piece (though even the clothes are pretty damn ugly here and it's a worry that Betsy hacking up that wedding dress actually improved it!).
AJ V

This movie is pretty good, it's a typical wedding story with some good comedy, but it could have been a lot funnier, and I wanted to see more of Ringwald and less of all the minor characters. I enjoyed it anyway.
Lafe F

A fun wedding mess which all comes together.

Cast

            Alan Alda as Eddie Hopper

            Madeline Kahn as Lola Hopper

            Molly Ringwald as Betsy Hopper

            Ally Sheedy as Connie Hopper

            Anthony LaPaglia as Stevie Dee

            Joe Pesci as Oscar Henner

            Joey Bishop as Eddie's Father

            Dylan Walsh as Jake Lovell

            Catherine O'Hara as Gloria Henner

            Burt Young as Georgie

            Nicolas Coster as Henry Lovell

            Bibi Besch as Nancy Lovell

            Larry Block as Barber

            Julie Bovasso as Grandma

            Sully Boyar as Morris Lola's Dad

            Thomas John Caligiuri as Man at Wedding

            Monica Carr as Joy

            William Duff-Griffin as Caterer

            Frankie Faison as Zack Monroe

            Helen Hanft as Fitter

            Samuel L. Jackson as Taxi Dispatcher

            J.K. Loftin as Bandleader

            Tom Mardirosian as Dave Delahees

            Paul B. Mixon as Plumber

            Janet Pasquale as Georgie's Companion

            Camille Saviola as Angelica

            Mario Todisco as Anselmo the Bodyguard

            Allan Rich as Nate Tobias
See full cast