Steve Martin is a genius... but that Father of the Bride wasn’t the story we wanted to tell
Gloria Estefan and Andy Garcia are bringing the classic romantic comedy up to date for today’s audiences. DANIELLE DE WOLFE learns all about it.
WHEN Grammy Award-winning singer Gloria Estefan swapped platinum records for the silver screen, she brought with her an adoring army of Latin music fans.
A proud Cuban-American, Gloria has long promoted her rich cultural heritage to her legions of followers around the world.
It should come as no real surprise then, that the pop icon best known for hits like Conga! – as part of 80s band Miami Sound Machine – and Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, is set to continue that tradition courtesy of her latest cinematic endeavour.
More than seven decades on from its original release (and three decades on from the acclaimed 1991 reboot starring Steve Martin), Father Of The Bride is back – and this time the rom-com has experienced a thoroughly Latinx makeover.
“We pulled it away more from that zany, craziness that was already in the Steve Martin version,” smiles Gloria, 64, referencing the Nineties remake which also starred Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton and the Emmy Award-winning Martin Short. “Steve Martin is a genius, but that wasn’t the story that we wanted to tell.”
It’s a point Gloria’s costar, Academy Awardnominee Andy Garcia picks up on. “There was a responsibility to be non-stereotypical in the approach of telling the movie,” nods the actor.
The reboot sees Gloria and Andy, 66, play Ingrid and Billy Herrera – a longmarried couple, whose eldest daughter Sofia (Adria Arjona) has recently become engaged.
Directed by Gaz Alazraki (Club de Cuervos), Father Of The Bride also stars Terminator: Dark Fate actor Diego Boneta as Sofia’s fiance Adan.
Staying largely loyal to the original premise but with a number of notable modernisations, the film reflects an altogether more diverse society, complete with evolving traditions, opinions and moral values.
The depiction of Latin-American culture within the scripts was something Andy, star of movies like The Godfather III and The Untouchables, took incredibly seriously – particularly given his additional role of executive producer alongside twotime Academy Award-winner actor Brad Pitt.
Paired with the fact most of the film’s cast members belong to the Latinx community, this up-to-date reimagining aligns itself perfectly with the modern age.
“We really wanted to represent our cultures in the right way, when it came to what we wore, the way we spoke and the food,” says Adria, 30, of the film.
“The discussions about plates that were put on a table were so specific; we really wanted to protect everyone that would watch this movie, whether Cuban or Mexican. And I think it’s such a truthful representation of both cultures.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Arjona’s co-star, Diego, who says: “I also love the fact that I can’t think of another movie that celebrates two different Latin cultures and showcases the differences and the similarities between them like this.”
Describing her character as a “second-generation child” but still “100% Cuban”, Adria says the film questions what it means to grow up Cuban in America.
“Those generational gaps and those traditions – do you break them? Do you keep them? That conversation, to me, felt really smart,” adds Adria.
Based on Edward Streeter’s 1949 novel of the same name, the 1950 Vincente Minnelli-directed film starred silver screen icons Spencer Tracy and Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Later turned into a short-lived television series in the early 60s, this latest incarnation of Father Of The Bride flips many of the societal norms depicted in the previous outings on their head.
“It’s a new take on masculinity,” adds Diego, 31, who describes the film as a “very modern” spin on the original. “It’s okay to be vulnerable. And it’s okay to break with all these different stereotypes – like the guy proposing to the woman. I love that about it.”
Describing how the reboot sees Billy and Ingrid’s own marital issues juxtaposed by the happiness of their newly-engaged daughter and her fiancé, Gloria describes it is a prime example of the film’s “modern take on traditional things”.
“He’s focused so much on career, and she gave up her career to be a mother, because she really wanted to be there for the kids. But now she’s ready to come into her own. And he’s kind of not seeing it,” says Gloria of the parents. “They’ve kind of lost their way,” adds the singer, noting the importance of “showing there’s also a way back” from marital discord.
From classic underdog tale McFarland – depicting Latinx culture within a Californian high school, to Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Father Of The Bride is part of a growing wave of bigbudget releases placing Latinx culture centre stage.
The project couldn’t be more fitting for Gloria, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside her husband – 19-time Grammy Award-winner Emilio Estefan – in 2015 by Barack Obama. At the time, the then-US President said of the couple that “as proud Cuban-Americans, they’ve promoted their cultural heritage and inspired fans all over the world.”
Ending our conversation on a high, Gloria reveals that she would happily work with Andy again “in a heartbeat”.
Suddenly confessing that she has spent the morning reading a new script that her co-star had sent her “in between interviews”, the musical icon begins to wax lyrical about the forthcoming project.
“I just sent her that script last night!” exclaims Andy with a laugh.
“In between interviews?! You didn’t have to read it that fast Gloria!”