THE STATE OF THE UNION
Anglo-American family nuptials go comically pear-shaped.
On a crisp morning in October 2021, Teasers is enjoying a chat with filmmakers accompanied by the strains of a string quartet. We’re on the lawn of Wickham House in Newbury, where a cinematic wedding is taking place, the culmination of a catalogue of errors that make up this adaptation of Grant Ginder’s 2017 bestseller, The People We Hate At The Wedding. It’s day 15 of a three-week shoot and numerous extras are shivering in summer frocks and hats, the sunshine of a British summer being fudged by huge arc lights overhead.
The story follows embattled siblings Alice (Kristen Bell) and Paul (Ben Platt) as they arrive in the UK for the big day of their wealthy half-sister (Cynthia AddaiRobinson) only to be the worst guests at the do. This salty/sweet ribtickler is designed to be a spiritual descendant of genre films such as Four Weddings And A Funeral, but with a modern audience who have soldiered through the pandemic in mind: being driven mad by their families but also cherishing them.
“We’re all big fans of those movies and we wanted to do a little bit of an homage to those films but find a version that takes it into a new generation,” producer Ashley Fox says over the Wedding March strings as flower girls throw petals. Her co-producer, Margot Hand, nods. “Everyone has one
of these stories, of a wedding going horribly awry. And there’s something really meaningful about a family that is coming from different countries, different classes, different backgrounds, coming together – it says something about people’s ability to connect.”
Directed by The Good Place alumnus Claire Scanlon, and co-starring Allison Janney as Paul and Alice’s mom, Donna, the film may be full of laughs but aims to provide comfort too. “I thought the script was hilarious and delightful and I empathised with all the characters making poor decisions, not taking accountability for their actions – and then once they do, growing from that,” says Scanlon. “I appreciate that message of ‘everyone makes mistakes and if you apologise and communicate it can lead to something better than it was before’.”
That ability to grow is reflected in production too, with this blended family representing a diverse 2022 clan rather than a cis, white, upperclass demographic that ’90s comedies showcased. “Paul’s gay which is really fun because I get to be myself,” enthuses Platt as he waits to walk down the aisle to his seat, explaining that ensuring audiences see themselves makes the comedy work harder. His onscreen sis, Bell, agrees. “But also, when you put Americans in any other country, isn’t there an inherent comedy in that?”
‘Everyone has one of these stories, of a wedding going horribly awry’ MARGOT HAND