An Indie wedding comedy…

My Sister’s Wedding

Rating: 8/10

Written and directed: Kenneth R. Frank

Style: Comedy

Time: 82 minutes

Trailer: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=mpbAl7uQZ44

Review by Mike Szymanski

Like “Four Weddings and a Funeral” or “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” or a multitude of other comedies, the family comes undone during the tying of matrimonial knots — and it’s usually very funny, as well as tragic.

“My Sister’s Wedding” is a raucous and humorous take at a family falling apart and yet coming together while truths and revelations are spilled during the day of a lesbian wedding. (This is not to be confused with the 2013 all-Black “My Sister’s Wedding” starring Flex Alexander and Essence Atkins.)

The story follows Allison, who wakes up to noise and lots of doorbell ringing because her sister is getting married in a no-guests ceremony at their family home. Played by Samantha Sayak, this actress has great comic timing in a role where her character Allison is essentially the straight man to all the kooky characters around her.

Her sister getting married is Tina, played by Lauren A. Kennedy, an actress you will recognize if you love indie horror movies like I do. She’s playing the little sister who is marrying a woman, Aaliyah, played by Samantha Nixon. Not only do all of their parents have to deal with the same-sex marriage, but also the mixed-race marriage because Tina’s family is white, and Aaliyah’s family is black.

But, the real story is in fact between the parents of the girls. The mom and dad are truly the main characters and the dad is the one who you follow to see how he changes throughout the story.

The hyperbolic mother Olivia is played by Jennifer Jiles. She still rules the roost of the family, even criticizing the family home where she hasn’t lived since she and her husband split up. But, they’ve never officially divorced, and she now is bringing the papers for her husband to sign.

The daughters are mortified that they would use the wedding as a backdrop to end her wedding, and prepare their father for the blow.

The father Big Al is played by Brian Donahue, and truly he is the star of this delightful family comedy. A hard-ass toward his daughters, Big Al wants to reunite with his former wife, and comes to the wedding with high expectations.

He also wants to ensure that his daughters will be taking over the family business, but neither of them have any intention of staying around to do so.

In fact, the lesbian sister and her spouse are hightailing it to California, and Allison plans to go teach at an elementary school out of town. They all figure they need to tell dad their plans at this inopportune time.

A third sister and her husband arrive at the wedding, and he offers occasional silly words of wisdom such as: “Marriage is about compromise, even if you don’t know you’re doing it.”

It’s a no-guest wedding, but the girls’ father brings a real Father Carmine (a Catholic priest) played by Frank Failla. Insulted that the priest may have some judgment about the wedding, Tina expressly tells the father, “I will not be made to feel judgment by an institution that doesn’t recognize who I am, and I am not looking for, or taking, a blessing.”

Meanwhile, it’s Allisom’s job to keep her parents in line and it’s no small task.

Kenneth R. Frank, the writer and director of this wedding romp is a name to watch out for, after his award-winning comedy-drama “Family Obligations” in 2019. That one three best picture awards at film festivals and played at the Austin Film Festival along with movies by Terrence Malick and Noah Baumbach. He also co-wrote the award-winning comedy “The Mix” and worked on the movies “Sofa King” and “UFO Club.”

This movie debuted at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival in 2023 and won best Feature Screenplay.

The movie now is looking for distribution before the end of the year.

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