Father of the Bride -- Father of the Bride Part II
written by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Nancy Meyers, & Charles Shyer
George Banks: I used to think a wedding was a simple affair...boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That's getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition. I know. I've just been through one. Not my own, my daughter's. Annie Banks-MacKenzie. That's her married name...MacKenzie. I'll be honest with you, when I bought this house 17 years ago it cost less than this blessed event in which Annie Banks became Annie Banks-MacKenzie. I'm told that one day I'll look back on all this with great affection. I hope so. You fathers will understand. You have a little girl, an adorable little girl who looks up to you and adores you in a way you could never have imagined. I remember how her little hand used to fit inside mine, how she used to love to sit on my lap and lean her head against my chest. She said I was her hero. Then the day comes when she wants to get her ears pierced and wants you to drop her off a block before the movie theater. Next thing you know she's wearing eye shadow and high heels. From that moment on you're in a constant state of panic. You worry about her going out with the wrong kind of guys, the kind of guys who only want one thing, and you know exactly what that one thing is because it's the same thing you wanted when you were their age. Then she gets a little older, and you quit worrying about her meeting the wrong guy, and you worry about her meeting the right guy. And that's the biggest fear of all because then you lose her. And before you know it you're sitting all alone in a big empty house wearing rice on your tux wondering what happened to your life. It was just 6 months ago that it happened here. Just six months ago that the storm broke.
George Banks: Father of the bride. I never thought I'd say this but that whole experience was a piece of cake compared to the roller coaster I've been on this past year. I admit it took me a while to recover from the wedding, but eventually life got back to normal, which is exactly the way I prefer life to be. After the dust settled, I began to realize what a lucky guy I was. I had a wonderful home filled with memories and completely paid for; a wife I love just as much as the day I married her; a daughter, independent, self-sufficient, married, working, happy; a son blossoming in the middle of middle school; and a son-in-law, gainfully employed and very often out of town on business. Life was sweet. I felt for the first time ahead of the game. Then it dawned on me...I was a mere 5 years away from freedom. Soon I'd be a father with one kid married and the other off in college, and that started me thinking...what was I gonna do with all that free time? Anything I wanted! Maybe I'd take up fly fishing, travel to exotic places, climb Mount Everest. I was feeling on top of the world. And that's when they lowered the boom on me. It was like that old joke, "All those who think they have it made take one step forward...not so fast George Banks!" It was about a year ago when it all started...well, nine months ago to be exact. I was on my way home from work on a perfect fall day. The leaves were golden, the air was crisp, and I couldn't help thinking what a charmed life I was leading. Yep, I was a happy man.
Credit and many thanks to Abby for these monologues, it is very much appreciated.