Cheerful Weather For The Wedding

But not such good spirits for the family or the guests in this vacuous trite period British costume drama that never rose above being anything other than grossly irritating and very tiresome indeed.

The year is 1923 and its a glorious early Fall day at the Thatcham’s Family’s large Country House. It’s just a few hours before Dolly, the oldest daughter of the house, gets married. She is a rather spoilt brat who has been over-indulged by her fusspot mother whose machinations resulted in Dolly being betrothed to future Diplomat (and titled) Owen. Trouble is Dolly still has the pangs for Joseph who she had a dalliance in the Conservatory when the summer was hot and steamy. Now that Joseph has turned up for the wedding she’s turned to knocking back countless glasses of rum whilst she is getting her wedding dress on. But will being drunk help her decide between becoming a Diplomats wife in Argentina with a steady chap, or having (more) fun with randy Joseph? And do we really care?

The family consists of a randy vicar, a old blind cook who can see into the future, a small child making explosing confetti ‘bombs’, a bitter younger sister, two irritating juvenile brothers, a rich old aunt who is having it off with her young chauffeur, an old deaf uncle that everyone has to shout at. I think with the exception of the exploding child, everybody has just two things on their minds viz sex and alcohol. And occasionally the wedding.

Lightweight script that even old pros like Julian Wadham and Barbara Flynn couldnt eke much out of it, and one of the main problems that the lead actors encountered was their youth …. Luke Treadaway playing Joseph is now 28 years old, but trust me he didnt look a day over 14. And secondly the only chemistry at all in the movie was not between the lovers but in the boy’s wee bombs.

The matriarch was played by American Elizabeth McGovern who seems to be the actor to go to for Period Costume Dramas Mothers these days, but unlike ‘Downtown Abbey’ (her day job) she was hampered by the script which tortured both the poor woman and us.

Redeeming features? Well, in one final scene Joseph realizes he has a set of genitals after all and lectures Mrs Thatcham quite superbly. Apart from that there is the weather : it really was the only thing that was remotely cheerful.