According to my friend, all a good wedding needs is good music and booze. Polish wedding, written and directed by theresa connolly is a relentlessly lifeaffirming story about a polish family in hamtramck, michigan, which undergoes in its own lovably ethnic way several family crises of a sort that sometimes happen to nonpoles too. The past possesses a polish wedding party in the mournful demon. Polish wedding is a film directed by theresa connelly with claire danes, gabriel byrne, lena olin, jon bradford, year.
Natalie and i flew to poland to watch our dearest friends dylan and karolina get marred in the beautiful polish countryside at kurozweki palace outside of krakow. The bachelor 1999 film bachelorette film backyard wedding. With totemic names like roman polanski, krzysztof kieslowski and andrzej wajda, the school of polish cinema is one that instantly commands respect and attention. Too many scenes float above reality, going for cuteness and colorful dialogue and zany quirks, until we begin to question the very possibility that these wonderful, fullhearted characters could actually exist in a suburb of detroitor anywhere. Claire danes, gabriel byrne, lena olin, daniel lapaine. The movies mixture of sex, religion and family craziness reminded me of household saints, the nancy savoca film in which lili taylors grandmother believes in saints, her parents believe in the american dream, and lili, by seriously desiring to become a saint, does what would make her grandmother happy and her parents miserable. Claire danes, gabriel byrne, lena olin, daniel lapaine, rade serbedzija, mili. In the new film, polish wedding, trese had to then whisk ms.
Unfortunately, writerdirector theresa connellys debut feature is a messy conglomeration of. The incongruously irishlooking gabriel byrne plays bolek, the paterfamilias, who is being cuckolded by jadzia the. Whereas a film like in the company of men succeeds through an innovative idea, strong acting performances and passionate filmmaking, polish wedding has none of this. Wesele is a dark comedy film made in 2004 in poland. For centuries, a wedding in poland was a two or threeday affair that included many unique traditions. Polish wedding customs and traditions partners on the road. Polish wedding is a movie of gratifying small moments, some of which are hilariously funny and charged with healthy eroticism for instance. One would hope that a film that boasts a cast containing gabriel byrne, lena olin, and claire danes would have. While not entirely factually true the movie reminds me of the polish weddings ive attended as a child. With claire danes, gabriel byrne, lena olin, jon bradford. Maybe this will give all of the nervous brides and grooms some perspective. Although polands first film dates back to 1908, the wholesale destruction of its industry and much of its talent who either died or emigrated during the second world war meant that 1945 was practically year zero, and polish cinemas postwar resurrection was considerably hindered by an edict that all films made between 1949 and 1956 cleave to the strictures of stalinist. With marian dziedziel, tamara arciuch, iwona bielska, maciej stuhr.
Its thought that these months will bring good luck to a marriage and are thus the most popular times to plan a wedding. Procession of the virgin and selection of a virgin to lead it does not happen in the polish roman catholic church. Polish wedding is a 1998 american comedydrama film written and directed by theresa connelly and is also a thenunknown kristen bells film debut in her uncredited role. It was screened at the sundance film festival on january 16, 1998 and berlin international film festival on february 12. Take one philandering wife, one loving husband, four disorderly sons and one recklessly passionate daughter all living amidst the urban decay of detroit, michigan. A fanciful film, wonderful characters and fantastic musical score. One would hope that a film that boasts a cast containing gabriel byrne, lena olin, and claire danes would have something entertaining to offer an interesting performance or two at the very least. Polish wedding is a largely forgettable movie about a free spirited girl, hala claire danes, and her earthy, sensual mom, jadzia lena olin and sad sack father, bolek gabriel byrne. The polish also hold a blessing ceremony before the actual wedding ceremony, for just the bride, groom and their parents, during which the parents give the couple a ceremonial gift of bread and salt, meant to represent the prosperity and bitterness that. It was screened at the sundance film festival on january 16. Other important aspects of the polish wedding traditions that you need to know seating plan normally nowadays there is a seating plan displayed at the entrance of the reception party just find your name on the list and sit at the table mentioned.
Its a winning combination, but when she falls for the neighborhood cop on the beat, their summer romance stretches her familys strength and support to outrageous lengths, now the rush is on to plan the nuptials despite an extremely reluctant groom and other hilarious complications. Polish wedding 1998 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Depending in which part of poland you are in they all do it differently. Though shes happily married to bolek, she is also having a longtime affair with roman. It was a promising career cut short, as wronawho directed two films in poland before making his international breakthrough with demonwould. Danes, wearing a wedding dress, onto the bike as he drove off. Her young daughter hala is having an affair with neighbour cop russell and becomes pregnant by him. Too many scenes float above reality, going for cuteness and colorful dialogue and zany quirks, until we begin to question the very possibility that these wonderful, fullhearted characters could actually exist in a suburb of detroitor. But globalisation and social media have begun to change the way many polish couples plan this important day of their lives. A foreigners guide to polish weddings article culture.
Your hosts will be doing speeches and announcements in polish, writing will also be in polish. Claire danes is wonderful onscreen, yet miscast in most every film shes played. A wealthy smalltown wiseguy organizes the wedding party for his daughter. Though shes happily married to bolek, she is also having a longtime affair. One film alone does not constitute a polish american cinema nor does polish wedding, that is, this one particular film, make its writerdirector a polish american filmmaker, that is, a filmmaker for whom polish american ethnicity forms an integral part of his creative vision and artistic oenvre. After a while the eating continues with meat, then soup, then cake and back to meat again and so onbasically you are eating the whole time and it is advisable to not eat too much in the beginning. Poland trip and polish wedding traditions seize the aisle. Firsttime writerdirector theresa connellys polish wedding is a shotgun affair. You get to see the difference between american and polish wedding traditions. This scattershot movie mixes drama and comedy into an uneasy blend that. Though shes happily married to bolek, she is also having. Polish wedding is a 1998 american comedydrama film written and directed by theresa connelly. Jul 15, 1998 in the new film, polish wedding, trese had to then whisk ms.
Its thought that these months bring good luck to a marriage and are thus the most popular times to plan a wedding. Claire danes, gabriel byrne, lena olin, jon bradford, theresa. The best man 1999 film the best years of our lives. It was a promising career cut short, as wronawho directed two films in poland before making his international breakthrough with demonwould not. That, accompanied by some nicely done individual scenes, allows the picture to overcome its mediocre and often unwieldy plot, resulting in a. Released july 17th, 1998, polish wedding stars lena olin, gabriel byrne, claire danes, adam trese the pg movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 47 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. As the party begins, unexpected events start to occur.
After her parents learn the news, russell is forced to marry hala, and a big polish wedding is planned. The irony is that andrzej wajda has already nailed it with his film, the wedding, about a rambunctious wedding reception in poland in 1900 that consumes most of the movies running time. Polish wedding revolves around a polishamerican family in a suburb of detroit, jadzia pzoniak lena olin is the matriarch of the family, she married bolek gabriel byrne while she was pregnant. The polish also hold a blessing ceremony before the actual wedding ceremony, for just the bride, groom and their parents, during which the parents give the couple a ceremonial gift of bread and salt, meant to represent the prosperity and bitterness that all couples encounter throughout their lives. A movie can get away with anything if it can convince you it believes in itself. Therefore it is highly recommended you brush up on your polish, itself a beautiful language. Watch polish wedding movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at. Within the first hour a starter, main course, dessert and coffee is served. Jadzia is the mother and the ruler of the pzoniak family she has five children. The traditional polish wedding is no longer what it used to be. Hala claire danes is as sassy as her mother lena olin and as sensitive as her father gabriel byrne.
All the generational values are squished together in polish wedding. Polish wedding is a movie of gratifying small moments, some of which are hilariously funny and charged with healthy eroticism for instance, the scene in which all the women in the family. At a polish wedding it is normal to eat a lot and all the time. Top 6 tips to survive a polish wedding culture trip. Wesele the wedding is a motion picture made in 1972 in poland by andrzej wajda as an adaptation of a play by the same title written by stanislaw wyspianski in 1901.
The play depicts the wedding celebration of a peasant girl with a young intellectual from krakow, taking place in a peasant house, at which a whole crosssection of polish society gathers. Wesele is a defining work of polish drama written at the turn of the 20th century. Also, odds are if youre at a polish wedding, the name of the month its taking place in probably contains the letter r in polish, that includes march, june, august, september, october and december. It takes place within the polish american community of hamtramck, michigan the childhood home of director theresa.
A disjointed but funny look at a fictitious, blue collar, polish american family, polish wedding manages to be enjoyable due to its winning cast and charmingly buoyant aura that permeates the film. First of all, if you are invited to a polish wedding, chances are the month probably contains the letter r in polish, that includes march, june, august, september, october and december. Even when, as in polish wedding, the film manages to look with a certain indulgence of spirit upon traditional views of sexroles, marriage and childrearing she makes babies, i make bread, says bolek of his wife as they have been preserved in such ethnic enclaves as hamtramck, there is no room for similar indulgence towards a 2000 year. It takes place within the polish american community of hamtramck, michigan the. Connellys muddled film polish wedding, but it is glaring enough to make you question everything else about this aggressively sentimental. Her young daughter hala is having an affair with neighbour cop russell. Polish wedding 1998 a detroit matriarch lena olin cheats on her husband gabriel byrne and oversees her pregnant daughters claire danes marriage to a neighbor.
Not only will this impress your hosts and everyone at the wedding, but you will also feel good about yourself, you will be able to strike up new conversation and also understand the speeches and. This scattershot movie mixes drama and comedy into an uneasy blend that muddles the honesty of each perspective. Polish wedding revolves around a polish american family in a suburb of detroit, jadzia pzoniak lena olin is the matriarch of the family, she married bolek gabriel byrne while she was pregnant. Polish wedding 1998 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The irony is that andrzej wajda has already nailed it with his film, the wedding, about a rambunctious wedding reception in poland in 1900 that consumes most of. How did i do with polish wedding superstitions polish.