The Catered Affair (1956)

Best movie ever!

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

I had high hopes with the cast including Bette Davis, Debbie Reynolds, and Ernest Borgnine. What follows is a wedding that spirals out of control that neither the Bride nor the groom want, with the mother of the bride expecting the father to take their life savings and spend it on a wedding rather than purchasing a stake in a new cab. Ugh. Good acting, but I hate the premise.

These wonderful users reviewers are in telling contrast to those of the contemporary reviewers from the established "papers of record" by the poo-bahs: Crowther, Kael, etc. The users see the realism in scenes, diction, and especially the social and emotional restrictions of lower middle class life. Not to mention the sympathy for the real heroes who struggled through working class limitations in the American 50s. No, all the poo-bahs could see was lack of "character development." Crowther is especially asinine, deciding for himself that David, for ex., disliked "coming down in the world." Or that Borgnine, after Marty, was detached from his role.

This is a very poignant and impressive movie, which stands the test of time.And glad to see some of the main performers are still with us despite the fact the picture is over 50 years old. The film is about a family struggling financially and the head of the household has to decide whether to forgo getting a share in his own taxi cab or use what limited resources he has for his daughter's wedding. In my view the gnawing hardship and consequences of lack of money has rarely ever been so honestly portrayed as it is here; the writing in the film is super and there are first class performances from every single player. The actress in the part of the one to be the maid of honor is sensational. 8/10.

"The Catered Affair" was the movie adaptation of a Paddy Chayefsky's TV drama, which starring Thelma Ritter and Pat Henning. I'm guessing this was made due to the success of Ernest Borgnine's "Marty". The film is interesting in its depiction of a different time, when the ceremonial aspects of weddings were very strange. Today, I doubt these people would go on and on about such trivialities. But, then, there were certain "ways" people married.There are some terrific "period" scenes. The Hurley's home is a real time trip. Great kitchen! I loved the scene when Bette Davis takes in the frozen laundry from a clothesline outside her window. Ms. Davis totally commands the film - at times, her presence is overbearing. Her performance is excellent, but sometimes veers very close to going over-the-top. Ernest Borgnine, Debbie Reynolds, and Barry Fitzgerald hold their own in Davis' presence.I believe, due to the presence of Bette Davis, the film should have been altered to focus more on her character. Reworked, this could have been Davis' "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" You really have to pay attention to get what the film is really about - there is one instance where Davis' own wedding is explained. There should be more about both Davis's dwelling on the past, and Borgnine's hopes for the future. ******* The Catered Affair (1956) Richard Brooks ~ Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine, Debbie Reynolds