Weddings are the perfect setting for comedic tension; there’s a reason Shakespeare ended all of his comedies with at least one.
Dysfunctional families forced together while long-simmering interpersonal dynamics come to a head is a situation ripe for the picking and one we’ve seen play out many times before on film.
The independent movie “My Sister’s Wedding,” takes this playbook and produces an enjoyable little film that punches above its weight thanks to a strong screenplay and solid performances.
The story centers on Allison (Samantha Sayah, who carries this movie and proves to be an excellent comedic actress in spite of her limited resume), the middle daughter of a wealthy family who is tasked with keeping everything on track on the day of her sister Tina’s (Lauren A Kennedy) wedding.
Allison longs to get away from the family business and out of the middle of her separated, overbearing and selfish parents Olivia (Jennifer Jiles) and Al (Brian Donahue).
So while her parents can’t be in the same room without yelling at each other, Allison has to keep everything on track while family secrets that could destroy her sister’s big day keep popping up like a game of whack-a-mole.
Writer/director Kenneth R. Frank is a little clunky and amateurish behind the camera, but he’s excellent at writing dialogue and crafting believable and compelling character arcs that make his script both funny and heartfelt.
In addition to Sayah, other winning performances include Donahue and Jiles who are great at being both kinda awful and kinda endearing at the same time and bringing some nuance to both of their performances.
The scrappy, low-budget energy is admirable in “My Sister’s Wedding” and the talent on display here proves to be worthy of a bigger stage.
“My Sister’s Wedding” is not rated and contains some adult situations.
