The Correct Order To Watch The Father Of The Bride Movies

You don't hear it mentioned too often in discussions of successful Hollywood franchises, but the "Father of the Bride" saga has demonstrated remarkable staying power. Like the Banks family itself, we've watched as this franchise has grown up, moved out the house, and had children of its own in the form of two reboots and multiple sequels. But things all started back in 1949 when Edward Streeter's "Father of the Bride" novel was adapted into the classic 1950 comedy of the same name. Since then, the series has produced six films, one of which was a short film produced during the global pandemic and the most recent being 2022's "Father of the Bride" remake. 

In all, you've got a franchise that has spanned almost eight decades and which continues to delight audiences 72 years after the first film debuted. Modern audiences might finally be ready for more than sequels and reboots, but the "Father of the Bride" series feels like it could potentially go on being rebooted and delighting successive generations indefinitely.

But where does that leave the uninitiated? What about the kids who grew up on the Steve Martin movies and had no idea there were other films? Well, if you're looking for the correct order to watch all of the "Father of the Bride" films, look no further than this helpful guide.

The first thing to note is that with every iteration of this beloved story, the central premise remained the same. Stanley Banks (George Banks in the '90s remake and Billy Herrera in the 2022 remake) struggles to accept the idea that his daughter has grown up after she announces her engagement, before he eventually comes round to the idea. It's not exactly the most complex concept, but it's made for some heartwarming films over the years, which reaffirm the importance of family and speak to the truth of growing up being both a triumph and a tragedy.

That's all well and good, I hear you say, but where are you supposed to start with this decade-spanning franchise, especially considering Hollywood's penchant for prequels, legacy sequels, and films where no one has ever figured out whether they're supposed to be reboots or sequels. Thankfully, the multiple retellings of the wholesome Banks family tale are not the convoluted Terminator timeline. In fact, you can and probably should watch all the films in production order, shown below:

• "Father of the Bride" (1950)

• "Father's Little Dividend" (1951)

• "Father of the Bride" (1991)

• "Father of the Bride, Part II" (1995)

• "Father of the Bride, Part 3(ish)" (2020)

• "Father of the Bride" (2022)

Just follow the production order above and the "Father of the Bride" movies will make complete sense.

It's nice to see a long-running franchise that doesn't require a deep understanding of some tortured chronology in order to follow along. The "Father of the Bride" saga has really been the story of Edward Streeter's original tale being retold for successive generations, and always managing to resonate. After the 1949 novel proved popular, it was adapted into the Spencer Tracy-led "Father of the Bride" in 1950. A sequel, "Father's Little Dividend" was quickly produced for a 1951 release, and while it almost matched the commercial performance of its predecessor, another film wasn't produced for four decades.

In the '90s, Steve Martin led a remake of the original with 1991's "Father of the Bride" — which happens to be one of the best wedding movies ever made – followed by a new sequel, "Father of the Bride, Part II." There was even a Netflix virtual three-quel that happened during the global pandemic, whereby the cast of the Steve Martin-led films reunited. Despite being confined to a Zoom call, "Father of the Bride Part 3(ish)" turned out to be a charming beacon of light amid the darkness of 2020.

Though the cast of "Part 3(is)" promised during their virtual meetup to get together in the future, the next "Father of the Bride" installment would actually come in the form of a complete reboot starring Andy Garcia. While this 2022 reimagining diverged from the original story somewhat, the film did well critically and retained the same themes as the previous entries.

So you've got the original film and its sequel in the 1950s, the Steve Martin remakes in the '90s, a quasi-threequel to the 90s films in 2020, and another remake in 2022. Easy stuff for anyone looking for some charming romantic comedies.