[6]

Alan Alda writes, directs and co-stars in this comedy about a family who get entangled with the mob while trying to put on a wedding. The comedic highlights are pretty mild, but the schmaltz is thankfully kept to a bare minimum. Alda fills the cast roster with Madeline Kahn, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Anthony LaPaglia, Bibi Besch, and Catherine O’Hara. Despite the stellar ensemble, no one really gets a chance to shine. Sheedy and LaPaglia are the most compelling in the film, playing a cop and mobster who fall for each other. It’s great to see this stable of actors work together for a little while, but overall Betsy’s Wedding feels like a comedy that needs less complicated back-and-forth plotting, and more moments for the characters to breathe and come to life.