Friday, June 27, 2014
112 Weddings Review (Adoption Movie Guide)
Filmmaker David Block has been the videographer for over a
hundred weddings over the past two decades. His documentary, 112 Weddings,
debuts Monday on HBO and revisits several of those couples.
112 Weddings is an honest, heartwarming, and sometimes sad
exploration of what makes marriage work. There are moments of insightful
levity; a rabbi muses, “A wedding is easy to make happy; you throw money and
alcohol at it. But a marriage is harder to make happy. Throwing money and
alcohol at it often makes it worse.”
As Block revisits and interviews couples, his subjects
reveal that their lives post-wedding have not been easy. Some couples have
decided to divorce. Others remain firmly committed to each other and speak of
life being cyclical – with lows to be endured and highs to be enjoyed.
One couple performed a commitment ceremony thirteen years
ago, and only now are getting married. Block asked their daughter how she felt
about it; her smile was huge. A same-sex couple shares that being allowed to be
married means a great deal to them because marriage is how society identifies
people. The power of commitment in some marriages is evident; couples
acknowledge that their relationships are not ideal, but are still worth
keeping. One interviewee explained that the fact of marriage makes it more
likely that a couple will work together through issues rather than separating
on a whim. As Block says, “Happily ever after is complicated.”
Recommendation
112 Weddings gets my recommendation for a parent date night
film, or maybe even for a family movie night. It could serve as an invitation
for children to ask questions about how their families have formed. Kids being
raised by single parents might not find the film relevant. Families who have
experienced divorce may find the film painful; one couple is going through divorce,
and the wife’s grief is powerful.
112 Weddings debuts Monday, June 30 at 9:00 PM on HBO.
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