The “Father of the Bride” House

Remember when I showed you that traditional white house that I saw on the Walk and Gawk tour of North Avondale, Ohio, earlier this month, and I said it reminded me of the house in “Father of the Bride“?

Lindsay over at Iamnotastalker found the original home used for the movie and posted it on her blog. Now we can compare the two side by side and see how good my memory is of a movie I haven’t seen in at least five years.

First, here’s the house I snapped during the home tour earlier this month (more photos of it here and here):

And here’s the actual home used for the film, which is located in Pasadena, California:

Pretty similar, right? The first house even has a porte cochere like the “Father of the Bride” house on the right side (but unfortunately you can’t see it in this photo, behind all that foliage).

The front of this house was filmed in Pasadena, but the producers chose a different backyard in Alhambra for the backyard basketball scenes. Remember when Annie and her dad shot hoops? The backboard is still there, all these years later (the movie was released in 1991–can that be right? It doesn’t seem like that long ago!):

But get this. The Alhambra house was later used in the 2005 Ashton Kutcher movie “Guess Who?” Here’s the front of it, which is also pretty similar in style and spirit to the other two:

What other movies had a white house like this in it? I was thinking that “Ferris Bueller” lived in a similar one, but it’s not quite the same. Close though. See?

According to Seeing-Stars, this “Chicago” house was actually in Long Beach, CA. (Trivia: this house was also featured in the thriller “Red Dragon” and the comedy “Not Another Teen Movie.”)

If you can think of any other movie houses that look like these, please remind me. I know there are more of them out there that I’m forgetting. Help a girl out!

(If you missed it, you can read about my obsession with Houses on the Big Screen. One of my faves is another Steve Martin movie. Can you guess which one?)

UPDATE: Thanks to Hooked on Houses reader Mike for providing the link to an article about the current owners of the “Father of the Bride” house! Read it here. He also gave us the link to the architectural plans for anyone interested in building one for themselves.

If You’re Hooked on Famous Houses:

June 5th, 2008 | Tags: " Steve Martin, Alhambra, California, entertainment, Father of the Bride, Ferris Bueller, movie set, movies, Pasadena, Pop culture, Real Estate, trivia | Category: Famous Houses, In the Movies | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL

irishsof:
June 5th, 2008 at 7:56 am

Oo Oo Oo! I can contribute today!

JLB and I were looking up that house a couple of years ago because I wanted to find out if you could get the plans for it in order to build it. (Hey, a ~~gay~~ guy can dream!)

Apparently, the couple that owns it now went looking for something like it, and stumbled upon the actual house from the movie. But the inside was a mess from the movie, because walls had be made removeable for filming, etc. It’s kind of a cool story.

Story can be found here.

And here are the plans!

irishsof:
June 5th, 2008 at 8:06 am

And my follow up - my guess as to the other house is Steve Martin’s house from L.A. Story.

hookedonhouses:
June 5th, 2008 at 8:09 am

Irishsof, you are not just the Reader of the Day for providing those links–you’re the reader of the month! (Your plaque is in the mail.) Thank you!!! I immediately edited the post to add the links. -Julia

Marie:
June 5th, 2008 at 8:37 am

I LOVE that Father of the Bride house. I remember waaaaay back in 1991 when I saw the movie the first thing I thought was “I MUST HAVE THAT HOUSE!” It is hands down, my favorite movie house ever.

Cindy:
June 5th, 2008 at 8:38 am

I love it that there are other movie house stalkers too. Being close to Los Angeles I have driven by many of them. They filmed some scenes for a new movie a block from my house last week and while watching Disturbia I told my hubby I thought I regonized the house as one in Whittier and I was right. My guess for your other favorite Steve Martin house is the one in Cheaper by the Dozen. Love it.

Sue:
June 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am

One of my most favorite places ever…thank you for this smile!!
I watch these movies so often…and love the inside and the outside! It makes mt happy…

Love,
Sue

Mrs.Limestone:
June 5th, 2008 at 10:08 am

I could be totally wrong but I thought I read that house was for sale (newly renovated) recently. Of course I can’t remember where I saw it and Im sure its long gone now but how cool to live in that house.

hookedonhouses:
June 5th, 2008 at 10:23 am

Oh! Well get right on that and see what you can find out for us, Mrs. Limestone! You don’t have anything else to do today, do you? -Julia

Tori:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

I love it! I love it! I love it! The Father of the Bride movies are
two of my favorite, though last time I watched them my dad
said, “You better watch these because this is how I am going
to be when you get married.” 0_0, that could be scary, lol.
I love movie houses (have you seen Dan in Real Life?
not a white house, but it is beautiful). As far as white houses
go, what about Clueless, doesn’t she live in a white house?

Marla:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

My husband and I would LOVE to have the “Home Alone” house, but would be highly unattainable in Columbus, OH - for us anyway. We can always watch the movie (sigh).

Love your site.

JLB:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:20 pm

I love that house form father of the bride. We so want to build a house like that…someday.
I can’t really remeber the outside of it but the house from “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” is really cool!
The light fixtures in their dining room got a lot of attention in the design community.
I will look for the link.

Tori:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

In Big Fish they have two beautiful white houses.
Also My Fair Lady, and Gone with the wind
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2639304960/tt0031381
(sadly this is the only picture out of all three of them that
I could find)

Robin:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

I always like the house in the Steve Martin movie “House-sitter”. It had a hallway to the master suite that was all french doors on both sides, one side looking onto to the front yard house and one to a courtyard. Sadly, according to imdb.com, it was built as a set and torn down after filming (how wasteful!).

Lynn:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:39 pm

I have always loved that movie. Love the house as well.

Lynn
John 15

jennifer:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

I always loved the home alone house- it is similar-but a brick exterior

http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/h/homealone.html

speaking of movie houses , it is not this style but- my husband and LOVE the house from the movie funny farm - it is somewhere in Grafton Vermont , but we have never been able to find pictures

hookedonhouses:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:57 pm

I love all the movie houses you guys are mentioning! Thanks, Jennifer, for the link to the “Home Alone” house. Interesting how it’s basically the same style but in brick. That’s another house I always loved in the movies.

I want to cry hearing that they may have torn my favorite little yellow house down after filming “Housesitter.” How could they??

jennifer:
June 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm

AND they tore down the house from “Something’s gotta give” and “what lies beneath” - it’s just sinful!!
I just love movie houses.

TraceyB:
June 5th, 2008 at 3:30 pm

Ooooh, I love the Father Of The Bride house! I beleive it was Father Of The Bride 2 when Steve Martin’s character was having a mid-life crisis and wanted to sell. I was so disgusted with the thought I could hardly pay attention to the rest of the movie. I recently watched ‘Mr. Mom” with my daughter and remembered what a cute house that was!

class of 56:
June 5th, 2008 at 10:41 pm

When my son was a Senior in high school he decided he wanted to be a film producer. I had a training center in Glendale, Ca where one of my students was Executive Director of the Star Trek series si I called him up and asked if he would give son and me a tour of his studio, Disney at the time, and introduce us to the real thing of movie making. One guy is the “Location Master” who finds houses and other locations for a film. He took us to Pasadena where a lot of movies were made because the homes and street scenes are so memorable.

We hung around trying to get selected as extras but no such luck. The “Father of the Bride” house looks awfully familiar but maybe there were several like it in Pasadena.

melissa lewis - off the wall:
June 6th, 2008 at 12:23 am

This my be my favorite of your post. I absolutely LOVE that movie, I cry every time I watch it! I have always loved that house too! So cool:)

Beverly:
June 6th, 2008 at 11:18 am

Thanks for visiting my blog, and coming to my Front Porch party. I hope you’ll come by to visit again soon.

courtney @ nesting instincts:
June 6th, 2008 at 12:33 pm

what fun, Julia! Father of the Bride was always one of my favorite moves…and in fact was a bit of inspiration when I planned my own wedding. I, unfortunately, only had access to my parent’s 1968 ranch house when I got married…not this FOTB dream house…so got married in church instead! But I love these photos and all the links.

…I meant to say…had the reception elsewhere too! Yikes. Anyway, I’m back and I missed reading your blog! Am off to catch up!!

Hooked On Houses « Iamnotastalker’s Weblog:
June 9th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

[...] On Houses Jump to Comments Jackie over at Hooked On Houses just gave me a very nice shout out linking back to my Father of the Bride post - Thanks, [...]

Lena:
June 13th, 2008 at 11:02 am

I adore that house. The house is so inviting, just makes you want to live there. I gives me the feeling that the familyl living there has a perfect life. I am already hooked on your blog!

Amanda Miller:
July 4th, 2008 at 10:43 pm

I Want The House Right Now?

Amanda

Coco Chanel’s Apartment at 31 Rue Cambon « Hooked on Houses:
July 10th, 2008 at 7:27 pm

[...] The “Father of the Bride” House [...]

Sandra Murray:
July 28th, 2008 at 12:08 am

I have always loved the Father of the Bride house decor.

Does anyone know the name/names of the individuals or firm that decorated the interior of the Father of the Bride house for the movie? Any idea where I could find some still photos of the interior as it was in the movie? I’d especially like some of the kitchen. It’s hard to see the whole room in the movie.

Thanks.

Sandra

A “Father of the Bride” Kind of House « Hooked on Houses:
August 4th, 2008 at 3:27 pm

[...] turns out a member called Q Tip had told them about the post I did on the “Father of the Bride” house (thanks, Q Tip, whoever you are!). Someone named Jillian responded with a link to a house for sale [...]