Father of the Bride

When I came to this country, I came with nothing.

I parked cars while I went to school.

And I learned English.

I later worked as a carpenter until I got myself into college.

That's where Ingrid and I met.

She was studying interior design

and I was studying architecture.

And one year later, we were engaged.

We had very little money,

so we got married at a community center.

Well, actually a bingo hall.

We were so in love.

Everyone pitched in with something in the wedding.

The local pastelería baked the cake.

My cousin, Junior, bought me a tux.

My Tío Walter played with his band, Los Inmortales...

until they had to kick us out the next morning.

When her father asked me how I planned to support his daughter...

I said, "I'm gonna be an architect."

And he said, "An architect? You should have picked a rich wife."

When Sofi was born, I didn't know how I was gonna look after her...

but I promised myself she would never struggle the way we did.

Are you gonna work all night?

No. I'll be right there.

Oh, I love what you're doing with it.

So, I built our house on my own,

and ten years later,

we were the most sought-after firm in Coral Gables.

So, tell me, if I did everything right...

how the hell did I end up here?

...committed to this marriage.

-That's not fair. It's just unfair that... -Billy. I understand.

-...she would start with that accusation. -I understand.

-Oh. Sorry for the offense, Your Honor. -I'm talking about our marriage

and she thinks it's some personal attack.

How dare I question His Majesty?

-Guys, please. -We're all just supporting characters...

-in the Billy Herrera show. -Billy and Ingrid...

Let's stop accusing each other, shall we?

Let's try this exercise instead.

When you do this, I imagine Y.

Again?

It's very effective, and I don't think we've done it in a while.

-I can check in my calendar. -All right. All right.

When you don't answer after I speak...

I imagine that you find me boring.

And I don't wanna be with someone that finds me boring.

I wanna be with someone that finds me interesting.

Not some stubborn old man who's stuck in a rut and takes me for granted.

-You feel you're being taken for granted? -Oh, yes.

I feel taken for granted.

When you call me a workaholic and a stubborn old man,

I imagine that you take for granted

everything that I've sacrificed to get our family to this point in our life.

Look, I never asked for much.

We've been marching to your beat for years, Guillermo Herrera.

It's the same routine.

Sitting, watching sports. Watching the Fishing Channel.

The Fishing Channel?

He likes to guess the weight and the price of the fish.

I'm a fly fisherman.

-It's an art form, okay? -

You watch it, you unwind, you relax. I work very hard...

For what?

...and I felt like you were judging me on the Fishing Channel thing!

I didn't know there was a whole channel.

For what? We have everything we need.

Our daughters are grown

and we should be free to travel, to go to Greece.

Again with Greece.

It's a metaphor! You won't venture outside your own bubble.

Okay, look. I came to this country with nothing.

I slept on my Tío Walter's floor. I parked cars.

I became an architect, I built my firm out of nothing.

I sent my daughter, Sofi, to the top law school in New York.

She had absolutely nothing to do with that.

I supported my daughter, Cora

after she dropped out of college, so please explain to me

why is it every time I come here, I am the bad guy?

All right, look. You both have been coming here for over a year, right?

-Oh, yes. -Oh, yeah.

So, I'm gonna ask you point-blank.

Do you still want this marriage to work or not?

-I'm here. -No.

You're not gonna change, Billy.

And I'm tired of trying.

I'm tired too.

Okay.

Well, just because your marriage has devolved into rancor and reprisal

does not mean that this divorce has to as well.

Since these issues are very fresh in your mind,

you both need to gather your entire family together

and you tell them without blaming one another.

So, when do we wanna do this?

We'll do it tonight.

Absolutely not tonight. My daughter is coming home from law school tonight.

We can't lie to them. They're gonna read us like a book.

It's gonna be a little bit of a harsh welcome-home party, don't you think?

Either way, you're not gonna protect them from the shock of this divorce.

Thanks for the help.

Great.

We'll do it tonight.

Huh?

A bigger smile.

So, you wouldn't consider yourself a postmodern kinda guy?

No. Postmodernism has no regard for tradition.

Neoclassic architecture, on the other hand

demands you that you respect the lineage of what you're trying to recreate.

So, I'm more neoclassical, more traditional.

Which is why you have so many clients in Miami.

Maybe so.

I mean, Herrera Architects alone brought Cuba to Coconut Grove.

I think architecture is a great way for us to connect to our culture,

to our home.

Will you excuse me? I just realized I need to get home.

-Sofi? -Yes.

Coral Gables?

Yes. Home sweet home.

Sofi?

She's not here yet.

Oh, good. I was thinking, tonight? It's way too rushed.

Perhaps we should take a little bit more time with Doctor Saeger

you know, so we can plan how to break the news to the girls.

Billy, it's time.

It's too soon.

Why can't we just, you know, give her a warm welcome

and then we'll break the news in a few days.

Because I need to get this off my chest. And I'm not gonna lie to them.

[Chi Chi mutters in foreign language]

Where is my Sofi?

Not here yet, Ma.

She must have run out when she smelled how many onions you're using.

-Really? -Let me get some oranges.

I'm warning you, do not take over my kitchen today, please.

Oh, and one Vicks isn't enough?

It kept your father alive for decades.

Yeah. Ma, it's my house.

But Sofi deserves a good welcome party.

Sofi deserves a small family dinner with Billy, Cora, and me.

How can you say that your mother is not a member of the family, huh?

Chi Chi, why don't you stay for dinner? You know you're my favorite.

I'm not lending you any money. Has he been gambling?

Where's the graduate?

Hola, Ingrid, Chi Chi. What's cooking?

I'm just trying to fix the ropa vieja. She added too much onion.

Oh, hey. It smell delicious.

Tío Walter is here.

Tío, why don't you stay for dinner?

I'd love that.

One happy family.

Please, just a moment.

I don't care if you invite the entire freaking neighborhood.

We had an agreement.

We had a plan. So we're doing it tonight.

Valentina loved working with Cora and her designs.

Gracias, Cora.

Thank you.

How much longer?

Huan is almost done.

She's been going on about this dress for weeks now.

We're dying to see it.

Oh.

She hasn't shown you the design?

No. She wanted to surprise us.

You didn't show your parents the sketches?

God, no. They would have freaked.

Yeah, well, now they're gonna freak on me.

Just don't look my mom in the eyes when she's yelling

and it'll be over before you know it.

Ready.

Okay. Well, how do you feel?

Like a woman.

Guess we're just gonna have to let them freak.

It's not even a dress.

This was an unforgiveable mistake.

But I promise you, this is not what Ophelia stands for.

What part of "quinceañera gown" did you not understand?

Not every girl wants to grow up to be a Disney princess.

You have worked at this store for one month

and you already think you're Stella McCartney.

This is a quinceañera store.

Yeah. Well, maybe it's time you stop being so old-fashioned.

Maybe it's time you found another place to work.

Already on it.

I thought you'd be more like your sister.

That's my ringtone.

Come on, Huan.

Sof?

Wrong daughter.

Hey.

-Hey, Dad. -Hey, baby.

What's up? Did Ophelia like your designs?

Not really. She decided she wanted to go in a different direction.

What kinda direction?

One where I don't work there anymore.

-I quit. -What?

Wait, what?

Mamita, you just started a month ago.

Okay, great. That's great.

So what's next? What's the plan?