A Simple Wedding

A Simple Wedding

Year: 2018

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Director: Sara Zandieh

Echo Score: 71
RomanceComedy

Love doesn’t care what your family thinks Cultures clash and families collide when an Iranian woman finds love with an eccentric bisexual artist.

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Timeline & Setting – A Simple Wedding (2018)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A Simple Wedding (2018). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

The events unfold in the early 2020s, reflecting current discussions of arranged marriage, gender roles, and LGBTQ+ relationships within immigrant families. The time period emphasizes social media, protests, and the blending of cultural expectations with personal autonomy. The film uses contemporary settings like weddings, gigs, and family dinners to explore these themes.

Location

Los Angeles, California; Tehran, Iran

Set in contemporary Los Angeles with scenes that spill into Tehran, the story centers on Iranian-American families negotiating tradition and modern life. The city provides a backdrop of glass towers, sunny neighborhoods, and a close-knit immigrant community that gathers for weddings and protests alike. The contrast between LA's cosmopolitan vibe and Hassani-Talbot family rituals drives much of the film's drama.

🏙️ Urban 🌐 Multicultural 🧭 Cross-cultural

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:34

Main Characters – A Simple Wedding (2018)

Meet the key characters of A Simple Wedding (2018), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Nousha Husseini (Tara Grammy)

A successful LA housing attorney in her early 30s who is wary of marriage but yearns for authentic connection. She navigates pressure from traditional parents while falling for Alex, forcing a journey toward independence and self-acceptance.

💼 Professional 🧭 Independent 💕 Romantic

Alex Talbot (Brandon Kyle Goodman)

An artist/DJ in LA, charming and open-minded, who is openly bisexual. He challenges Nousha's expectations while managing a complex family background and a sincere commitment to their relationship.

🎨 Creative 🧭 Free-spirited 🌈 LGBTQ

Ziba Husseini (Shohreh Aghdashloo)

Nousha's traditional mother, protective and deeply rooted in Iranian values. She wants to preserve family honor and cultural norms, yet she cares deeply for her daughter's happiness and future.

👩 Traditional 🧭 Protective 👨‍👩‍👧 Family-oriented

Reza Husseini (Houshang Touzie)

Nousha's father and family patriarch who pushes for adherence to tradition and arranged marriage. He exerts pressure with stern humor, aiming to uphold cultural expectations.

👨 Traditional 🗣️ Demanding 🏠 Family patriarch

Maggie Baker (Rita Wilson)

Alex's mother, at once protective and open to change. She grapples with her son's relationship and ends up forming a surprising bond with Saman, hinting at a broader family evolution.

👩 Protective 🧭 Open to change 💬 Conversation-driven

Bill Talbot (Peter Mackenzie)

Alex's father, a pragmatic yet warm presence who navigates the wedding dynamics and supports the family's pursuit of love, including the evolving relationships around him.

👨 Family-oriented 🗣️ Pragmatic 🧭 Open-minded

Uncle Saman (Maz Jobrani)

A Tehran-born war veteran who has never married and provides a thoughtful, humorous counterpoint to the family’s plans. His budding romance with Maggie adds another layer to the wedding narrative.

🪖 Veteran 🤝 Unexpected romance 👨‍👦 Family ties

Lynne (Rebecca Henderson)

Nousha's friend who offers support and helps rally her to step back into life after the wedding crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship in personal growth.

👭 Friend 💬 Supportive 🧭 Self-discovery

Tessa (Aleque Reid)

Lynne's friend who participates in the wedding planning and provides practical and emotional support, reflecting the immigrant community's close-knit circle.

👩 Free-spirited 🫶 Friend 💬 Supportive

DJ (Rose Ghavami)

A charismatic DJ at Alex's gig who helps frame key moments in the story with music and energy, underscoring the couple's cultural blend.

🎧 Musician 🕺 Party-energy 🤝 Supportive

Grandma (Jaleh Modjallal)

A matriarch whose presence anchors family traditions during gatherings and wedding preparations, offering wisdom and warmth.

👵 Grandmother 🧭 Traditional 🏡 Family anchor

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:34

Major Themes – A Simple Wedding (2018)

Explore the central themes of A Simple Wedding (2018), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💕 Love vs Tradition

Nousha's search for happiness clashes with her parents' insistence on an arranged marriage. She and Alex challenge cultural expectations by choosing to live together and publicly pursue their relationship. The looming wedding tests loyalties within the Hassani and Talbot families, forcing difficult choices about duty and desire.

🌈 Identity and Acceptance

Alex's bisexuality and unconventional family challenge both sides of the family to rethink preconceived notions of love. Maggie's initial discomfort, Reza's traditional stance, and Saman's unexpected proposal to Maggie complicate the path to acceptance. The film uses these dynamics to examine how love can transcend rigid labels.

🧭 Self-Discovery

Nousha learns to embrace her own company and priorities, realizing that personal fulfillment isn't contingent on marriage. The wedding crisis becomes a catalyst for introspection and growth as she questions what she wants from life. By the end, she finds a balance between independence and connection.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:34

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