Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place primarily in a wealthy household, with key scenes set in a hospital after Margaret's health scare, a small country church for the wedding, and concludes with a honeymoon in Hawaii. The contrast between the opulent family home and the humble church setting highlights the merging of two different worlds.

• settings
• hospital
• home
• church
• hawaii

Margaret Delafield is a wealthy, sharp-witted widow portrayed by Katharine Hepburn who survives a hospital scare and boldly pursues happiness with her physician. She challenges her family's fixation on inheritance and asserts her right to choose love, driving the story forward with resilience and wit.

• margaret delafield
• widow
• katharine hepburn
• protagonist

Dr. Marvin Elias is a Jewish, divorced physician who falls in love with Margaret after caring for her at the hospital. His relationship with Margaret crosses religious lines, adding tension as they plan their wedding. He represents care, persistence, and moral resolve throughout the story.

• marvin elias
• doctor
• jewish
• love interest

George Parker, played by Denholm Elliott, is Margaret's observant neighbor and confidant who occasionally breaks the fourth wall to comment on the unfolding drama. He serves as a witty, informal chorus that anchors the social satire of the story, blending commentary with friendship.

• george parker
• neighbor
• narrator
• denholm elliott

Margaret has three children: Horton and Chipper Delafield, her two sons who are preoccupied with safeguarding the family fortune, and Doreen Delafield, her daughter who navigates the wedding's upheaval. Horton represents traditional concerns about wealth and status, while Chipper and Doreen add to the family's strategic maneuvering around inheritance and marriage expectations.

• horton delafield
• chipper delafield
• doreen delafield
• family children

Margaret's Christian background contrasts with Marvin's Jewish faith, presenting obstacles to their union. The film explores how tradition can adapt to personal happiness, with their wedding attempting to bridge religious differences through symbolic elements. The Rabbi's hesitation in performing a mixed marriage drives the plot toward a community ceremony.

• interfaith
• religion
• jewish
• christian
• marriage

A romance between Margaret and Marvin defies the family's money-driven concerns. The threat of losing the inheritance creates tension, yet love persists as the central force. The film uses humor to explore whether affection can triumph over wealth and status, with Margaret's children worried about their inheritance creating the main obstacle.

• love
• inheritance
• money
• family fortune
• conflict

Family expectations and estate concerns drive much of the conflict, with Margaret's sons actively trying to prevent the marriage to protect their inheritance. The wedding becomes a social performance that questions propriety and status. Ultimately, warmth and reconciliation temper the drama as the families come to accept the match.

• family
• society
• inheritance
• wedding
• tradition

The film has a hopeful, lighthearted tone despite addressing themes of prejudice and greed. The conflict is presented as a social obstacle rather than high-stakes drama. The inclusion of a fourth-wall-breaking narrator adds a comedic, observational quality that prevents the story from becoming overly serious, leading to an unambiguously happy ending.

• tone
• mood
• comedy
• happy ending
• romance

The wedding attempts to bridge religious differences with symbolic elements, though the Rabbi's hesitation in performing a mixed marriage leads to a community ceremony instead. This scene highlights the theme of tolerance and how tradition can adapt to personal happiness, showing both families finding common ground.

• wedding
• ceremony
• rabbi
• religion
• symbol