Warning: spoilers ahead!
This past Wednesday I was lucky enough to enjoy a (free!) pre-release showing of Bridesmaids starring SNL alumnae Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, uber-gorgeous Rose Byrne and adorable relative newcomer, Irish actor Chris O’Dowd. Before seeing the film, I didn’t really care either way – I would have survived seeing or not seeing the film – however, I was so happy I did. It was funny, genuine and (this is the best part) FULL OF WOMEN! It was great and I left the theater with a huge smile on my face, reminiscing my favorite scene involving a bag of carrots and an Irish accent.
The film begins when Lillian (Rudolph) asks Annie (Wiig) to be her maid of honor. Lifelong friends with a goofy sense of humor, Annie naturally accepts and is ready to meet her duties and other wedding cronies head on. The four dysfunctional ladies (Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy and Byrne) each have a distinct personality of their own and add the perfect amount of craziness and comedy to this great ensemble cast.
Helen, played by the perfectly catty Byrne, tries to (purposefully, or maybe not) take over the planning of all Maid of Honor-related activities. Obviously, this concerns and annoys Annie who wants to prove that she is Lillian’s bestie and Helen is just a fake, rich b*tch. Helen may have succeeded, as Annie notices her life spiraling downward fast.
Lillian’s seemingly perfect life is moving far too fast for Annie to keep up, who is continuing to spiral into depression and destruction. She meets, flirts and potentially ruins a normal relationship with cop Rhodes (O’Dowd), continues with a self-deprecating relationship with hottie Jon Hamm and maybe destroys her friendship with Lillian. Although the plot was predictable at times (but hey, what movie isn’t anymore), the relationships seemed real, the jokes were spot on, and even though there was a particularly gross-out humor scene, I was laughing the entire time. And the ending? A wedding of course, which will also leave you in stitches.
Now let me say one final thing: This is not the Hangover featuring women. Although a fun comedy following women leading up to a wedding, along with a hilarious scene of drunk/drugged Annie on an airplane, this is not the equivalent to the beloved bro-comedy. No, it’s so much better and so much more genuine and legitimately feels real. So RUN to the theaters next Friday and support these amazing comedienne’s in Bridesmaids.