Bridesmaids (2011)

Stars: Kristen Wigg, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covy, Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd, Jill Clayburgh
Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: C+

From producer Judd Apatow Bridesmaids is a film about a group of thirty-something women dealing with impending nuptials.  While it increasingly appears that every comedy meant for women has to deal with weddings in some way – because, of course, the only thing women care about is weddings – on paper Bridesmaids looked awesome.  It was co-written by SNL’s Kristen Wigg, who also starred.  It was critically acclaimed and even passed the Bechdel Test.  It was compared to The Hangover.  It was totally overrated.

Annie Walker (Wigg) is a thirty-something whose life is basically screwed up.  She’s working in a go-nowhere job (and not exactly good at it), she lost all of her money when her bakery went under, rents a room with two very annoying roommates, and is sleeping with an ass (Jon Hamm) who goes to great lengths to make it clear that they’re just beni-friends.  Then her best friend, Lillian (Rudolph) gets engaged and asks her to be her maid of honour.  Everything pretty much goes downhill for her from there.  She really has no clue what she’s doing as a maid of honour and is competing at every turn with Helen Harris III (Byrne), Lillian’s new, outrageously rich friend.  Annie also has to deal with the other eclectic bridesmaids, Megan (McCarthy), Rita (McLendon-Covey), and Becca (Kemper).  As things get worse for her on the bridesmaid front so do they in life in general; she loses her job and is kicked out of her apartment, forcing her to move in with her mother (Clayburgh).  And while this is all going down, she meets Nathan (O’Dowd), a nice guy who pushes her at every opportunity.

This film does have its moments.  The relationship between Wigg and Rudolph is a touching one, although I kind of feel that Rudolph’s character is a bit unjustly harsh on Wigg at times.  I also liked the connection between Rita and Becca, as they bond over how much marriage sucks.  However, if comparing Bridesmaids to The Hangover one is faced with the inevitable question of who played the Zach Galifianakis character.  The problem here is that every character is very much a Zach Galifianakis character.  As amazing of a comic as he is, he needs to be balanced out by a series of straight men.  There is no straight man in Bridesmaids.  They’re all just over the top.  My other problem with this film was with Wigg’s sexual relationships.  Jon Hamm is a total over the top dick, no question about it.  Hamm is an amazing actor, but I can’t help but feel that he’s rather misused in this role.  While O’Dowd is a total loveable guy, there is a fine line between encouraging someone to follow their dreams and trying to force them to do so.  Overall, as the movie progresses it just becomes more and more ridiculous.  In the end it’s all pulled together, at least for a bit, but then it decides to conclude on another over the top moment.  For the record, Mike Tyson is an awesome cameo.  Wilson Phillips not so much.