Bridesmaids (2011)

Nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original ScreenplayI saw this on Saturday with my friend, Melody.  I had read positive reviews and then I had also read reviews calling it a "female Hangover" which I don't consider complimentary.  Melissa McCarthy's character is basically the female version of Zach Galifianakis' character but the rest of the movie deviates quite sharply.

Overall, I liked the film.  This type of comedy isn't my usual taste and there were moments where I felt the jokes ran way too long, belabored the point, or were simply gross.  Many of the gags you've seen before.  Conversely, I felt that certain points were completely ignored which was a shame.  Helen, Rose Byrne's character, shows glimpses of a complex backstory but it's totally glossed over as if to say "her step-kids hate her, so obviously she's the villain".  We, as the audience, aren't expected to care about any motivation beyond that.

Kristen Wiig's character, Annie, is the Maid of Honor and our supposed protagonist but, honestly, it's a little hard to like her since it's patently obvious that she causes 90% of her own problems.  She is still recovering financially from a failed bakery and emotionally from the boyfriend who left her when her business went under when her childhood friend reveals her engagement and asks Annie to be her Maid of Honor.

There's a lot of subtext about how Annie feels inadequate given that Lillian is marrying a rich man and moving to Chicago, which is exacerbated by the glamorous Helen, a couture-wearing, country club member whose husband is Lillian's fiance's boss.  Annie and Helen begin their own little Cold War for Lillian's affections, which happens a lot in Girl World.  My personal method for handling that situation is a supercilious sneer and constantly denigrating the other person's accomplishments through polite sarcasm.  But that's my method for dealing with almost everything.

Helen constantly circumvents Annie's attempts at cost-saving measures with lavish suggestions that end up being more popular with the other bridesmaids.  Annie's life is also complicated by her Friends With Benefits minus the Friend part relationship with (an uncredited) Jon Hamm and also a flirtation with the local cop (Chris O'Dowds).

Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper (the blonde and the redhead) are completely wasted talents in this movie.  One is a mother of three boys who desperately wants to escape her life for a little while and the other is a newlywed who has never been with anyone but her husband.  Female Stock Characters #3 and #7, respectively.  My favorite parts of the movie were when Annie and Lillian (Maya Rudolph) interacted by themselves.  That seemed like the most genuine portrayal of female friendships in the whole movie.

Not one I ever plan to buy but I laughed plenty of times in the movie, enough to justify the price of the ticket but you could just as easily catch this one on cable when it comes out.