Bridesmaids (2011)

by Steve Kochems

In the last decade or so we’ve seen a plethora of films on male bonding, the best of which have come from the Judd Apatow camp. Groups of men going through the changes in life together has appealed to a wider demographic than ever before and created the sub-genre of the “Bromance.” Yet, the other side of that coin had seemed to be untapped.

That is what makes Bridesmaid’s such a refreshing film. It’s a great comedy with lots of laughs and lots of heart to go with it, a formula that made 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up stand out in years crowded with comedies. Only this is done from the female perspective. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as it’s under the direction of Freaks and Geeks alum Paul Feig who’s also directed episodes of The Office, 30 Rock, and Arrested Development, and is produced by Apatow. But truly at its helm is star and co-screenwriter Kristen Wiig. She leads the relatively unknown, but well chosen, cast of women who will have even the manliest of men laughing.

We follow Annie (Wiig), a lovelorn baker drifting through life until her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged. As the maid of honor, she tries to hold her disheveled life together while planning the festivities with the other bridesmaids: the overcompensating rich wife Helen (Rose Byrne), the newly-wed Becca (Ellie Kemper) and her opposite, the begrudgingly old wife Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and the brutish Megan (Melissa McCarthy).

Throughout this journey, she struggles on the side to go from tossed aside sex buddy to forming a legitimate relationship with a quirky police officer (Chris O'Dowd), who brings as many smiles as any of the bridesmaids in half as much time (also the only notable male in the film who isn’t a total dick).

Much of the struggle for Annie comes against Helen as she tries to shoehorn herself into Lillian’s life. The rich and elegant clashes with commonality, which results in some of the funnier scenes as well as more touching ones. Atop that Melissa McCarthy as Megan, who plays the Chris Farely role here, as one of the shining gems here. Her rugged personality keeps you laughing even past the credits.

It’s worth mentioning that Bridesmaids may be a classic in the making. At the very least, I believe it has a classic comedy scene in the making, one that could stand next to the Baby Ruth in the pool or rat poison on a burger. I won’t spoil the details for those of you who haven’t heard, but when you see it you’ll know it. Trust me.

But for all the good I can say about Bridesmaids, it doesn’t come without its problems. The third act happens to run particularly long. A driving montage gag feels out of place for its length and the emotional bookends it’s placed between. And while many of them are funny, some of the earlier gags could’ve used trimming as well, particularly a toasting duel and a party trashing scene. Also, Becca and Rita feel left behind at the midpoint of the movie, though this proves to be less noticeable as Wiig takes the comedy and emotion on her back and carries this film.

And ultimately that’s what defines Bridesmaids. It’s a movie about change and Annie certainly exemplifies that. Laughs and gags can come with any decent comedy but the ones that have heart to go along are the ones we remember and are the ones we care about.

So for what is shaping up as a summer full of blockbusters, Bridesmaids stands as a hidden gem, a low-budget, well-written comedy that may get lost in the mix this summer but certainly won’t be forgotten. It’s the kind of movie that will come to cult status, like Mean Girls or The Big Lebowski before it. A classic in the making.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars