Forget The Hangover II. If you want to see a buddy picture about what happens before you get married, skip the sequel and pick the fresher storyline in Bridesmaids. The movie is appealing to both sexes with equal amounts of gross bathroom humor and touching moments.
Bridesmaids earned blockbuster status at the box office, earning a cool $169 million in the U.S., along with staying power in the theaters, 17 weeks and counting. They may not be Harry Potter numbers, but for a Saturday Night Live alumni movie, it’s box office success.
I only saw a handful of movies in 2011, much less than I normally do because the selections weren’t as robust, but there are a few honorable mentions that could have crept into the top spot. I thoroughly enjoyed the heartwarming story of The Help, the funny and romantic Crazy Stupid Love and the realism of True Grit, but none of them entertained me as much as Bridesmaids. And isn’t that what we all go to the movies for?
Bridesmaids also cleared up an age-old misconception. Years ago when John Belushi made the statement that women weren’t funny, it bothered his female SNL co-stars, Gilda Radner, Larraine Newman and Jane Curtain – and rightly so because they were all hilarious. Now Kristen Wiig, another SNL regular, has proven him wrong once again. Wiig wrote and stars in Bridesmaids and has stated that she worried producers wouldn’t take a comedy written by and starring women seriously.
Wiig’s statement alone is why I wanted to love Bridesmaids and hoped for it to do well at the box office. Sure, the plot is somewhat predictable, and it is taking advantage of the success of the Hangover, but its witty dialogue is downright funny. These women are believable, especially Wiig as the lovable a loser, and the hilarious Melissa McCarthy of Gilmore Girls and Mike and Molly fame. Along with the rest of the cast they can match Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis joke for joke.
If you haven’t seen Bridesmaids you’re missing a hearty laugh and a great escape from whatever ails you.