Bridesmaids - (May 13, 2011): R
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #2 with $26,247,410
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $112,041,960
Gross Revenue: $112,220,200
Budget: $32.5 million
Director: Paul Feig
From a marketing standpoint, selling Bridesmaids to audiences was going to be an obvious challenge, but Universal didn’t seem to engage in any especially creative promotional techniques. Sure, there were posters, billboards, and plenty of teaser trailers, but beyond that, it seemed like Bridesmaids was strongly relying on Judd Apatow’s credentials and the undoubtedly loyal fan-bases of the actresses who could boast Saturday Night Live on their résumés. Now, I know what you’re thinking, being a SNL cast-member doesn’t mean nearly as much as it used to, but thank God that this summer comedy wasn’t trying to bank on audience recognition of one of the show’s characters (remember last summer’s disastrous MacGruber?...neither do I). Early interviews with cast frontrunners Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig made it clear that Bridesmaids would be anything but a traditional “chick-flick”; the film had every intention of breaking down stereotypes and achieving new comedic highs…guys had there “bromances,” it is only fair that girls should have there “sismances” (a blend of “sister” and “romance”…don’t blame me, I didn’t coin the word). Despite some initial hesitancy, I had enough faith in the combined talent in Judd Apatow and Kristen Wiig to give Bridesmaids a fair chance.
In case the title wasn’t a dead giveaway, Bridesmaids is about a wedding. Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig) is a failed baker who regularly engages in a self-destructive relationship with a selfish executive (Jon Hamm). Despite these hardships, Annie always finds comfort in her best friend, Lillian Donovan (Maya Rudolph), but things start to crumble when Lillian announces her engagement and names Annie as her maid of honour. At first thrilled to help her best friend; Annie is almost immediately threatened by Lillian’s new close friend, the well-groomed and wealthy Helen Harris (Rose Byrne), who constantly undermines Annie and tries to take control of the wedding. Tasked with throwing the bridal shower, Annie is introduced to the rest of the bridal party, which includes Lillian’s crass and aggressive future sister-in-law, Megan (Melissa McCarthy), cynical mother-of-three Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), and naïve newlywed Becca (Ellie Kemper). One mishap after another continues to weigh on Annie, despite a promising new relationship with a kindly patrol officer, Nathan Rhodes (Chris O’Dowd), and it soon begins to look like both the wedding and Annie’s friendship with Lillian will be beyond repair.
While conventional wisdom would make it seem like it might be difficult to find humor in watching Annie’s personal life spiral out of control, Kristen Wiig was more than up to the task. Using a mixture of sarcasm, dry wit, and unrestrained ranting, Wiig brings comedy to a whole new level, always saying exactly what is on her mind and generating out-of-control situations…for anyone who has ever held there tongue or avoided a confrontation, Kristen Wiig is sure to be your new hero. What is equally impressive is Wiig’s dual-capacity for humor and emotion, making the frazzled maid of honour a truly empathic character that shows considerable emotion; audiences will be hysterically laughing one moment and then genuinely hoping that Annie is able to pull her life together the next…finding that level of heart in a comedy is very rare. Each member of the bridal party is supremely entertaining, but the real breakout bridesmaid is Melissa McCarthy, who transforms the unconventional Megan into an absolute scene-stealer. Whether she is suggesting a bridal shower “fight club,” interrogating a suspected air marshal, or over-indulging in puppy party favors, Melissa McCarthy generates big laughs, and when you combine her talent with that of Kristen Wiig, comedic gold is guaranteed. But, as much as I would love to say that Bridesmaids is perfect, there are still a few shortcomings.
Despite my overwhelmingly positive opinion of Bridesmaids, I can acknowledge that the film is not perfect, but do not worry, my criticisms are minimal. The single biggest complaint I have concerning Bridesmaids is the under-use of Maya Rudolph; as the bride, she may not be the central focus of the aptly titled film, and she does have some truly hysterical scenes (including the final moments of an ill-fated dress-fitting after a lunch filled with Brazilian BBQ), but I cannot help feel that her talent was a bit wasted. Even Rose Byrne shines as the passive-aggressive rival to Kristen Wiig…you’ll soon admire Annie for having enough self restraint to avoid strangling Helen as she constantly tries to solidify her privileged status. A few critics have lamented the simplistic story revolving around a bridal shower and wedding, but c’mon, a comedy about recovering from a drunken night in Vegas didn’t exactly gain fame from having a deep story, did it? In the end, Bridesmaids breaks every stereotype concerning a female comedy…the film does not shy away from crude humor, and I guarantee that after a few scenes, you wouldn’t dare call it a “chick flick.”
In terms of ticket sales, Bridesmaids started pretty modestly its opening weekend, $26 million being nowhere near enough to dethrone box office champ Thor. Luckily, positive word of mouth was more than enough to help this R-rated comedy achieve revenue that nearly quadrupled the return on the modest production budget. With an almost non-existent international presence (only 0.2% of the lifetime gross), a domestic total of over $112 million is wildly impressive for an R-rated comedy. While I don’t see the story allowing much potential for a viable sequel, I would still gladly pay to see these talented cast members together again. At the very least, I would hope that Kristen Wiig’s popularity begins to skyrocket and that she receives many, many new project offers…earning over $100 million on her freshman comedy is sure to catch the attention of a few Hollywood executives. If you enjoyed The Hangover on any level, then you will love Bridesmaids, which is likely to be the best comedy of the summer, if not the entire year.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
