Written by Katt Jurado, Reporter

It’s about time!  Finally, the gloves come off and a movie is written about women being women.  With the honesty of Mean Girls, the humor of Ellen DeGeneres, and the heart of Baby Mama, Bridesmaids continues the revolution of women’s roles in comedy.

Annie (Kristin Wiig) is chosen by her childhood best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph) to be her maid of honor.  Having lost her business, failed in relationships, and now living with two off-color roommates, Annie is not in the best state of being, but she accepts the responsibility anyway.  After meeting the rest of the bridal party (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper), it is clear that there is a new friend to Lillian in town, Helen (Rose Byrne.)  As the stress of lack of finances and insecurities start to wear on Annie, she has no choice but to hit rock bottom and work her way back up.

The title and previews are a bit misleading, as you expect the movie will be about the bridesmaids as a group, but you are only shown glimpses of the other women’s lives.  The view you get is intriguing enough to want to know more but the screen-time isn’t given.  The focus is on Annie coping with life and not the motley crew of a bridal party.  The movie took a bit to get started, and before the bridal party is introduced, you’re confused about who to invest in.  Although Annie’s two roommates (Rebel Wilson and Matt Lucas) are good for a laugh, their characters weren’t necessary, and blurred the main focus. 

Kristin Wiig does a good job in this movie (no surprise there, seeing as how she wrote it with Annie Mumolo.)  Also enjoyable are Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne.  McCarthy is the female version of Zach Galifianakis’ character, Alan, in The Hangover and is the only character that will keep the guys in the theater.  She has a wonderful scene where she uses her rash personality to get the point across in a heart-felt-but-tacky-way.  Byrne does a wonderful job at a surprisingly complex character.  Byrne had the difficult task of playing a character who is not ill-intentioned, just over-the-top and misunderstood by Annie.  You don’t like her, but there’s no reason not to.  The best performance goes to Chris O’Dowd, the sweet, charming cop Annie meets at the beginning of her downfall.  Similar to his character in Pirate Radio, you love him immediately and are rooting for him all the way.

The editing could use some work as certain scenes run long.  Much like a Saturday Night Live sketch, they should’ve known when to stop.  Topping each other is funny until it gets awkward and there’s only so much you can do while being drunk and high on a plane.  There are consistent laughs all the way with an earnest touch.  Annie is easily identifiable as you watch her struggle with feelings of iniquity, pride, failure, jealousy, and hopelessness, giving us the chance to laugh at ourselves and know we’re not alone. 

I expected this movie to be the female version of The Hangover.  There are some similarities but it’s so much more than that.  This movie allows the first honest look I’ve seen at women’s relationships – not just with each other, but in all forms.  It’s a raw look at the truths that women don’t always share, whether the truths are about the single life, newly-wedded-ness, married life, motherhood, friendships, romantic relationships or sexual relationships.  The best part: It’s all wrapped up in a laugh.

All in all, this is a fun movie.  It’s more than a comedy, but it doesn’t get over-the-top cheesy.  There are different kinds of humor (including crass, slapstick, and dick and fart jokes) and appeals to a larger crowd than the spring/summer brides (and their parties.)  You get sucked in with the laughs and are held with the heart and moral.  The moral of Bridesmaids is that no one has it all together.  Life doesn’t turn into magic when you get married, stay single, have money, become a mom, etc.  Life is life, and everyone is in it.

ComicsOnline gives Bridesmaids 4 hideous bridesmaid dresses that your friend makes you buy out of 5.

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