Here's a winning formula for a pitch-perfect female-driven comedy: take five funny ladies, dress them in punky pink frocks worthy of Totally Hair Barbie and watch the hilarity that ensues as they try to get their friend down the aisle.
Enter "Bridesmaids" Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, "The Office"'s Ellie Kemper, "Gilmore Girls"' Melissa McCarthy and "Reno 911!"'s Wendi McLendon-Covey (plus bride-to-be Maya Rudolph!). With the help of producer Judd Apatow and director Paul Feig, they're starring in what's sure to be one of the best female ensemble comedies yet.
The movie doesn't hit cineplexes until May, but the cheeky "Bridesmaids"' movie poster debuted today on Moviefone, hinting once again at the film's potential awesomeness with a seriously sassy one-sheet. To be sure, this production is far from the first to center around bridesmaids, but it looks to have a special something we'll say "I do" to. Let's look at how this laugher will likely compare to its wedding-centric predecessors.
"My Best Friend's Wedding"
The over-arching plot point of "My Best Friend's Wedding" was Julia Roberts' not-so-platonic love for BFF/groom Dermot Mulroney. No such love triangle exists in "Bridesmaids," which focuses on Kristen's attempt to balance her personal issues with planning the perfect wedding for Maya. We think ditching the predictable romantic construct makes "Bridesmaids" all the more intriguing.
"Bride Wars"
"Brides Wars" isn't technically about bridesmaids, but since it's about two best friends trying to outdo each others' weddings, we think it sort of counts. This film boasts an all-star cast (Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway), but it tries too hard to balance the friends' crazy antics with very important life lessons. Judging by the "Bridesmaids" cast and the men behind the camera, we have a feeling this flick will eschew the ridiculous hi-jinks and go straight for the hardcore dialogue-based comedy, which we couldn't be happier about.
"27 Dresses"
One girl, too many dresses. Again, "27 Dresses" differs from "Bridesmaids" because at its heart it's a rom-com, while this is a straight comedy. And that's where "Bridesmaids" has an advantage over all of these other films, because the comedy comes from these ladies being insane (like in "The Hangover") instead of cringe-worthy romantic problems (which never seem to be as funny as they should be).
"Made of Honor"
Let's be honest, "Made of Honor" is basically "My Best Friend's Wedding," but with a male protagonist instead of a female one. And as much as we love Patrick Dempsey, we think "Bridesmaids" will trump "Made of Honor" for the same reasons it did "My Best Friend's Wedding."
"Revenge of the Bridesmaids"
Surprisingly enough, "Revenge of the Bridesmaids" is about as close to "Bridesmaids" as any of these films. And we have a feeling we'll like it for the same reasons. But we're anticipating the writing to be a notch or two above the ABC Family TV movie...which only bodes well for "Bridesmaids."
Are you looking forward to "Bridesmaids"?
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