Bridesmaids movie

Bridesmaids is a four-square piece of populist fun that ranks as quite possibly the best mainstream American comedy in years—at least since The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Star Kristen Wiig is a force of nature all to herself, but surrounded by five really well-cast comediennes, Bridesmaids boasts one of the most eclectic and cliché-free ensembles in any modern female-driven film. The cast's collective efforts easily transcend conventional chick-flick camaraderie, which is terrific news for the film's marketing team and the male viewers they hope to entice. Expect critical adulation and brilliant box office prospects.

Wiig is the new, female version of Steve Carell: after not-so-quietly stealing scenes in all manner of small and big-screen projects, she finally enjoys a leading role (as Carell did with The 40-Year-Old Virgin) that showcases both her undeniable comic sensibility and her mettle as a dramatic actor. Not only starring in the film but writing and co-producing it, Wiig is both a brilliant self-starter and a shrewd collaborator, showcasing her own considerable talents while simultaneously creating great opportunities for her co-stars, and collectively producing entertainment that feels somehow transgressive as it entertains.

Wiig plays Annie, a former cake connoisseur who is working at a jewelry store after her own business, Cake Baby, went under. With only her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph), her mother (the late Jill Clayburgh) and her callous fuck buddy (Jon Hamm) to confide in, she struggles to eke out a meager and largely miserable living. But when Lillian announces that she's marrying her longtime boyfriend, Annie unexpectedly finds herself with four new friends: Disney-obsessed newlywed Becca (Ellie Kemper), jaded mother and housewife Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), fearlessly crass government employee Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and polished perfectionist Helen (Rose Byrne), whom Annie soon discovers is intent on stealing away Lillian as her best friend.

Much like Virgin, and almost all Apatow-adjacent projects, Bridesmaids has a certain formlessness that feels less like a driving narrative than a series of escalating comic set pieces. But one supposes that the "and then this happens" storytelling style has become de rigueur for contemporary comedies; this reach towards realism is emotionally effective, especially with a central story that's cohesive and exudes confidence (even when its heroine doesn't). The wild flourishes that are hallmarks of her SNL characters are interjected subtly into otherwise mundane situations, creating a cinematic world that is defined by sincere feeling rather than go-for-broke silliness. At the same time, there are some truly spectacular gags in the film, including quite possibly the cleanest scatological payoff in R-rated comedy history.

The script, by Wiig and Annie Mumulo, avoids the female relationship dynamics typically depicted in movies; Annie's competition with Helen notwithstanding, the backstabbing, insecurity and jealousy all comes from such a generalized place that it never feels like "women's issues." This might be because, for all intents and purposes, Wiig and Mumolo wrote a main character that would only require minor changes for Seth Rogen to play—Annie is an aimless, well-meaning but basically insecure person looking for a little bit of direction.

Of course it helps that the great Freaks and Geeks co-creator Paul Feig brings his own effortless sense of ambiguity to even the most unlikeable characters; Helen, who could have been a purely aggressive, calculating and unredeemable bitch, gets a perfect dollop (rather than the usual deluge) of comeuppance, and it feels like an authentic personal victory for Annie that paves the way for a realistic reconciliation.

Its greatest accomplishment is that Bridesmaids can't be ghettoized as the "girl version" of another successful, male film because its characters manage to be defined less by what they are than by who. In which case, Bridesmaids isn't just a watershed moment for Wiig, it's one for mainstream moviegoing in general, as much because it breaks down gender barriers as the fact it's funny as hell.

Distributor: Universal
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, John Hamm, Melissa McCarthy, Matt Lucas, Jill Clauburgh, Ellie Kemper and Wendy McLendon-Covey
Director: Paul Feig
Screenwriters: Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel and Clayton Townsend
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R for some strong sexuality, and language throughout.
Running time: 90 min
Release date: May 13, 2010