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Starring
Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway
Directed by
Gary Winick
Final Grade:
A-Rated PG for suggestive content, language and some rude behavior
a review by Heith Carnahan
The Rundown
Emma and Liv (Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, respectively) have been best friends since childhood, and their wedding days have both been planned out in the finest detail, right down to where the magical days in question will take place: New York's Plaza Hotel.
When the two friends become engaged at about the same time, they at first believe both of their wedding day dreams will come true. But a snafu on the part of the wedding planner has both of their big days scheduled at the Plaza on the same date -- leaving both women desperately hoping the other will bend and change locations.
Well, neither one will, and the most anticipated event of their lives slowly becomes a game of hilarious sabotage and personal one-upmanship as the two new bridal rivals attempt to outdo the other and not let their own weddings be ruined in the process.
Twice the Bridezilla
And although at the end of the day, Bride Wars is really nothing but straight-up fluff from one end to the other, it is hands down the most fun bit of fluff you're going to find during the frozen tundra that is the January moviegoing season.
That doesn't mean the picture isn't sketched out for us really, really well. The enduring friendship these two have shared over the years is fleshed out very well, consuming the entire first hour, maybe more. Only then do the antics begin, and it's smart choices like these that make the script and the direction very accessible and believable for the audience. Too often, with movies like these, you find an undercooked script that's just a bit too anxious to get to the craziness, and that overeagerness comes at the expense of character development most comedies lack terribly. But that's part of what sets Bride Wars apart from other shake-em-up comedic types -- you get to know the players as flawed but lovable humans before they start reaching into their bags of tricks, and that opens the doors for some very smart and well-placed recurring gags later on.
Yes, there's a dye job gone blue, a nostalgia video replaced by insane spring break footage, and so forth, and that's where the fluff comes in; some of it even pushes the boundaries of believability. But by that time, you're already having so much fun with the story and engrossed in rooting for one side or the other that it doesn't make any difference. With all the talent that's on-screen, the intelligent script, and the surprising unpredictability of the girls' attempts at sabotage, if you can't have fun with Bride Wars... I just can't help you.
The Bottom Line
It's an absolute blast. Sure, it's more for the womenfolk, but these two leading ladies have a chemistry that's hard to beat. Bride Wars is a complete success.
-- Heith Carnahan, heith @ movie-popcorn.com