Victoria: Ten years ago this month, Bridesmaids came out, and boy did it rule. Before we get into the nitty gritty details of the movie and why it remains a bona fide classic, I want to journey back to this time in American life. When Bridesmaids was released, the movie was given the monumental task of proving that women could be funny. And we, as women, were charged with seeing it to prove that women wanted to see other women be funny.
I just did a search on Google News of stories from that time. In December 2010, Slash Films published an article with the incredible title "Paul Feig’s ‘Bridesmaids’ “Might Be The First Genuine ‘Female’ Comedy.”" Melissa McCarthy was not even MENTIONED in it. The Vanity Fair set visit article was titled "With Bridesmaids, Can Judd Apatow’s Dude-Friendly Formula Go Girly?" (Melissa is mentioned once in this one). Nevermind that Kristen Wiig wrote the movie and Feig directed, the narrative was somehow about Judd? God. Newsday called it "'The Hangover' for women." The Hangover wishes. I will just link to the NPR review, and pray that I will never be as wrong about anything as this person is.
Bridesmaids is everything. It is deeply funny. It is a beautiful ode to friendship between women in all its complicated glory. It made Melissa McCarthy an absolute star. It launched Rebel Wilson (results vary) and Rose Byrne. The love story, for me, works, though in retrospect I wish he was not a cop. It has given so many memes, but is still a genuinely funny and interesting film. It introduced me to Wilson Phillips' "Hold On," and that alone would be enough.
Hayley how do you feel about Bridesmaids?
Hayley: I truly love Bridesmaids, and it is a love that has grown and changed over the years like any good friendship does. When Bridesmaids first came out, it was a huge phenomenon in my friend group and I really can't think about my senior year in college without thinking about all of us endlessly watching and quoting this movie. It was such a fun time in general, to be in my early 20s, surrounded by a ton of friends, pregaming in someone's apartment and belting out "Hold On" and joking about who we were going to "climb like a tree" later that night. When I quote this movie, I am instantly transported to that emotional place, and I love it. It truly feels like a time capsule!
Now that I'm in my early 30s, this movie has taken on a completely different meaning for me. Watching it in college, I was like yeah this is all general wedding stuff I guess adults deal with. Watching it after having been a bridesmaid and attending endless weddings, now I'm like this is a cinematic master work on the complexity of female friendships and emerging adulthood. The last time I watched this movie, it made me cry! I can empathize with so many of these characters. Annie really hits close to home because one of the greatest stresses of my adult life has been trying to make ends meet on a $38k salary while also being expected to be a bridesmaid, which I had no idea was so expensive? Put that in the list of things no one tells you about being an adult! It is just a gut-wrenching place to be in when you want to support your friend and her happiness but you are in a constant spiral of stress. I think that Bridesmaids explores this conundrum incredibly well, and while there may be a kind of overarching pop culture theme that "being a bridesmaid sucks!" (See: 27 Dresses), this movie actually unravels why being a bridesmaid can suck.
I don't know of many comedic performances better than Melissa McCarthy in this movie. She is completely tuned in to Megan, and she steals every scene that she's in. And Rose Byrne just perfectly nails that kind of simpering perfectionism that makes you want to hate Helen, and also feel deeply sorry for her. This ensemble is so great, and everyone looks like they are having an absolute blast. And the soundtrack is absolute fire — I've written before that "Paper Bag" is one of those songs that will forever bring me to Annie's kitchen as she makes her sad little frustration cupcake.
Victoria: Annie's sad little frustration cupcake is probably one of my favorite character moments in any film ever. A while ago we were talking about your Single Women In Hollywood Matrix and I was reflecting on which one Annie is. Part of what makes her so good is that she kind of hits all the points in the matrix. Technically she is horny because she's having casual sex with Jon Hamm, but the sex itself so depressing and funny it's basically sexless. While the film takes place, she is definitely messy, but her true spirit — as epitomized in this one, perfect cupcake — is organized. She's just depressed and reeling from the loss of her lifelong dream, Cake Baby (Personally I cannot make a cake without saying "Cake Baby" in my best approximation of Chris O'Dowd's accent). The little cartoon Annie on the Cake Baby is the person she used to be, and she just can't find her way back to her. Relatable!
And that is part of what makes Chris O'Dowd a good romantic lead! Annie has lost her dream, and it feels like no one remembers it (we get a very sad shot of the broken awning). And then he's like, "Oh, that thing you deeply loved and lost and you feel like no one remembers it? I actually loved it and I also remember it all the time." That's romance, baby.
Melissa McCarthy as Megan is one of the best comedic performances of all time. And it started the Melissa McCarthy-Paul Feig relationship which has given us so much, including one of the most under-rated comedies of the 2010s, Spy.
I also really just love the relationship between Anne and Maya Rudolph's Lillian. It captures something specific about friendship that I've rarely seen on film: When you've known someone almost your whole life but they're changing and you're not and it can feel like they're leaving you behind. Friendship is as much as a minefield as any romantic relationship, and I'm glad Bridesmaids shows one little part of it.
Another great thing is how ambiguous the ending is. A lesser movie would send us six months or a year into the future, showing us Annie getting her business off the ground again, and Rose Byrne is like...pregnant and smiling, and Maya Rudolph and Annie hug. Instead, they all just make it through the wedding. There are still lots of question marks, but it's OK. Everything doesn't have to be tied up in a neat bow.
Hayley: Yes, Annie is definitely bouncing around in that matrix a lot. A while back, you talked about how much you loved Kat Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You because she is such a complex depiction of a teenage girl — a multifaceted version we're not really used to seeing on screen. I think that Annie is another example of this kind of layered and complicated character, because she is at such crossroads of personal and professional and romantic change in her life. She is truly going through it, and that scene of her crying while watching Wilson float away in Castaway is so darkly funny and sad! We meet her at this point in her life where she is really unmoored, with the added complication of her friendship with Lillian undergoing rapid change as well.
I also love the romance in this movie, but can't forget how much it sucks that he's a cop, lol. But I really love all of their little moments together, none more so than when they're sitting on the hood of his car eating baby carrots. When she throws away the ugly carrot and he picks it up and is a little prickly about her being wasteful, it's such a beautiful character moment for him. And later when she makes him that carrot-shaped carrot cake, it's such a sweet callback! The way that the two of them interact together is always fun to watch, and they have great chemistry. I love the ambiguity of the ending as well, because in all honestly it doesn't matter what happens with the two of them. Like you said, it's just about everyone getting through this moment in time.
Something I will always appreciate about this movie is that it is based in Chicago and Milwaukee. Even though literally none of it except for a handful of establishing shots are actually shot on location, anytime a movie takes place in the Midwest I am immediately on board. Milwaukee deserves more movies, to be honest.
Victoria: As a non-midwestern-er, this movie has always felt very midwest to me. Sometimes I think, "Milwaukee could be a nice place to live" and then I realize I'm only thinking of this movie.
Before we go, I want to point out that Jill Clayburgh is wonderful as Annie's mom. Very loving but still has her own life that has nothing to do with her daughter, and that's fun!
Things Hayley Likes This Week
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I read and really enjoyed Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution by Susan Stryker
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The Priano rosso pesto sauce from Aldi is beyond amazing
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I recently rediscovered this article that always puts me in a good mood, What of the Boromir Women? by Callie Beusman
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Put cucumbers and lemon in plain seltzer over ice, you are welcome
Stuff Victoria Recommends Right Now
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Never Have I Ever season two is hitting Netflix this summer; if you missed season one, rectify that as soon as possible. It's got great discussions of teen sexuality, moving explorations of grief, and also John McEnroe.
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In the last month I've watched a lot of movies on HBOMax, including Little Shop of Horrors, Josie & The Pussycats, and Music & Lyrics. Not to simp for a streaming service, but it's very good and has a robust library!
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Bookwise, I really enjoyed Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters.
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If you live in New York City, I recommend this helpful tool The City put together to figure out which mayoral candidate most agrees with you on the issues. If you personally have issues about the candidates (like why Andrew Yang and Eric Adams are bad), I will happily chat with you about them; just shoot an email!