Bridesmaids (2011 film)
| Bridesmaids | |
|---|---|
| File:Bridesmaids poster.jpg Teaser poster | |
| Directed by | Paul Feig |
| Written by | Annie Mumolo Kristen Wiig |
| Produced by | Judd Apatow Barry Mendel Clayton Townsend |
| Starring | Kristen Wiig Maya Rudolph Rose Byrne Wendi McLendon-Covey Ellie Kemper Melissa McCarthy Chris O'Dowd |
| Cinematography | Robert D. Yeoman |
| Edited by | William Kerr Michael L. Sale |
| Music by | Michael Andrews |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 125 minutes |
| Country | Template:Film US |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $32.5 million[2] |
| Box office | $167,959,000 [3] |
Bridesmaids is a 2011 American comedy written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend. The plot centers on Annie (Wiig) and her experiences as maid of honor in Lillian's (Maya Rudolph) wedding.
Bridesmaids was produced by Apatow Productions and was released by Universal Pictures on May 13, 2011. It marked the final appearance of Jill Clayburgh, who died of leukemia in November 2010 before the film was released.[4] Upon release, Bridesmaids met with critical acclaim and emerged as a box office success.
Plot
Annie (Kristen Wiig) is a single woman in her mid 30s, living in Milwaukee. After her bakery failed, she lost her boyfriend and all of her savings, and now works in a jewelers selling engagement rings. Although her mother (Jill Clayburgh) encourages her to return home, Annie rents a bedroom from Gil (Matt Lucas) and his lazy sister Brynn (Rebel Wilson). She has a sexual relationship with the self-absorbed Ted (Jon Hamm) but hopes for something more. Only her friendship with Lillian (Maya Rudolph) keeps her sane.
Lillian becomes engaged to a wealthy banker in Chicago and asks Annie to be her maid of honor. At the engagement party, Annie meets her fellow bridesmaids: Lillian's cynical cousin Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), idealistic friend Becca (Ellie Kemper), raunchy future sister-in-law Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and Helen (Rose Byrne), the beautiful but vain wife of Lillian's fiance's boss. Helen and Annie are immediately jealous of the other's friendship with Lillian, but Lillian persuades them to spend time together. During a game of doubles tennis, Annie and Helen are hyper competitive, deliberately hitting each other with their volleys multiple times.
Annie takes Lillian and the bridesmaids to a Brazilian restaurant for lunch before going to a chic bridal gown studio. While Lillian is in the restroom, Annie suggests a Parisian themed bridal shower, but Helen thinks this is a bad idea. At the bridal gown studio, Helen uses her influence to gain them access because Annie did not realize that reservations were needed. However, everyone except Helen (who did not eat the meat) becomes ill with food poisoning. While everyone else becomes ill, Helen orders for everyone the bridesmaids dress that she liked the best.
Worried about her finances, Annie suggests a bachelorette party at Lillian's parents' lake house. Helen overrules her and books a trip to Las Vegas. Annie refuses to allow Helen to buy a first class ticket for her and sits in coach. Because Annie is afraid to fly, Helen gives her sedatives and alcohol. This makes Annie inebriated and paranoid, and her outbursts cause the plane to land in Caspar, Wyoming, where she, Lillian and the bridesmaids are escorted off the plane. On the bus trip back to Milwaukee, Annie tries to apologize but Lillian announces that she wants Helen to take over planning the shower and wedding.
Annie continues to hope for a relationship with Ted, but begins flirting with Officer Nathan Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd), a friendly traffic cop who earlier had let her off without a ticket for broken taillights. Nathan encourages her to open a new bakery, but Annie refuses; her business's failure was so painful that she has given up baking entirely. After spending the night together, Nathan buys baking supplies so Annie can make them a delicious breakfast. Offended, Annie leaves. At her apartment, Gil and Brynn tell her she has to move out. With nowhere else to go, she moves back in with her mother.
Annie travels to Chicago for the bridal shower. Helen has created an elaborate version of Annie's Parisian theme, then upstages Annie's heartfelt, handmade shower gift by giving Lillian a trip to Paris to be fitted for her wedding gown by one of the world's top designers. Enraged that Helen has taken credit for the Parisian theme, Annie throws a temper tantrum and is kicked out of the shower. Lillian tells her not to come to the wedding either. On the way home, Annie's car breaks down. Nathan answers the emergency call and tells Annie how much she hurt him and not to contact him again. Ted comes to pick Annie up but, when he expects her to perform oral sex on him on the way home, she breaks off the relationship and walks home.
Annie becomes reclusive, watching television obsessively. Megan finds her and tells her to stop feeling sorry for herself. Annie realizes her errors and tries to make amends with Nathan by baking him a cake. But he appears to leave it on his doorstep for raccoons to eat. On the day of the wedding, which Annie doesn't intend to attend, Helen appears on the doorstep, begging for help in finding Lillian who has gone missing. Helen tearfully explains how lonely she feels and apologizes for all she has done to hurt Annie out of jealousy. Nathan begrudgingly helps Annie and Helen find Lillian at her own apartment. Lillian had gone there distressed by the micromanaging Helen had done in planning everything and her fear that Annie will have no one to be with. Annie tells her everything will be fine and helps her get ready for the wedding.
Annie resumes her place as maid of honor at the wedding, which Helen has arranged to include neon signs, fireworks and an appearance by Wilson Phillips. After the wedding, Helen again apologizes to Annie and hopes they can be friends in the future. Realizing that Annie and Nathan were falling in love, Helen arranged for him to pick Annie up after the wedding. He takes her home in his squad car, lights flashing and siren wailing.
Cast
- Kristen Wiig as Annie Walker
- Maya Rudolph as Lillian Donovan
- Rose Byrne as Helen Harris
- Melissa McCarthy as Megan
- Wendi McLendon-Covey as Rita
- Ellie Kemper as Becca
- Chris O'Dowd as Officer Nathan Rhodes
- Jill Clayburgh as Annie's mother
- Jon Hamm as Ted (uncredited)
- Rebel Wilson as Brynn
- Matt Lucas as Gil
- Andy Buckley as Perry Harris
- Melanie Hutsell as Carol
- Michael Hitchcock as Don
- Tim Heidecker as Dougie
- Kali Hawk as Kahlua
- Matt Bennett as Helen's stepson
- Steve Bannos as Annie's Mistaken Husband
- Molly Buffington as Helen's stepdaughter
- Nancy Carell as Helen's tennis partner
- Terry Crews as Boot Camp Instructor
- Ben Falcone as the Air Marshall
- Wilson Phillips as Themselves
Reception
Critical reception
Bridesmaids has received a highly positive reaction from critics. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 90% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 205 reviews, with an average score of 7.4/10. The critical consensus is: "A marriage of genuine characters, gross out gags, and pathos, Bridesmaids is a female-driven comedy that refuses to be boxed in as Kristen Wiig emerges as a real star".[5] Metacritic, which assigns a standardized score out of 100, rated the movie 76 based on 37 critics.[6] Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 stars of out 4.[7]Jeff Bayer said that Bridesmaids is "The best female-driven, R-rated comedy of all time".[8]
Box office
Bridesmaids outperformed its expectations, grossing $26,247,410 on its opening weekend and settling for a strong second place behind Thor.[3][9] Ray Subers of Box Office Mojo described the film's opening as "impressive for an R-rated comedy with no proven talent in front of the camera".[9] Bridesmaids had a better debut than Judd Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which opened to roughly $21.4 million in 2005,[10] and is Judd Apatow's biggest-grossing opening since Step Brothers in 2008.[9]
It was reported that males made up 33 percent of the movie's audience and that 63 percent of the audience was over the age of 30.[9][10]
References
- ^ "Relativity Media LLC: Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO: Entertainment Creation, Movie Financing, Film Distribution & Production". March 7, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ^ Kaufman, Amy (May 12, 2011). "Movie Projector: 'Priest' to flop, 'Bridesmaids' looks decent, but 'Thor' will pound both". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ a b Bridesmaids at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Fox, Margalit (November 5, 2010). "Jill Clayburgh Dies at 66; Starred in Feminist Roles". The New York Times.
- ^ "Bridesmaids (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ "Bridesmaids". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (11 May 2011). "Bridesmaids". The Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ Bayer, Jeff. Bridesmaids. The Scorecard Review, May 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Subers, Ray. Weekend Report: 'Thor' Holds on to Throne, 'Bridesmaids' a Strong Second. Box Office Mojo, May 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Sehgal, Ujala. Box Office Roundup: 'Bridesmaids' Tops Expectations. The Atlantic Wire, May 15, 2011.