Bride Wars
Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson do battle in Bride Wars
Monday, 05, Jan 2009 12:37
Directed by Gary Winick, out date January 9th, starring Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen, and Kristen Johnston, 90 mins.
In a nutshell.
A romantic comedy about two best friends.
What's it all about?
Headstrong, go-getting lawyer Liv (Hudson) and sweet-natured teacher Emma (Hathaway) play polar opposites who have been best friends since they met at the historic Plaza Hotel in New York when they were seven years old. After seeing a wedding progress during their first meeting, two crazed Bridezillas are born. The girls grow up with an (unhealthy and almost sickening) obsession not just with getting married, but getting married in June at the Plaza.
Not shockingly enough, both of the girls get engaged within days of each other, which leads them to the town house of a wedding extraordinaire called Marion. Despite Marion's solid reputation as a wedding planner, her assistant has managed to make a 'clerical' mistake and schedule the girls' weddings on the same day, at the same venue.
After this occurs and Liv and Emma refuse to budge and change their wedding dates or venues, all hell breaks loose between the two brides to be, as they take no prisoners bringing war to Manhattan. Tanning disasters, blue hair, weight gain, and other deliberately evil pranks that only the most ruthless, insane and overzealous bride-to-be could pull off.
Will Liv and Emma be able to make it to the altar without destroying each other (and themselves) in the process?
Who's in it?
Kate Hudson, who also acts as a producer on this film, is most widely praised for her portrayal of the quintessential 'band-aid' called Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe's critically-acclaimed Almost Famous (2000). Since then, Hudson has starred in a slew of romantic comedies including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), and You, Me, and Dupree (2006).
Anne Hathaway is widely known for her role as tortured assistant Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada (2004), as well as roles in Brokeback Mountain (2005), Get Smart (2008), and most recently has received critical praise and recognition for her role in the newly released drama Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Supporting roles come from veteran actress Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown, Sex and The City, The Women) and comedic gem Kristen Johnston (Third Rock From the Sun, Music & Lyrics), while Steve Howey (TV's Reba) and Chris Pratt (TV's Everwood, The OC) play the grooms to be of Hudson and Hathaway's characters, respectively.
As an example.
"You're right, Liv. Your wedding's going to be huge. Just like your ass at prom." - Emma
"Your wedding can suck it!" - Liv
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
This film definitely will not be making for any Oscar nominations. Maybe an MTV award or two, but to be fair, romantic comedies of this nature rarely get taken seriously enough to garner the attention of such a prestigious film academy.
Despite the genre flaws, the movie has enough pull with its two popular leading actresses to make for a potentially solid financial success. However, while this movie has its moments of hilarity here and there, there are a lot of quieter moments in the film with dead air that begs for someone in the cast to revive the audience into another bit of laughter.
What the others say
"Dry asides come from Kristen Johnston's self-absorbed maid of honour - but most of the humour is broad and basic." - TimeOut London
"If you're looking for something to do with the girls on a cold winter's night, seeing Bride Wars should be at the top of your list." - Handbag.com
So is it any good?
If you are looking for a chick flick or a night out with the girls, then yes, this movie will fulfil your expectations. However, a lot happens with an hour-and-a-half's time, which begs to say that there are too many plot lines trying to be developed, but they never achieve the proper depth. As an example, we learn that Liv's parents have died at some point in her life and how it has changed her into a perfectionist; however, we are never given any insight into the passing of her parents. at all.
While Hudson proves in some moments of the film that she is, in fact, her mother's (Goldie Hawn) daughter with her expressional humour and tonal delivery, there are other moments when she is simply uninspired. Also, after seeing Hudson star in a string of romcoms, the desire continues for her to prove her acting ability beyond this genre once more as we reminisce of the golden shine she carried with her in Almost Famous.
Hathaway delivers a consistent performance, but something about her character seems simply ridiculous in certain scenes (such as having a dance off on a strip stage). However, Kristen Johnston was probably the best part of the film, with brilliant delivery of epic one-liners as her role as Deb, a ridiculously self-obsessed maid of honour to Emma.
The premise is quite ridiculous - to think that one of the top bridal planners could make such a simple error, or that these women would go to the lengths that they do and wind up in the situations that they have been in is ludicrous. Alas, in Hollywood and in the movies, anything is possible it seems.
Overall, it's not exactly a movie that will make you laugh until your stomach hurts, and while there are flatlining moments, the movie does revive itself through the scenes of Hathaway and Hudson's characters plotting to destroy one another.
The ending comes quite quickly, and is a touch over sentimental, but the goal of the film appears to be to show the value of having a best friend, and not to let something, even the Plaza and a June wedding, to get in the way of that.
6.5/10
Valerie Haberman