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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Bride Wars

"If I were your wedding, I'd be sleeping with one eye open..."

Liv (Hudson) and Emma (Hathaway) have been best friends since childhood. After having lunch at the Manhattan Plaza Hotel and seeing a beautiful bride, both dreamed of a June wedding at the Plaza. Liv negotiates for a living and is used to getting her own way. Emma teaches middle school and constantly has people walk all over her. Liv and Emma end up getting engaged a few days apart, and make appointments to meet with wedding planner Marion St. Claire (Bergen) and book two of the last three dates at the Plaza in June. However, there is a mixup and they end up with the same wedding date. Neither wants to share the date, or move it to a different month. War is declared at their joint engagement party.

Their friends refuse to choose sides, or be involved in either wedding. Liv makes her assistant Kevin (Arden) her best "mister," while Emma asks annoying teacher Deb (Johnston) to be her maid of honor. The grooms-to-be Daniel (Howey) and Fletcher (Pratt) remain friends and watch the action from a safe distance. With an extensive knowledge of what the other wants, the brides pull escalating pranks during the three months before the wedding. Liv gains weight and a new hair color, and Emma learns to hate the color orange. Who will crack under the pressure, and will they survive till the big date.


I like to read movie reviews prior to seeing a film...mostly to decide if I really want to pay $8 for the experience. I read several negative reviews of this film, and while the previews looked funny, I wasn't sure. I'm not sure why I was so worried...it was funny. The reviews I read were written by men...and I think the movie loses something between genders. It is a chick flick and somewhat predictable (I figured out the ending...including the last scene), but it is still an enjoyable film. Many women look forward to their wedding and may even have a rough idea before even finding a guy, and I don't think that is a bad thing (as long as they are realistic about it). Even though Liv and Emma have a plan for the pefect wedding, the film never tries to make marriage or wedding planning look like a fantasy, the characters struggle and question their decisions.

Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway make a good team, and manage to carry off their parts with depth and emotion. Each have some incredibly funny moments, and get to shed a few legitimate tears. The men don't have much to do, or much screen time, but illicit the necessary responses from the audience. I wish there had been more time, or even a subplot, for Liv's brother Nate (Greenberg). And neither "maid" of honor was particularly likable...but both have a glimmer of redemption towards the end. It wasn't perfect, but it was a nice way to pass a Saturday afternoon.

Bride Wars (2009) 94 minutes
Rating: PG for suggestive content, language and some rude behavior.
Director: Gary Winick
Starring: Kate Hudson as Liv
Anne Hathaway as Emma
Bryan Greenberg as Nate
Chris Pratt as Fletcher
Steve Howey as Daniel
Candice Bergen as Marion St. Claire
Kristen Johnston as Deb
Michael Arden as Kevin

1 comment:

  1. I love Anne Hathaway (:
    I like reading movie reviews before decidind if I should go or not watch it, but some films I just don't read and I pay R$6 (like, 3 dollars) to watch it just to see by myself if its really nice or not. is bride wars from the same director ( or producer, whatever) of devil wears prada? it really reminded me (:

    nice week

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