Life is the enemy of friendship. The paths our lives take can sweep friendships by the wayside. Life can change geography at will; it can separate friends with a school district line or place them on different continents. As life goes on and friends’ careers evolve it can erect social barriers to friendship. With marriage, life can deal friendship all these blows in one serving.
In Bridesmaids (brought to you by Judd Apatow of 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up fame), Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph are two friends that marriage will drive apart. Rudolph has been proposed to by her longtime boyfriend (who is on his way to wealth and success) and Wiig is a hilariously insensitive Jon Hamm’s “#3 option”. Rudolph’s fiancée is (by business necessity) very close with his boss who has a younger 2nd wife played by Rose Byrne. Byrne is a conspicuously wealthy socialite and enacts a not-quite subtle campaign to take Wiig’s place in Rudolph’s life.
Kristen is outgunned as her long history as Maya’s friend is apparently outgunned by Rose’s wealth and social standing. But that doesn’t mean Kristen backs down. Hilarity ensues.
I’m not a huge comedy guy; usually comedy is analogous with lazy filmmaking. Which is not to say I don’t enjoy a good comedy; I do. I just think good ones are very rare. And comedies about marriage usually bore the shit out of me. But this film actually has a few new things to say; but more importantly it’s funny as all hell. For instance: a dress fitting ends with someone taking a dump in the middle the street. There’s also a hilarious stretch on an airplane that involves quaaludes, scotch, several 7and7’s, sexual harassment, bi-curious behavior, assault, an Air Marshal, class warfare, and a plea to be able to watch the Daily Show without being penetrated. My only complaint is that I wish they let that scene go on longer before involving federal authorities. And again, besides all the shenanigans Bridesmaids is also a real movie. All the good comedies are.