11. Bride Wars (2009, Comedy)

Movie #11: Bride Wars (2009, Comedy)

Obviously, you don't go into watching a movie like Bride Wars expecting Oscar-caliber cinematic experience. It's not like I was anticipating a Slumdog Millionaire rival or anything. You don't watch it to be moved or challenged - you merely want a way to pass some time. That said, Bride Wars was pretty upsetting in that it represents so much of what is wrong with the culture around marriage today and what we bring our little girls up to believe.

The story: two little girls are best friends and one day see a wedding at the Plaza Hotel. Years later, they are still best friends who get engaged within days of each other and both want weddings at – you guessed it – the Plaza Hotel! On the same day! War on! Of course, after they play a series of wedding-ruining pranks on one another with various degrees of hilarity and success, they realize that a wedding just isn’t right without your best pal standing up there with you.

The problem is that this movie sells the same kind of half-assed feminism as the Sex in the City franchise. Yes, there are great messages about not settling for the wrong person simply because you want to want to get married and about not having your wedding to please your parents or show how much money you have or one-up your friends … but it still places The Perfect Wedding (even though we are taught that “there’s no such thing as perfect”) up on a pedestal. Marriage is often treated as “the next level’ rather than a serious commitment. It is not some video game level to be achieved and conquered – and movies like this that could make a serious statement on the issue (while still getting laughs, a la Juno or I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) and don’t are just disappointing, I suppose. “Hold out for Mr. Right rather than settle for Mr. Right Now” is a great message – but wouldn’t “Be fine with yourself even if it means being single” be a much better one?

End rant.

What this movie does do well is stay true to its genre: comedy. There were several moments that could have been done with dramatic overtones and the director and actors chose instead to go for comedy – for which I was truly grateful. I also liked watching Anne Hathaway’s dancing.

Final Grade: C+