If there’s a criticism to be levied against the Judd Apatow filmography, it’s that most every film that bears his name is unmistakably dude-centric. Female characters are often pushed to the background as wives, girlfriends and objects of a man’s affection. I always thought Apatow films treated women with a proper measure of respect, but I also admit that I’m probably not the person to make this judgment. With the new film Bridesmaids, the Apatow gang seems to be directly responding to these criticisms. Instead of men making filthy jokes, we now have women making just as many filthy jokes. The good news is that the final product is thoroughly winning. It isn’t perfect, but when Bridesmaids is funny it’s downright hilarious.
The reason so-called “chick flicks” have stunk in recent years is that they never bother to go deeper than the glossy surface. These characters are often portrayed as girly archetypes without a hint of ugliness to their being. Not the case with Bridesmaids. It sets up its characters to be run-of-the-mill, but as the film goes on it begins to peel back the layers. These women aren’t really all that glamorous after all. This is best symbolized in a single sequence when the bridesmaids are all trying on dresses after lunch. I won’t spoil it with details, but just know that it involves food poisoning.
Bridesmaids was directed by Paul Feig, who is most well-known for his work on television. (Most recently, he directed the magnificent farewell to Michael Scott on The Office.) In 1999 he created the show Freaks and Geeks, which loyal readers will know is a personal favorite of mine. The aforementioned Judd Apatow also acted as an executive producer on that show, and at long last Bridemaids brings them back together. Just as Freaks and Geeks took potential high school television tropes and made them unique, Bridesmaids does the same with its own genre. The result is frequent comedic gold.
One of the great revelations of Bridesmaids is Kristen Wiig in the leading role. This may be a credit to the screenplay she wrote alongside Annie Mumolo, but this character seems to appeal to enough of Wiig’s strengths without going to far down Gilly Road. Many may have problems with some of her characters on Saturday Night Live, but her film work has been significantly less broad. Bridesmaids proves that it may be in her best interest to fully move on to the greener pastures of film.
When it comes out in a couple weeks, many are likely to call Bridesmaids the female-oriented version of The Hangover. I would say the comparison is apt, as their strengths and weaknesses are very similar. Both have more laughs per capita than most films can ever dream of, but in the character department there may be a little bit left to be desired. Some supporting characters are given a great deal of screen time, yet their own personal issues are never really resolved. This only becomes a problem once you begin to reflect on the movie. During the film, you’ll be too busy laughing to notice.
As an application of R-rated comedy tricks to a more feminine package, Bridesmaids is a rousing success. It has the potential to shake up cinematic comedy in a way that hasn’t happened in quite some time. It doesn’t have the depth of some other Apatow-produced-or-directed projects, but it has enough hilarity to stand alongside any of them. If audiences are looking for a comedy fix going in to the summer, it’s hard to think of a surer bet.
Grade: B+
Bridesmaids will be released nationwide on Friday, May 13.
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