Judd Apatow-produced ‘Bridesmaids’ fails to follow wedding movie genre template - Entertainment, Movies - Army Times

Judd Apatow-produced ‘Bridesmaids’ fails to follow wedding movie genre template

“Bridesmaids” takes the typically clichéd wedding movie genre and completely upends it and reinvents it into something surprisingly daring and alive. But it also takes the Judd Apatow-style buddy comedy, with its mixture of raunchiness, neurosis and sentimentality, and tailors it to female experiences and sensibilities.

That the film achieves both of these ambitious goals simultaneously while remaining (mostly) hilarious is a testament to the power of Kristen Wiig as co-writer and star, and to the awesomely eclectic ensemble cast of strong comedians who surround her.

Like the comedies Apatow has directed — and here he serves as a producer — “Bridesmaids” drags on longer than it should. It also features a ridiculous gross-out scene that was unnecessary: “Bridesmaids” is too smart, too clever and too inspired to fall back on formula.

The presence of Wiig, front and center, ensures that. She stars as Annie, a Milwaukee woman who’s recently lost her bakery and her boyfriend. The one bright spot in her life is her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph), who’s just announced that she’s getting married and wants Annie to be her maid of honor.

But Annie ends up competing with Lillian’s new BFF, the perfect and passive-aggressive Helen (Rose Byrne). Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy steals the whole film as Lillian’s wildly inappropriate future sister-in-law.