From his feature-film directorial debut, it has been clear that Judd Apatow is a comedic force to be reckoned with. Each film that followed just solidified the filmmaker’s significance, especially as he turned to producing more films than he wrote or directed. Giving some of his regular actors a chance to write their own screenplay to star in has also been an admirable trait of Apatow’s films, and Bridemaids is no exception in this regard. What makes it unique from the other Apatow branded films is the fact that the leading protagonist is female.
As successful and praised as many of Apatow’s films have been, the one criticism prior to Bridesmaids was that there were no strong female characters in his movies. While I don’t agree with this entirely, I can see how this looks to those who are unfamiliar with “Freaks and Geeks.” Bridemaid director Paul Feig also worked on “Freaks and Geeks” alongside Apatow, and the show’s protagonist was female. Bridemaids simply shows that these two can do it on film as well, and longtime Apatow supporting actress Kristen Wiig is given the chance at a leading role along with the opportunity to co-write the screenplay.
The storyline is rather simple, and originally it was sold as a female The Hangover. Wiig stars as Annie, a failed baker who is trying to put her life back together at the same time that she is the Maid of Honor in her best friend Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) wedding. In many senses of the word, this is a disaster film. Everything that can go wrong for Annie seems to go wrong, from food which causes the entire group to have explosive diarrhea to a disastrous flight to Vegas which ends the bachelorette party early. Annie is threatened even more by Lillian’s new friend who slowly begins taking over the Maid of Honor duties. Matters are confused even further by Annie’s fragile and unpredictable love life.
All of this may sound like a mix between awkward humor and romantic comedy expectations, and in some ways that is true. But this could hardly be called a chick flick, because despite a variety of female characters and concerns Bridesmaids still manages to be accessible to all. The Blu-ray release includes both the two hours and five minute theatrical version and an extended version which is six minutes longer. The combo pack includes the Blu-ray, DVD and a digital copy of this re-watchable comedy.
The special features include the now obligatory Line-O-Rama extras, which include alternate lines from within the film. There are also the classic deleted scenes and some highly enjoyable clips in the gag reel. There is some of all this on the DVD, but the Blu-ray has even more, with hours of extras. There is also a behind-the-scenes featurette and a feature commentary track with Feig and select cast members.
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