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It’s been over seven years now since my husband and I walked down the aisle, but I still remember it all as if it were just yesterday. I remember what a wonderful day it was—despite the wind and the snow (in October!). And I remember all of the wedding-planning nightmares that I endured for the eight months prior. Fortunately for me, no one was purposely trying to sabotage my wedding—but the characters in Bride Wars, the first chick flick of 2009, aren’t so lucky.
Ever since their mothers took them to the Plaza Hotel twenty years ago, best friends Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson) have dreamed of getting married in June at the Plaza. So as soon as the two of them get engaged—just days apart—they both head straight to New York’s top wedding planner to book their June-at-the-Plaza weddings.
For a while, everything is just as they’ve always dreamed—until they find out that a clerical glitch has them both scheduled to get married on the same day. Neither bride-to-be is willing to back down and give up her dream wedding—and thus the wars begin. Each is determined to have the best wedding ever—and if that means sabotaging her former best friend’s wedding at the same time, so be it.
Though it isn’t exactly the most brilliant chick flick I’ve ever seen, Bride Wars is still a whole lot of fun to watch. In fact, it even manages to top both of last year’s big wedding-themed girl movies (27 Dresses and Made of Honor). It’s catty and mean, but it’s often laugh-out-loud funny because it’s just so true. A bit cliché, sure. Silly, definitely. But still true.
Fresh from gathering a pile of award nominations for her super-serious role as a recovering addict who wreaks havoc on her sister’s wedding in Rachel Getting Married, Hathaway lets her hair down as sweet, timid Emma, whose Bridezilla moments actually help her grow a spine—much to the dismay of her fiancé, Fletcher (Chris Pratt). Their storyline is a bit weak, and their relationship is underdeveloped, but that’s beside the point. What matters is the relationship between Emma and her pushy, controlling best friend, Liv—who also manages to learn a lesson or two in the process.
For the most part, Bride Wars is 90 minutes of backstabbing, childish pranks, and one crazy dance-off—followed by a sappy ending. But it’s wildly entertaining nonetheless. Hathaway, especially, is adorable, and the supporting cast (including Kristen Johnston as Emma’s back-up maid of honor) only add to the fun.
Be warned, though, that Bride Wars is strictly girls-only. You see, guys don’t really know just how catty girls can be, and they don’t seem to understand that messing with a woman’s dream wedding is about as wise as jumping into a shark tank wearing a wetsuit made of raw bacon. And it’s probably best to keep it that way.
