Bride Wars

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not the world's biggest romantic comedy fan. It either has to be extremely romantic or extremely comical for me to really like it. Most try too hard to be both and fail miserably. Others are the fun kind of fluff that put a smile on your face. The kind that have everyone walking out saying "It was cute."

Bride Wars was that kind of movie. It was sweet and amusing and dare I say...heart-warming? I even laughed out loud a few times.

Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson play Emma and Liv, respectively, best friends since childhood. After attending a wedding at The Plaza in June together when they were young, they became obsessed with all things wedding, specifically, getting married at The Plaza in June.

Fast forward fifteenish years later and both are engaged. They promptly book their weddings at The Plaza in June, only to find out later that a mix-up put their weddings on the same day. Once they realize neither is willing to budge on the date or location, they start to sabotage each other in an effort to destroy the other's perfect day. Cue blue hair dye, bronze tanning spray, and pregnancy rumors.

The "big laughs" were not so much. I am never entertained by the parts that are supposed to make me laugh. Apparently one bride tackling another, white tulle flying everywhere, is supposed to have me rolling in the aisles. But the crazy antics they pulled on one another were just a little too unrealistic for me to find humorous. It was the subtle, quick one-liners that had me laughing. In fact, the most laughs came from Kristen Johnston (who, if I'm not mistaken, has lost a TON of weight) as Emma's Maid of Honor.

The light humor was not enough to carry this movie, though. What made me walk away saying, "That was good" was the relationship between the two lead characters. Now, I have to say here that it was definitely a "movie" relationship. How many ten year olds do you know who were exclusive best friends and remain so to this day, as adults? I don't know any. Maybe you do. That would be cool. But I doubt it. I always have a hard time with this. Give me something I can relate to. But, for what it was, it pulled at my heartstrings, and that's saying a lot. A lot. I just about lost it (and we all know that means my eyes were burning and I had a lump in my throat and that's where it came to a screeching halt) during one profound scene that I want to describe but don't want to give away. All I'll say is it involved a mirror and two brides and several sniffles behind me.

Anne Hathaway, who annoyed me to death in her early roles, has become an actress I really like. She was enjoyable to watch as Emma, and actually put some feeling into the role. Kate, on the other hand...something about her just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it's the way she talks. It always sounds like her throat is coated in something thick. Also, is it just me, or was she wearing a wig?

All in all, the few funny parts that made it about half of a funny movie and the few moving parts that made it about half of a tear-jerker, put together, made a up a whole movie that was pretty good. Oh, and it was only PG, which meant it was virtually sex and language-free.