Bridesmaids

The Flick: Bridesmaids

The Actors: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jill Clayburgh (miss you!), Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, etc.

The Dealio: Secure in the knowledge that she is not the last singleton on Earth as long as her BFF, Lillian, remains single, Annie takes the news of Lillian's engagement as well as may be expected. That's to say: with equal measures of happiness for her friend, and panic on her own behalf. Asked to be the maid of honor (dis-honor, as the position is later labelled), she of course agrees...then the panic turns into the female version of The Hangover...but, with, ya know, a pinch of class and good taste. But only a pinch, mind you.
Every cliche known to, um, woman, is trotted out, but with such zest, humor and good-will, you don't mind too much. And, even though the road to this particular wedding is mined with every imaginable potential for explosions (and some that are quite unimaginable- like the scene in the couturier house where the entire party goes to be outfitted in their bridal finery. After a hearty meal at a Brazilian churrascaria of ill-repute), we know that everything will turn out just fine. With a little help from Wilson Phillips.

The Grading Session: 4.51 pengies out of 5. Debits include a too-lax hand on the editorial wheel. McCarthy's Megan steals the show with in-your-face-nutty-but-nice done right. John Hamm appears as -hello? typecasting!-Annie's caddish, commitment-indifferent lout of a lover. And, let's face it, not every scenario pans out. But for a rough, rowdy, but sweet-at-its-core summer movie, this one is hard to beat. It will not change your life forever, but it will tickle you. That's something that can not be said about, say, Something Borrowed.

Lessons Learned: Well, for starters, how about never visiting a churrascaria located right next to a check-cashing store, accessible only through an alley full of vagrant dawgs? Then this: a wedding is not a competition. Realise that, with very rare exceptions, (right, Cammi and Steffan?), you will not please everybody; someone will take offense. So- suit yourself, make it fun and remember that this day, at least, it really is all about you two! Lastly this: where would our lives be without that friend from the early years? I am talking about that one who knows us better than we know ourselves and still has our back. The efforts we make to keep those friendships alive are worth it, and will carry us through the less-than-perfect times. Like struggling to juggle wedding-planning and hanging onto one's sanity in the process. Priceless.