Perfect Bridesmaids (Not!)

What's that saying...always a bridesmaid, never a bride? Oh, whatever. We all have a bit or a whole lot of bridesmaid in each of us. That's the conclusion I've come to after watching the movie Bridesmaids last night - for the second time. The second time around, while laughing of course, I was able to see the movie.

This summer chick flick stars Kristen Wiig, one of my favorites on Saturday Night Live, along with a cast of other very funny women who portray real women's strengths and flaws while delivering comic relief. The story centers on Annie (Kristen Wiig), as she accepts the role of maid of honor for her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), amid the chaos of her own life. Among other things, Annie has lost all of her money after her bakery closed, her boyfriend left her, her car is crap with no tail lights, she's having "adult sleep overs" with a guy (John Hamm) who's just not that into her, and her best and childhood friend is getting married.

As Annie puts it, Lillian's life is "off being perfect" while Annie's is, well, not. To top it off, Lillian has become friends with Helen, also a bridesmaid, who's also, you know, "perfect" - rich, beautiful, thin. It soon becomes clear that Annie and Helen are in competition for Lillian's friendship. To Annie, Helen represents everything that she is not. Perfection. 

The movie reminds me of what attracted me to the women in Sex and the City (albeit the bridesmaids are not "great" friends). What I mean is, the women, their flaws, insecurities, strengths, issues, represent a little (or big) part of all of us at any given moment. Like one day you feel like Carrie, the next Charlotte? There was even a Samantha in this group (Rita). You can identify with each character on some level.

I could also identify with the relationships between the bridesmaids and some of the relationships I have with some friends, and, um, frenemies. What was so interesting about the movie's portrayal of these women's relationships is that none of them could see the weaknesses, insecurities, and imperfections that the other woman had during just about the whole movie, but the audience was clued in from the start. Each only saw the "perfect picture" of her friend's (or frenemy's, in the case of Helen and Annie) life and friendships.

By the end of the movie though, all of the women came to know what the audience knew already, none of them had a perfect life. They were all struggling and juggling to make life work, to be happy, to be loved and accepted, to have friends, to be true.

Like I said, we all have a bit of Bridesmaid in us. We can identify. Ok, now I'm off to find my inner Rita.