Synopsis: Due to a mistake by their wedding planner, two best friends end up with the same wedding date in Bride Wars. They soon become rivals as they battle each other over who will change their date.
Release Date: February 6, 2009 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Comedy
Film Review
Production
The overall premise of Bride Wars may appear to be funny but the actual movie given to the viewer is anything but satisfying. There is no real comedy or level of sentiment to the story and it fails to enthrall or delight the viewer with the characters antics. Instead, you get a large amount of whining and screaming from the women and passive aggressive men who are merely there as props who occasionally say something but no one is really listening.
Chemistry
The chemistry between Liv and Emma is moderate at best. They appear to like each other for the majority of the time, when they are not fighting, but they lack that special bond you expect between childhood friends. They actually perform better as enemies, and are more believable then as friends who resemble sisters, as the film implies throughout.
Comedy Factor
The real comedic moments in Bride Wars occur when the two friends begin fighting over the wedding date and turn to sabotage. There are scenes that will make you laugh, but never very hard. Most of the parts that are meant to be funny actually appear mean spirited and make you feel awful for the way these two women are using what they know about the other to impart havoc on their life. The comedy gets lost in the sick feeling, and possibly guilt, you start to feel as they continue to treat each other horribly and you are supposed to be laughing.
Makeup and Hairstyling
The choice of make-up went horribly wrong in terms of the character Liv, played by Kate Hudson. The overly heavy eyeliner she wears throughout Bride Wars does the actress little favor in appearing attractive on screen nor does it help to make her character likable in any sense of the word. It is a major distraction in her scenes as you look at her face and wonder where her eyes went; as all you can see are the heavily blacked out lids.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Gary Winick
- Producer(s): Julie Yorn, Greg DePaul, Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael
- Screenwriter(s): Greg DePaul
- Cast: Kate Hudson (Liv), Anne Hathaway (Emma), Bryan Greenberg (Nate), Chris Pratt (Fletcher), Steve Howey (Daniel), Candice Bergen (Marion St. Claire), Kristen Johnson (Deb), Michael Arden (Kevin)
- Editor(s): Susan Littenberg
- Cinematographer: Frederick Elmes
- Country Of Origin: USA
