Movie of the Week: Bridesmaids

Kristen Wiig is underrated. She has been the most consistently funny woman in Hollywood (and New York, I suppose) for the past 10 years and yet Cameron Diaz probably gets paid double what Wiig makes. I can't think of a single instance when I Wiig on a screen and I didn't giggle at least a little. Simply put, when she tries to make me laugh she succeeds. It should be no surprise, then, that when she writes and stars in a movie that I'm going to have high expectations for it. Similar to a Ricky Gervais/Stephan Merchant production, watching Ric Flair in the ring or an episode of Psych, I expect greatness from Wiig. Also similar to the holy triumvirate I listed: she delivers.

Her new movie, Bridesmaids, is the story of Annie, a failed cake shop owner that is now trudging through her life working as a jewelry store clerk. She lives with an annoying brother and sister roommate combo and her only relationship is with a bastard womanizer played hilariously by Jon Hamm.

Quick aside on Jon Hamm: one, Mad Men sucks. Deal with it, hipsters. Two, he is VERY good in every comedic role I've seen him in. Admittedly, that's just this movie and 30 Rock, but the bottom line is if Mr. Hamm wants to make career decisions based entirely on what I would enjoy, he should give up the crap-fest that is Mad men and stick to comedy.

As always happens in SNL star movies, Annie's life takes a wild turn when she finds out that her best friend, Maya, is getting married. Unfortunately, Maya's new group of friends are not the sort of ladies that Annie is used to being around and Annie begins to feel a little left out. Not surprisingly, this leads to numerous opportunities for comedic situations as we see Annie deal with her life, Maya's wedding, a budding romance with one of the stars of The IT Crowd and some undercooked Brazilian BBQ.

This movie is what you would expect: a contrived story that is primarily there to create situations in which Kristen Wiig and her co-stars can make you laugh. This movie proves my theory that a movie doesn't have to be good in every sense as long as it does one thing very well. 70's and 80's Jackie Chan movies didn't inspire us to be better people, but I can still watch Drunken Master and be excited about it. Bridesmaids won't make us take a look at the Man in the Mirror, but it will make us laugh for a couple of hours. Given how rarely Hollywood comedies do that for me, Mrs. Wiig deserves a cookie.