Bride War's Hudson and Hathaway all fluff, no stuff
Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway get into some serious shenanigans as Liv and Emma in the vapid Bride Wars.
Wedding movies are arguably the ultimate form of chick flick, for they are simultaneously romantic, sentimental and funny. The newly-released Bride Wars puts a spin on the stereotypical wedding plot by capitalizing on the misfortunes of two crazed, catfighting brides to produce a movie with little substance, little originality, but lots of tulle.Narrated by famous New York wedding planner Marion St. Claire (The Women's Candice Bergen), Bride Wars doubles the typical wedding movie fun by presenting two weddings and two brides, Emma (Rachel Getting Married's Anne Hathaway) and Liv (My Best Friend's Girl's Kate Hudson). The two best friends have dreamed of getting married in New York's Plaza Hotel in the month of June ever since they were little girls and have finally found the right guys (Wanted's Chris Patt and "Reba"'s Steve Howey) to complete their perfect wedding pictures. There's just one problem: The wedding planner accidentally books their ceremonies on the same day, and madness ensues from this fatal flaw in the brides' plans.
Conceptually, Bride Wars is absolutely ridiculous. The film's plot relies heavily on Emma and Liv's catfights, the locations of which range from a male strip club to the two brides' actual wedding ceremonies in the Plaza Hotel. Although it belongs to the romantic comedy genre that targets girls and women, Bride Wars steers away from the witty dialogue usually found in romantic comedies and instead reduces itself to the kind of physical, slapstick fights typical of children's movies.
In addition to this juvenile, one-dimensional backdrop, Hathaway and Hudson's characters have no substance. While the audience learns that Liv prefers Vera Wang couture and that it's Emma's lifelong dream to wear her mother's wedding dress, tulle-filled tidbits such as "You don't alter Vera [Wang] to fit you, you alter yourself to fit Vera!" just don't boil down to telling the audience anything substantial about Liv's or Emma's characters.
Furthermore, the plot of Bride Wars is rather simplistic: The girls want to have weddings, both get engaged, book weddings on the same day, get mad at each other and finally learn, through the crazed wedding madness, to love one another. End of story. Bride Wars' plot is predictable and formulaic.
On the other hand, while Bride Wars roundly fails to fit the bill of an artistic or thought-provoking film, it serves the purpose of being an entertaining, mindless movie. During a season filled with serious Oscar wannabes, Bride Wars is a relief from the overwhelmingly solemn films that have dominated theaters recently.
Bride Wars is not your typical chick flick. In fact, it is not your typical film, as audiences usually don't expect to see brides going absolutely nuts chasing each other, unless it's on the reality television series "Bridezilla." While Bride Wars is a reprieve from the more serious films released recently, it is still not that funny; rather, Bride Wars lacks the intelligence to be witty, resulting in strained, slapstick comedy that unsuccessfully tries to have two classy actresses - Hudson and Hathaway - play unclassy characters. This failed attempt at comedy denies Bride Wars any true credibility or real appreciation from audiences.
More from The Rice Thresher
Scott Abell named football head coach
Rice football has hired Scott Abell as the program’s 20th head coach, according to an announcement from director of athletics Tommy McClelland, who led a national search to fill the position.
Local Foods launches in newly renovated Brochstein space
Local Foods Market opened at Brochstein Pavilion Nov. 19, replacing comfort food concept Little Kitchen HTX. The opening, previously scheduled for the end of September, also features interior renovations to Brochstein. Local Foods is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Scan, swipe — sorry
Students may need to swipe their Rice IDs through scanners before entering future public parties, said dean of undergraduates Bridget Gorman. This possible policy change is not finalized, but in discussion among student activities and crisis management teams.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.