Review: Bride Wars is an Insult to Modern Women

Every movie requires a certain level of suspension of disbelief to be enjoyable but wedding wars should more aptly be named Reality Wars. This movie shows mot only a total lack of understanding about women but also no semblance of the world around it.

This film is about two young ladies played by Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, childhood best friends, who are completely obsessed with their wedding which they have been planning since childhood. Their dreams revolve around the Plaza Hotel and all of the consumer trappings of an epic size white wedding. When a mistake ends up booking both weddings on the same day the two girls lose their minds and become enemies. This new found rivalry is expressed through a series of beauty related pranks, until the big day(s) arrive.

The film, quite frankly, is insulting to women.  The notion that two educated women (a teacher and a lawyer) would throw away a life time of friendship in order to play Princess for a few hours seems to reinforce the dated notion that women are some how less rational then men. It’s mild mannered pranks also seem to be a contradiction.  That’s right ladies, it’s the cat fight without the claws, choosing hair dye and spray tan as weapons is something a teenager might do, I wanted something more on par with their supposed intellect.

The second part that will without a doubt irk viewers is the conspicuous consumption displayed in this film for viewers looking up at the screen in the worst economic shape since the Great Depression. The Plaza and Vera Wang agenda of these brides seems not only stunningly shallow but extremely out of place.

All in all it seems as if this script could have been funny, had it been written in 1955. Modern viewers however will have a hollow sensation when watching this film. Neither of the primary actress is really likeable in the film.

Only Candice Bergen does her job well, and if you want to see her in a current movie it would be better to spend your time with The Women. Scenes intended to show us the vulnerability of the girls just make them seem overtly insecure.

The ending seems more than a little bit tacked on. You will feel little to no joy for these two women, who will have completely failed to draw you into their world.

My advice, skip this one, don’t even rent it.