‘Bridesmaids’ is the funniest movie of the year

Kristin Wiig, star of Saturday Night Live, is about to become quite the box-office draw at the cineplex. Her humorous turn in the outrageously funny Bridesmaids will likely catapult her to the stratosphere enjoyed by her fellow SNL mates, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.

In Bridesmaids, Wiig plays Annie, a down-on-her-luck single woman sharing an apartment with a creepy brother/sister duo in the middle of Milwaukee. She is single, though occasionally finds herself stuck in the bed of a casual acquaintance who has no prospects of settling down (played by Mad Men’s Jon Hamm in a funny, atypical performance for the TV actor). With no love in her life and her failed bakery business behind her, Annie seemingly has no other direction to go but up.

Think again.

When her best friend, Lillian (SNL’s Maya Rudolph), gets engaged, Annie is tapped to be the maid of honor. This means she has to plan a bachelorette party and bridal shower, two events that should be memorable for all the right reasons. But this is Annie we’re dealing with; she’s a bit of a clutz, a bit of a clown and a bit of a jealous type.

When she meets the other bridesmaids, the movie really starts pumping. The assembled women are downright hilarious, offering up different personalities and each receiving a moment in the spotlight.

Wendi McLendon-Covey, from Reno 911!, plays Rita, a love-starved housewife who can’t take the gross antics of her teenage sons anymore. Ellie Kemper plays Becca, a doe-eyed newlywed who still believes in virtuous love and magical moments of marital bliss (think Cinderella, and you’ve got a good idea of Becca). Rose Byrne plays Helen, the one bridesmaid who feels cheated that she wasn’t named the maid of honor and so decides to challenge Annie for every last bit of attention. When the two verbally duel at Lillian’s engagement party, the resulting speeches are hilarious.

Last, but certainly not least, is the scene stealer: Melissa McCarthy as Megan. Her comedic chops are so well honed that it’s unbelievable this is her first breakout role. When watching her performance, I kept thinking of Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover.

McCarthy will become a star. I can see some Hollywood producer already developing a script around her talents. As Megan, the actress is given the best material, with one hilarious joke after another.

A few gems: Megan suggests an all-girl ‘Fight Club’ for Lillian’s bridal shower; she steals a cadre of puppies when no one is looking; and she has an insatiable sexual appetite, especially for air marshals.

Wiig earns her top billing, but McCarthy deserves much credit for keeping this grade-A comedy afloat.

Rounding out the cast is Chris O’Dowd as Officer Rhodes, a man who stops Annie on one of the worst days of her life and sees a little spark left in the depressed woman at the wheel. It should also be noted that Jill Clayburgh gives her final film performance as Annie’s mother. The actress died recently after an illustrious career on the stage.

The screenplay, written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo, is as fine a script as any of the raunch-fests from Judd Apatow. The jokes are non-stop funny, and yet there is a nicely crafted story of forlorn love in the background. There is one early scene where Wiig and Rudolph are catching up about this and that, making jokes about boys and sexual encounters in the bedroom. The conversation seems so natural and effortless that I took it as improvisational (and knowing the comedic backgrounds of the two actresses, perhaps it was). There’s also a sequence on an airplane that is comedy heaven.

Paul Feig serves as an able director and keeps the pace rolling along. For a comedy that dares to clock in at more than two hours, Bridesmaids breezes by.

Wiig and McCarthy are the two stars that continue to shine once the credits roll on the movie. They will be remembered for this fine comedy and hopefully rewarded with many more film roles in the years to come.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Bridesmaids

• 2011

• Directed by Paul Feig

• Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo

• Starring Wiig, Chris O’Dowd, Jon Hamm, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rose Byrne and Ellie Kemper

• Running time: 125 minutes

• Rated R for some strong sexuality and language throughout

• Bubble score: 3.5 out of 4

• Click here to purchase Bridesmaids on DVD.