With June just around the corner, many women still hold the tradition of becoming a June bride, no matter what it takes. Hollywood offers its take on wedding preparations and all the love, hilarity and downright nastiness that goes with it.
Universal Picture’s “Bridesmaids” is outrageously funny. It’s a story of rivalry, failure, lost love and so much more. From the makers of “Knocked Up” and “Forty Year Old Virgin” comes the story of two best friends who find themselves at odds during the most important time in each of their lives.
Kristen Wiig (TV’s “Saturday Night Live”) leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her closest friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph of “Away We Go”), and a group of colorful bridesmaids–Helen (Rose Byrne of TV’s “Damages”), Rita (Wendi McClendon-Covey of TV’s “Reno 911!”), Becca (Ellie Kemper of TV’s “The Office”) and Megan (Melissa McCarthy of TV’s “Mike & Molly”)–on a wild ride down the road to matrimony.
Everything is going fine for Annie and Lillian until Helen enters the picture. Helen is beautiful, perfect in every way and rich … all the things that Annie isn’t.
Annie is going through a tough time and to say she’s bitter is an understatement. Things get way out of control when Annie and Helen try to best each other for the attention and affection of bride-to-be Lillian. Annie is on a downward spiral, and it seems that everything she puts her hands or mind to ends in disaster and she’s dragging the bridesmaids down with her.
The laughs don’t stop, because Annie is a real trooper, but so is Helen. Love does conquer all, but filmgoers will have a great time watching all of them sort things out.
“Bridesmaids” is in theaters Friday; it’s guaranteed to make you laugh.
T.D. Jakes is becoming a force in Hollywood. From the producer of “Woman Thou Art Loosed” and “Not Easily Broken” comes the side splitting comedy “Jumping the Broom,” a tale of two mindsets and lifestyles–ghetto vs. the bourgeois.
The ensemble cast stars Angela Bassett (“Notorious”) as Mrs. Watson, proud mother of Sabrina Watson played by Paula Patton (“Just Wright”). Sabrina is going to wed Jason Taylor played by Laz Alonso (“Avatar”) whose widowed mother, played by Loretta Devine (“Madea’s Big Happy Family”) is not comfortable at all regarding this sudden rush to marry. To make matters worse, she’s never met the bride (strike one) or her family, so she takes her best friend Shonda played by Tasha Smith (“Why Did I Get Married Too”), her brother-in-law Willie Earl played by Mike Epps (“Faster”), and Jason’s best friend Malcolm played by DeRay Davis (“Life As We Know It”) to the wedding taking place in Martha’s Vineyard for support. Of course Mrs. Watson (Bassett) wasn’t aware of the extra guests who were coming (strike one).
The strikes keep coming with both families as traditions clash with good manners and the two mothers try their best to have it their way. Meanwhile the bridesmaids, groomsman, cook, event planner and a younger sister from out of the blue help add spice to the already bubbling, troubling stew. And ‘Lord have mercy …” why did Mrs. Taylor bring up the slave tradition of jumping the broom to signify marriage? Things really started to unravel because the Mrs. Watson’s family was never enslaved; in fact they were slave owners.
Mrs. Watson (Bassett) is now unsure of her daughter’s choice since she’s met his family. But Watson family secrets are about to unravel everything.
“Jumping the Broom” is funny, heart-warming and beautiful and in theaters now; make it a point to see this extremely funny story of love and redemption.
Gail can be reached at hollywoodbychoice_gail@yahoo.com.
