Long before they even have a suitor, young girls dream about and plan their weddings. Everything has to be perfect and lovely, right down to the most minute details. But what happens when a mix-up puts two best friends’ weddings at the same place on the same day? The movie “Bride Wars,” starring Anne Hathaway as Emma, and Kate Hudson as Liv, explores what two best friends will do to each other to have the perfect wedding.
The movie begins with a flashback of young Liv and Emma seeing a bride at the Plaza Hotel. They are enchanted by the beauty of the wedding and promise each other that, one day, they will have summer weddings at the Plaza.
The movie then moves forward and Liv and Emma, now young professionals, are attending a former classmate’s wedding. The time comes to for the bride to toss the bouquet, and both Liv and Emma catch it.
When the girls find a blue Tiffany’s box at Liv’s home, they both assume it is an engagement ring and that Liv’s boyfriend, Daniel (Steve Howey), is going to propose. But later that evening, Emma’s boyfriend, Fletcher (Chris Pratt), proposes.
But when Daniel fails to propose that evening, Liv takes matters into her own hands. She confronts Daniel and asks him if he is ever going to propose to her – so he does, on the spot.
Both Liv and Emma begin their wedding planning by visiting the most sought-after wedding planner in New York City, Marion St. Clare (Candice Bergen). They tell her of their plans to get married at the Plaza in June and how they are going to be each other’s maid of honor. Marion offers them the only three dates available in June, and they choose their separate dates.
But after a clerical mix-up schedules their weddings on the same day, Liv and Emma each track down the other bride and try to convince her to change the date. When this doesn’t work, both decide that one of them will have to change the date of their wedding, but neither wants to get married at another time or place. They promise to stay in contact with each other when one of them decides to change the date or place of their wedding.
The wedding feud begins when neither Liv nor Emma contact each other. They confront each other at a joint wedding shower thrown by a mutual friend, and tempers flare when both find that they have sent out their save-the-date invitations.
The planning becomes an all-out war of sabotage, and the two best friends become bitter rivals with one goal: to make the other change her wedding date. The girls try everything to make the other one miserable, including sending baskets of sweets to make the other gain weight and changing the time of dance instruction.
As the wedding draws closer, both girls realize that they do need each other’s friendship to make it through the stress of planning a wedding, but they still don’t speak to each other. After a series of events creates chaos on their wedding day, the girls come to realize the unique bond of their friendship.
Although this movie might be a bit predictable, there were a few plot twists at the end that made it more interesting and allowed Anne’s character to develop.The last half of the movie didn’t involve as many physical comedy stunts, but instead focused on the characters interaction, especially the girl’s relationship with each other, and how that was influenced by their battle.
Even though this movie is sure to never win an Oscar, it shows the journey of a friendship and provides plenty of laughs and lighthearted moments.
Sarah McCaslin can be reached at [email protected].
