Bride Wars
Encyclopedia
Bride Wars is a 2009 American romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...

 directed by Gary Winick
Gary Winick
Gary Winick was an American film director and producer who directed films such as Tadpole and 13 Going on 30...

 and written by Greg DePaul, June Diane Raphael
June Diane Raphael
June Diane Raphael is an American actress, comedienne and screenwriter known for appearing in films such as Year One and Going the Distance...

 and Casey Wilson
Casey Wilson
Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson is an American actress, comedienne and screenwriter. She was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2008–2009 and currently stars as Penny Hartz in the ABC comedy series Happy Endings....

.

The film stars Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...

, Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...

, Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...

, Bryan Greenberg
Bryan Greenberg
Bryan E. Greenberg is an American actor and musician, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series How to Make It in America as well as a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the The WB TV series One Tree Hill and as Nick Garrett on the short-lived ABC drama October Road...

, Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...

, Steve Howey
Steve Howey (actor)
Steven Michael Robert "Steve" Howey is an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Van Montgomery in the television series Reba. His roles also include the films Supercross, DOA: Dead or Alive, and Bride Wars...

 and Kristen Johnston
Kristen Johnston
Kristen Johnston is an American stage, film, and television actress. She may be most famous for her role as Sally Solomon in the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun...

.

Plot

Emma Allen (Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...

) and Olivia 'Liv' Lerner (Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...

) are best friends who have planned every detail of their weddings, since first witnessing a wedding 20 years ago at the Plaza Hotel
Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark 20-story luxury hotel with a height of and length of that occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue extends along the east side of Grand Army Plaza...

. Therefore, they both have made it a lifetime priority to be married in the same location in June.

The movie begins with the two women getting engaged at the age of 26. They then schedule their weddings with New York's most famous wedding planner, Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...

), but due to a clerical error they are scheduled to have a wedding on the same day, June 6. A week of passive aggressive hostility passes before the two women make it clear that neither will compromise, especially after Liv tries to take advantage of Emma's passive nature and outrages Emma in the process. During this time, Emma's fiancé, Fletcher (Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...

), begins to show signs of being controlling.

Both women attempt to sabotage each other's wedding, including Liv making Emma's tan turn bright orange, Emma tampering with Liv's hair dye to turn Liv's hair a shocking blue-white colour, Emma showing up to Liv's bachelorette party to out-dance her, and Emma secretly sending Liv candy
Candy
Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...

 to make her too fat to fit into her dress. Eventually, Emma and Fletcher get into an argument regarding Emma's manic behavior of sabotaging Liv's wedding and their friendship.

Both brides-to-be are then shown to be in the Plaza very shortly before they are due to be wed, separately. Right before Liv leaves to begin her march to the altar, she encounters Emma's father and receives his blessing; she regrets setting up a wild spring break DVD to play at Emma's wedding. She sends her assistant Kevin (Michael Arden
Michael Arden
Michael Jerrod Moore , also known as Michael Arden, is an American stage actor, singer, and composer. He was born in Midland, Texas.-Early and personal life:...

) to replace the wrong DVD with the right one, filled with childhood memories. However, thinking that the DVD is for a prank, he does not do so, dropping it into a flowerpot and muttering, "You'll thank me one day."

Emma begins her walk down the aisle but stops when the footage of her spring break is shown. She loses her temper completely and tackles Liv after sprinting to the other section of the Plaza. The two brides wrestle in their dresses on the floor while the rest of the room looks on, the people closest to the brides having decided it would be best to let the brides resolve the problem. After tussling, Emma and Liv lie on the ground panting, and then make up almost instantly. Emma stands up and walks over to Fletcher who is upset at Emma's behavior. Emma tells Fletcher that she is not the same person he fell in love with 10 years ago and that she has now changed. With that, the two tearfully call off their wedding. Liv's wedding resumes with Emma participating and, eventually, dancing with Nate, Liv's brother.

The movie picks up a year later when Emma and Liv meet up for drinks, where it's revealed that Emma married Nate. Emma and Liv also reveal to each other that they are pregnant and that their due dates are the same, March 3.

Cast

  • Kate Hudson
    Kate Hudson
    Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...

     as Olivia "Liv" Lerner, a successful attorney at Ropes & Gray who is used to getting her way, and won't settle for anything else. She attempts to be perfect, ever since her parents died when she was a child.
  • Anne Hathaway
    Anne Hathaway (actress)
    Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...

     as Emma Allan, a middle school teacher who takes care of everyone, but forgets about having some time for herself.
  • Candice Bergen
    Candice Bergen
    Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...

     as Marion St. Claire, New York's most sought-after wedding planner, to whom both girls turn when planning their wedding. She also serves as the narrator of the story.
  • Chris Pratt
    Chris Pratt
    Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...

     as Fletcher Flemson, Emma's fiance. Fletcher is an accountant and the two of them met ten years prior to the film's events.
  • Bryan Greenberg
    Bryan Greenberg
    Bryan E. Greenberg is an American actor and musician, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series How to Make It in America as well as a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the The WB TV series One Tree Hill and as Nick Garrett on the short-lived ABC drama October Road...

     as Nathan "Nate" Lerner,Liv's older brother who is in love with Emma.
  • Steve Howey
    Steve Howey (actor)
    Steven Michael Robert "Steve" Howey is an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Van Montgomery in the television series Reba. His roles also include the films Supercross, DOA: Dead or Alive, and Bride Wars...

     as Daniel Williams, Liv's fiance and a hedge fund manager.
  • Kristen Johnston
    Kristen Johnston
    Kristen Johnston is an American stage, film, and television actress. She may be most famous for her role as Sally Solomon in the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun...

     as Deb: An obnoxious, lazy woman who is one of Emma's colleagues. She continually unloads her entire workload on Emma. She eventually becomes Emma's maid of honor.
  • Michael Arden
    Michael Arden
    Michael Jerrod Moore , also known as Michael Arden, is an American stage actor, singer, and composer. He was born in Midland, Texas.-Early and personal life:...

     as Kevin, Liv's assistant at work, whom she recruits to be her "Mister of Honor."
  • June Diane Raphael
    June Diane Raphael
    June Diane Raphael is an American actress, comedienne and screenwriter known for appearing in films such as Year One and Going the Distance...

     as Amanda, a friend of Emma and Liv's who gets married at the start of the film.
  • Casey Wilson
    Casey Wilson
    Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson is an American actress, comedienne and screenwriter. She was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2008–2009 and currently stars as Penny Hartz in the ABC comedy series Happy Endings....

     as Stacy Kindred, another bride and one of Marion St. Claire's clients.
  • Paul Scheer
    Paul Scheer
    Paul Christian Scheer is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He co-created and starred in MTV's sketch comedy series Human Giant and currently co-stars as Andre on the FX comedy The League. He also currently stars as Trent Hauser on the Adult Swim show NTSF:SD:SUV:: which he created...

     as Ricky Coo, dance choreographer who calls himself "The Doctor of Dance"
  • John Pankow
    John Pankow
    John Pankow is an American film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for a supporting role on the sitcom Mad About You .-Early life:...

     as John Allen, Emma's dad.
  • Hettienne Park
    Hettienne Park
    Hettienne Park is a Korean-American actress. She grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts. Studied acting at the William Esper Studio in New York City.-Career:...

     as Marissa, one of Emma and Liv's closest friends.
  • Lauren Bittner as Amie, one of Emma and Liv's closest friends.
  • Billy Unger
    Billy Unger
    William Brent "Billy" Unger is an American teen actor credited as Billy Unger. Unger as a child actor appeared in high-attention films such as National Treasure: Book of Secrets , Cop Dog , Opposite Day , You Again and will appear as the title character Billy Stone in The Lost Medallion: The...

     as Additional voices

Production

Raphael and Wilson completed the shooting script of Bride Wars, from an original script by Greg DePaul, before the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....

 began. Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith also contributed to the screenplay.

Some principal photography took place at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...

. Most filming occurred in Boston, Massachusetts, New York City, New York, and in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...

.

Music

The score to Bride Wars was composed by Edward Shearmur, who recorded his score with a 77-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...

 at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...

.

In the beginning of the film, the song "Somethin' Special
Somethin' Special (Beijing Olympic Mix)
"Somethin' Special " is a song by pop singer Colbie Caillat, released on July 29, 2008, for charity. The song now appears on the compilation created to give support to the American athletes participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, AT&T TEAM USA Soundtrack. A promotional music...

" by Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...

 was played, however this version had different lyrics than the Beijing Olympic Mix, suggesting that it was the original mix. As the film did not have a soundtrack, the original version remained unreleased until Caillat's album Breakthrough was released, where the song appears as a bonus track on the Rhapsody edition. There is also the song "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn
Priscilla Ahn
Priscilla Ahn is an American singer-songwriter.-Early life and education:Ahn was born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft in Fort Stewart, Georgia to Kay and Harry Hartranft and spent her childhood living in the USA and South Korea. She lived in Berks County, Pennsylvania for several years and attended...

.

Reception

Bride Wars has been panned by critics. The film has received an 11% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...

 based on 140 collected reviews.

Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with A.O. Scott. She was formerly a chief film critic for the Los Angeles Times, the film editor at the LA Weekly, and a film critic at The Village Voice. She has written for a variety of publications, including Film Comment and...

 of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

called the film "dopey if largely painless". She said that Hathaway's presence meant "that there’s a little acting in it, along with a few human emotions" and wondered what the film might have been if the writers had explored a potential lesbian subtext suggested by the opening scenes. Carrie Rickey of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "How bad can a movie be, with Goldilocks Hudson and Cinderella Hathaway? So excruciating that Hudson's sunshine can't warm it and Hathaway's rose redolence can't mask its stink." Ty Burr of the Boston Globe was disturbed by the film, claiming that it was "...a chick flick that makes its chick characters — and by extension its chick audience — look like hateful, backward toddlers, and there is something wrong with that."

Longtime BBC Radio Five critic Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...

 was notably harsh toward the film, going so far as to say that he would quit film criticism if Bride Wars did not end up in his list of 10 worst films of 2009. By the end of the year, even when Kermode included Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...

and Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Peter Billingsley with contributions to the script by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Dana Fox, Curtis Hanson, and Greg Beeman. Vaughn and Favreau star with Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Åkerman and...

on his list by popular demand, Bride Wars still finished eighth, allowing him to keep his job.

In one of the few positive reviews of the film, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...

critic Mary Pols wrote, "At least, and this is something to be grateful for, Bride Wars deviates from the usual wedding-flick routine of maids of honor who should be the bride (or groom). And even though the catfighting goes over the top, the notion that a passionate female friendship can turn ugly in a heartbeat is, sadly, realistic."

Apart from negative reviews, the film was nominated for 2 awards at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards
2009 MTV Movie Awards
The 2009 MTV Movie Awards were presented on Sunday, May 31, 2009, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Andy Samberg served as host for the 18th annual ceremony.- Performers :* Eminem — "We Made You" and "Crack a Bottle"...

. Anne Hathaway was nominated for Best Female Performance and it was also nominated for Best Fight. (Anne Hathaway vs. Kate Hudson). It also had several Teen Choice Award nominations. Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...

 was nominated for a Razzie Award as Worst Supporting Actress for her performance in the film.

Box office performance

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $21,058,173 ranking #2 at the box office. As of May 26, 2009, it has made $58,715,510 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, $55,982,521 in foreign countries and a total of $115,049,554 worldwide — a success given its largely negative reviews.
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