A set of cinematic swan songs for Whitney Houston

It was with a heavy heart that news of Whitney Houston's death reached us over the weekend,with many tributes to her memory still under way from fans and friends alike at this point.

The Grammy awards ceremony last night honored the loss of one of their most cherished songstresses,complete with a touching rendition of "I Will Always Love You",Whitney's signature tune from her first major film role in 1992's The Bodyguard.



As a salute to the pop culture legacy of Ms. Houston,I have set up a small play list of her songs that were tied into the various film projects she participated in over the years.

Starting with The Bodyguard,where she played Rachel Marron,a celebrated diva who was being stalked by a crazed fan and needed the services of Kevin Costner's title character,a movie that was adored by audiences and slighted by the majority of film critics.

The music from the film was immensely popular,becoming one of the best selling soundtracks of all time. Two of the tracks were nominated for Best Original Song that year at the Oscars,"Run to You" and "I Have Nothing"("I Will Always Love You" wasn't eligible,due to being written years before this movie was made). Both of these songs were amazingly wonderful ballads that deserved to be recognized in their own right,with the latter being quite the show stopper:





One of my personal favorites from The Bodyguard soundtrack was "Queen of the Night",a funky little number that let both Whitney and her character cut loose on stage. Sure,she was known to do some dance ready songs but this one had a little more edge to the groove there:





Houston's next big film was as part of an ensemble cast in Waiting to Exhale,an adaptation of Terry McMillan's popular female friendly novel. Whitney played Savannah,a successful TV producer who kept putting her romantic future on hold in hopes of her married lover being one day free to be by her side.

This movie was considered more of a serious role for Whitney and she received plenty of praise for her performance. Granted,audiences once again loved it a bit more than the critics but this film was seen as more of an artistic step up for all involved than a cinematic step back.

Whitney contributed two songs to the soundtrack(which featured music from numerous contemporaries such as Mary J. Blige,Brandy and Aretha Franklin),with one of them being the title track for the film called "Exhale(Shoop)".It's a thoughtful and touching tune that accents the themes of the story in a subtly sweet manner:





A couple of years later,Whitney starred in a remake of the Christmas classic,The Bishop's Wife,which had her co-starring with Denzel Washington playing the Cary Grant to her Loretta Young.

The Preacher's Wife also reunited her with one of her friends from Waiting to Exhale,Loretta Devine. The film did decent box office but it was the soundtrack that really made a huge impact with folks.

Still to this day,it is considered to be the top selling gospel album of all time and the album received a number of nominations(plus a few wins) from both music and film associations,including the Academy Awards and the Grammys for that year. Whitney's cover of a Four Tops hit,"I Believe in You and Me" was a strong standout track from this album and earned her two Grammy nominations for that one alone:





Her next to last movie role was in a made for television remake of Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella as the Fairy Godmother. Whitney was one of the producers and originally cast in the lead role but she wisely chose to have Brandy play that pivotal part.

That worked out well for the both of them. The musical chemistry between Brandy and Whitney was one of the highlights of this production and despite being the third version of this musical,the film was an instant ratings hit.

The movie garnered several Emmy nominations,winning one award for Art Direction. This was meant to be a revival of The Wonderful World of Disney,which didn't last long,but there was wonderment all the same:



I ,along with many longtime fans out there,send the family and personal friends of Ms. Houston my most sincere condolences and sorrow for their loss. Seeing such a pop culture princess depart from us much too soon is hard to bear but remembering the best of her at this time,rather than the worst,is the kindest thing we can do for those who knew her well. No doubt,where ever her spirit now resides,Whitney Houston is being shown the love that she gave so generously to others through song:

Caught in a Rotten Regal Romance

Valentine's Day is next week and that tends to put folks in the mood for love,especially for love stories on film and screen.

One of the most enduring set-ups in this genre is the royal romance;meeting Prince or Princess Charming,overcoming a few obstacles along the way and then a big wedding with tons of pomp and circumstance that seem to guarantee a happily ever after.

While it is nice to dream about,in both real and fictional life,royal unions don't always lead to regal bliss. In fact,some of them can be as pleasant as long term prison sentences. To make my point even further,here are some examples of tortured titled couples who didn't end up as ideal as say,Kate Middleton and Prince William:



QUEEN CERSEI /KING ROBERT

The central royal couple in the first book and season of the Game of Thrones series,these two got off to a bad start on their honeymoon when Cersei quickly realized that her new husband was still mourning his former sweetheart Lyanna and would be forevermore.

Not that he was such a bargain to begin with,but resorting to making sure that he wasn't the natural father of any of her kids(yet keeping things in the family,if you know what I mean),speaks volumes about the depths of Cersei's resentment. Sadly,the only thing they had in common is their undying hatred of one another:





HENRY THE EIGHTH /ANNE OF CLEVES

It's fair to say that choosing a bad relationship amongst the six wives of King Henry VIII is no easy task but one does have to feel extra sorry for wife number four,Anne of Cleves.Their marriage was of political convenience,however that wasn't the root of the problem between them.

When Henry finally saw her in the flesh(having only a commissioned portrait to go by),his disappointment in her looks was vehemently expressed to his counselors. Despite his objections,the marriage did take place but only lasted for less than a year. Lucky for her,Anne simply had to agree to an annulment and got to keep her head,unlike her replacement Katherine Howard.

Anne of Cleves is not always highlighted in most tales about Henry the Eighth but she has had her fair share of pop culture exposure. Her most recent depiction was on the last two seasons of the cable miniseries The Tudors,where ,regardless of the historical inaccuracies within the script,
the awkwardness of her interaction with King Henry is keenly felt:





"PRINCESS" CARA /MARGRAVE OF ROXTHENBERG

An episode of Legend of the Seeker required slightly reformed Mord Sith Cara to impersonate a princess as part of a plan to rescue Kahlan from the dungeons of a Margrave,who was auditioning candidates to replace his meek yet no longer young wife.

Cara's attempts to act ladylike and demure weren't entirely successful in charming the smug Margrave but by reverting to her more forceful self,she managed to leap bounds over her competition. That victory ultimately lead to Cara showing the Margrave what she really thought of him and his notions of "right and good" once and for all:





QUEEN VICTORIA/JOHN BROWN

Even when a monarch is legitimately free to find new love,people always find a way to make that search all the more difficult. During Queen Victoria's bereavement period after the death of her beloved Albert ,which drew her into seclusion from the wider world,she received true emotional comfort from one of her servants,a man named John Brown.

Mr. Brown encouraged her to rejoin society,which caused rumors of a secret love affair between them amongst her family and royal advisers,not to mention political enemies. Due to pressure from within and without,their relationship was eventually severed yet Brown stayed in her service faithfully until the end of his life.

Their story was captured on film in 1997's Mrs. Brown,earning Judi Dench a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars that year. She lost out to another(yet won the BAFTA for that same role),alas,much like the queen did when it came to choosing between politics and love:



It is nice when fairytale romances do appear to come true but even those who are to the manor born are not immune from being unlucky in love. Call it schadenfreude,if you will,but it can be comforting to know that romantic relationships can be agony for regal folks,too:

Top Chef TX honors their mentors,Downton Abbey vs. the Super Bowl and a third serving of Worst Cooks in America

The first order of business on Top Chef Texas this week was seeing who would be returning to the competition,thanks to Last Chance Kitchen. Emerging triumphantly was Beverly,which seemed to peeve a few of the remaining chefs(namely Sarah).

They then went on to the Quickfire Challenge,which was to pick items out of the TC pantry while blindfolded and make a dish using each one. The winner would get their choice of prizes;a new car or a guaranteed spot in the Final Four.



Sarah won this round with a corn soup that had peaches and mushrooms in it,yet it was deemed more favorable than Ed's soup with pork casing stock(he thought it was pancetta). She immediately went for the Final Four spot,which let her off the hook for cooking in the Elimination Challenge.



For the Elimination,the chefs had to make a dish that showcased the type of cooking that their mentors enjoyed and taught them to do. Since Sarah didn't have to take part in this challenge,she got to hang out with her mentor Tony Mantueno instead.

Joining the judges were the other four mentors,which included former Top Chef Masters contender Michelle Bernstein(Lindsay),Tyson Cole(Paul),Sarah Stegner(Beverly)and Frank Crispo(Ed) and this reunion of teacher and student brought plenty of tears as well as joyful memories.



Bev took a real risk in preparing her food wok style,which has to be timed precisely or the whole meal is a loss. It's particularly difficult to cook this way for a large number of people and she received major props for pulling it off.

Her Singapore noodles with barbecue pork and shrimp were delicious,not to mention very pleasing to her mentor. This dish placed Bev in the Top Two for this round and showed why her return from Last Chance Kitchen was well earned.



Paul was next to her in the winner's circle and won this challenge with a seemingly simple soup.

He used chilled sunchoke with summer veggies and a dashi broth that felt out of place when tasted on it's own yet when poured over the veg ,and eaten over time,came together in flavorful harmony.As his reward,Paul won the car that Sarah passed on. Between this and the close to forty grand that he's gotten already during the course of the competition,he's miles ahead of everyone here.

Let's face it,folks-Paul winning the whole shooting match would be great but if he doesn't,it is not like he would be walking away empty handed here, unlike some of his competitors.



Meanwhile,Lindsay was on the chopping block due to the amount of dry herbs in her seafood stew. She did a twist on the usual stew recipe,with couscous and a creamy broth that didn't gel as well as the one Paul used on his dish.



Sent off to pack his knives,however,was Ed. As much as the judges loved the braised pork belly and out and out adored the pickled vegetables on his plate,the flavor of the oyster cream was way off.

Ed's decision to use canned smoked oysters when he couldn't find fresh was his downfall here. Too bad,because even with his occasionally snarky attitude,the guy had his moments there. No Last Chance Kitchen for you,pal,sorry!

Next week,the Final Four leave the warm climate for the chill of British Columbia but the heat is still on high for the competition. Personally,I'm rooting for Beverly all the way now and hope that she buries mean girls Lindsay and Sarah in the snow.



Downton Abbey faced it's worst enemy this past weekend,in terms of time slot that is. The show did rather well up against the Super Bowl,coming in second place in the ratings that night.

Some of the PBS stations were wise enough to replay Downton at ten,giving those who love sports and British melodramas a proper chance to indulge in both:





Plot line wise,there was much to celebrate as WWI came to an end but poor Lady Edith's heart was broken yet again by a badly burned officer claiming to be Patrick, the former heir of Downton who was reported as a casualty of the Titanic.More than likely,he was an impostor on the make yet you can't help but feel sorry for Edith in this situation.

She may have been conned but,other than her father,she was the only one who took the time to talk to this guy about his back story(which was a tad far-fetched there). Not to mention that Edith did have strong feelings for him all along, which must have been known to the "real" Patrick in order to be a ploy for the fake fellow. When it comes to love,this girl just can't catch a break.

More post war hijinks are on the way,as some of the Crawleys look forward to reclaiming their former way of life and others find the new fashions appealing. Mr. Bates,meanwhile,has a mixed blessing as his troublesome wife dies under circumstances that could divide him from Anna for good:





Season three of Worst Cooks In America debuts this upcoming Sunday,with Chef Anne Burrell going up against famed Iron Chef Bobby Flay to see which one of them is best at whipping a raw foodie into culinary shape.

Chef Anne has so far beaten two guys,which puts some pressure on Flay there. However,he does strike me as a fairly relaxed man and moderately easy going when it comes to instructing others,unlike former team captains Irvine and Macmillan. Yet,the daunting task of dealing with kitchen misfits might be harder than facing the Chairman in Kitchen Stadium for Flay:



RANDOM NOTES:

GAME OF THRONES: Season two is set to begin on April 1(not a joke,I swear)and the wait is true torture indeed:

A bit of cheer for Charles Dickens' 200 years!

Today marks the 200th birthday of author Charles Dickens,the creator of such iconic characters as Ebeneezer Scrooge,The Artful Dodger and David Copperfield,known through the world. His works have never gone out of print and are the constant source of film adaptations for screens big and small.

While many of his books are either required reading for high school students or taken up as serious study by collegiate folks,Dickens was first and foremost an entertainer. Yes,he tackled many a strong subject and criticized social injustices in his day but his messages came across all the better with a touch of goodhearted humor,whether silly or satirical.

In that spirit,we present a lively look at the life and legacy of Dickens. After all,what's a party without a few laughs? Plus,mixing some fun into factiods adds real flavor for thought:





As mentioned earlier,many of Dickens' novels have become major motion pictures for both theaters and TV over the years,with numerous remakes and updates.

One of his most popular melodramas,Great Expectations,is now being relaunched on both fronts with Tim Burton making his own Hollywood production and a new miniseries set to debut on PBS Masterpiece Classic this spring.

With such dynamic actresses as Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter playing the ultimate Dickensian drama queen Miss Havisham,watching these takes on the darker side of bridezilla mania could be educational in more ways than one:





A real delight of any Dickens book is the elaborate names given to even the smallest member of his numerous cast of characters. While some were based upon actual friends,family and acquaintances,how many of them were truly flattered to have their surnames attached to the criminal types(Bill Sykes) or greedy business men(Jacob Marley)that routinely cropped up in the books.

Most of the more memorable names came straight out of Dickens' head,proving that his imagination was really boundless in this regard:





Dickens was a major fan of the theater and loved performing on stage whenever possible. From readings of his own work to appearances in stage productions,Dickens enjoyed being in the spotlight and no doubt would approve of any and all adaptations based upon his writings.

A few years back,a comedy troupe called The Reduced Shakespeare Company did an offbeat musical tribute to Dickens and his literary legacy. Their show, Dickens Unplugged, is not for the rigid minded but I suspect that C.D. himself would have been laughing it up in the front row:



With that,I wish Charles Dickens a very happy birthday and long life to the wonderful stories that he gave us all,a gift that does keep on giving. Many of Dickens' themes are still relevant,especially with these times of strife before us,but we should take away one positive point from his books and that is despite our struggles,it can be a fine life:

Having some movie popcorn with your Super Bowl 2012 commercials

Last night's Super Bowl went off very well,despite the slight controversy involving M.I.A's hand gesture during the halftime performance with Madonna(I saved myself some valuable viewing time by watching Madonna's new video earlier in the day instead).

While I'm not a sports fan,the much touted ad campaign for that prime time slot is always worth checking out. It was interesting to see the influence of the movies making itself known for a couple of the bigger commercials aired.

For example,a great big chunk of hype went to the Honda ad starring Matthew Broderick,who did a postmodern recap of his iconic role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. As tie-in tributes go,this was not bad. It's the right age demographic to tailor this nostalgia trip to and while it's too soon to tell if this pitch will sell any cars or not,the advertisers certainly got a water cooler worthy spot:





Another car commercial went down the movie parody path as well,with Audi deciding to demonstrate their new "Daylight" headlights by showing just how well they work on a party of vampires out in the nighttime woods.

Granted,a specific vampire film wasn't recreated here but most folks will immediately assume the main target was Twilight(particularly with a pair of vamps happily racing up a tree).

Personally,as a vampire fan,I thought it was pretty funny and much better executed than some of the other openly intentional parodies of this nature:





There were also actual movie trailers put on display as well. The Hunger Games is bizarrely appropriate for the Super Bowl,as the main plot focus is centered around a nationally televised sporting event that puts young people at risk of serious injury.

However,one thing in the Super Bowl's favor is that it's not literally a kill or be killed competition,unlike the gauntlet of death facing our heroine Katniss Everdeen and her new friend Peeta.

This latest trailer highlights the mockingjay pin that Katniss wears and if you do see this film,stay focused on that symbol. Trust me,it's not your average sports emblem:





Other sci-fi/fantasy/action movie fare being promoted during the game included John Carter,G.I. Joe:Retaliation ,the dreaded new 3D version of The Phantom Menace and Battleship(yep,the one based on the classic board game).

However,apart from the Hunger Games,the real gem of the bunch is the new teaser for The Avengers. The more I see of this movie,the more I want to be at the first matinee showing on opening day.

My favorite shot in this piece is the nifty 380 turn on the assembled group as they start to lock and load in mid street battle. Honestly,DC,you guys need to get your act together with a Justice League movie,stat!:



Well,I'm happy that everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl this year and that some of the ads gave us all something amusing to talk about afterward. As for me,I spent my night watching Downton Abbey,which can be way more intense than any football game. If you think folks get rowdy during the big game,listen in on a viewing party for Downton and prepare yourself for the audience participation:

I'll take TV Waitresses for 200,Alex!

One of the things that I like(and others don't)about 2 Broke Girls is the diner setting of the show. While it may be an all too typical premise for working class women on TV,it's a tried and true formula for a reason,folks.

Whether it's a diner,a luncheonette or part of a casual dining franchise,placing your characters in an environment that allows for a variety of people to interact with tends to be a winning recipe for juicy jokes:





Of course,Max and Caroline have some catching up to do in order to fill the shoes of those funny food servers who went before them. A classic example from the mid 1970s is Alice,based on the movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

While some never saw that film,they did know hard working Alice ditsy,Vera and especially Flo who invited troublemakers to kiss her grits. Mel's Diner was the central hub of the series and Linda Lavin as Alice was the gravy that held this wacky stew of a crew together:





Another show from that time period that had a prominent waitress character was What's Happening!!,which also happened to be somewhat based on a theatrical feature called Cooley High . The trio of teenage leads of the series often stopped at the local soda shop for burgers and a side of snark from Shirley(played by Shirley Hemphill).

She was mostly a small supporting player at first,but as time went,Shirley became an integral member of the cast who at one point moved in with Rog and his sister Dee(due to the departure of Mabel King,who played their mother). Shirley's sass and dependability wasn't always appreciated by everyone yet doing without her was hard to even consider:





Funny how a lot of these shows seem to crop up during the mid point or end of a decade;Roseanne showcased a good number of working man blues as it's leading lady went from assembly line employee to owner of her own business. One of those stops along the way was as a waitress at the mini eatery situated in Rodbell's,the major department store in their area.

Roseanne's experiences there lead to her opening up a diner a few seasons later but when she first started out,things weren't so rosy.By keeping her usual attitude about dealing with daily annoyances and enjoying such perks as goofing with her kids in public,Roseanne made it work,as Tim Gunn would say:





True to form,the most recent TV waitress to make her mark comes from The Big Bang Theory,which debuted in 2007.

Penny(Kaley Cuoco)not only has the dubious pleasure of living across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard but the daunting delight of taking their orders at The Cheesecake Factory as well.

While her real goal is to be an actress,Penny seems to have more staying power at her waitress job,which occasionally gives her bartending duties at times. In one way,that's actually good since that position gives Penny more room to expand her irritation levels with Sheldon and friends:



How well 2 Broke Girls will keep up with their sitcom predecessors is yet to be seen but even if the show only goes so far,the need for waitresses on TV will never truly go out of style. Eating establishments are a main course on the menu of beloved TV series memories and no matter what,they're always open for business with a side order of laughs for lunch:

Top Chef TX has a big Alamo adventure,The Vampire Diaries return yet again and a sad day for Downton Abbey

The special guest star on Top Chef Texas this week was Pee-Wee Herman,who rode in on his infamous bike to set up the Quickfire Challenge. The chefs had to make an innovative pancake plate for Pee-Wee and the winner of this round would get five grand for their trouble.



Despite Pee-Wee's insistence that every dish was "the best pancake I ever ate",they did select one person as the winner and that honor went to Ed. I have to admit,even though he annoys me at times,his pancake tidbits with fruit concept was the smart way to go.



For the Elimination Challenge,the Final Five had to cook a family style lunch for Pee-Wee and the judges at the Alamo. The catch was that they had to ride bikes(similar to P.W.'s)over to the Alamo and shop for food along the way.

They also had to find restaurants on their route that would grant them cooking space in their kitchens and only one person at a time could use that place. This lead to a lot of hectic antics and with the oppressive heat in Texas,stunts like this are a bit much for the chefs to handle,in my opinion.



Since Pee-Wee had told the chefs that chicken was a favorite of his,most of the food prepared for the Alamo lunch had that bird on the plate. Ed originally planned to make shrimp but couldn't find any during his limited shopping time.

The chicken and grits with red eye gravy that he made went over well for the most part,yet the meat was on the verge of being undercooked. I thought for a moment that he might get shipped home for this technical error.



Meanwhile,Lindsey took the win here for her stuffed zucchini that had beef cheeks,rice and goat cheese. Pee-wee loved how the zucchini looked like a boat to showcase the stuffing although Judge Gail found the goat cheese to be too much.



Sadly,my girl Grayson was asked to pack her knives and go. The biggest complaint about her chicken stuffed with egg yolk,Gorgonzola and spinach was the size of the protein on the plate and Judge Tom was irked by the fresh salad that accompanied the butternut squash.

He kept saying that tomatoes and squash don't go with each other and while that may be true,undercooked chicken(even on a low level)is much worse to me. On the bright side,Grayson has a shot in Last Chance Kitchen where she'll duke it out with Beverly. Again,another hard choice-I wish both of them could come back!

Next week,we'll find out who gets to return to the competition(it turns out that none of the competitors knew about LCK in advance)and even if you watch the attached video below,you won't know until the new episode,I promise:





The war took a terrible toll on Downton Abbey this week,as both Matthew and William were crucially injured on the battlefield. Matthew was the one with the better chance of survival but the price he pays for that is being wheelchair bound and possibly unable to have children.

Poor William was not long for this world and it was gratifying to see so many people do what they could to give him comfort in his final days. An extra note of kudos must be given to Dowager Countess Violet,for her take-no-prisoners approach to getting him transferred to Downton and then making sure his last wish to marry Daisy went off without a hitch.

Countess Violet may be a very opinionated woman but she does know when and where to wield her considerable influence for the benefit of those who really need it. She is not one to be gainsaid,even by the vicar:





I do have to say that Daisy's hesitation in this matter was getting on my nerves for awhile there. For goodness sake, girl,this adorable young man only wants to give you what he can(in the form of a widow's pension)before he enters the hereafter and all you can worry about is not being truthful with your feelings?

Yes,Mrs. Patmore was a little too pushy in encouraging your engagement but William truly loved you and finding a man like that,even on his last legs,is a blessing that some people would sell their souls for!*sigh*Perhaps I should be more charitable in my regard;after all,Daisy did do the right thing in the end and seemed to appreciate what she and everyone else lost as William passed away peacefully.

The turmoil doesn't seem to end,as next week's episode brings more bad news below and above stairs, along with a very unexpected visitor that could upturn the whole household:





After another brief break,The Vampire Diaries are back tonight with Damon and newly revived Elijah teaming up to set up a truce between Klaus and Stefan. Guess having a brother on a destructive streak is enough to make two unlikely fellas work together for the greater good.

Stefan will be stubborn about this,as no doubt Klaus will be,and things will probably get a whole lot worse before a hint of getting better comes along. However,I do like seeing Damon in take charge mode:





IN MEMORIAL:

DON CORNELIUS: The creator of the 1970s ground breaking musical forum,Soul Train,died earlier this week at the age of 75.

Soul Train holds the distinction of being the longest running show in syndication,lasting from 1971 to 2006,with Mr. Cornelius stepping down as host back in 1993. Not only did ST give many R&B artists a strong mainstream platform to showcase their music upon,it was a welcome alternative/companion to American Bandstand for many viewers out there.

Despite the personal demons that lead Don Cornelius to his untimely demise,it is best to remember the joy that his work brought to others. May he rest in peace and dance The Soul Train line wherever he may be:

Breaking down Bridesmaids

I've had my doubts about Bridesmaids ever since the first trailer came out and despite the film's popularity,my urge to see it was completely nil. However,with the two Oscar nominations that the movie received recently,the time to rent this gal pal flick was now.

After watching the entire film last night,I have some different conclusions about it. While I didn't find it laugh out loud funny,there were engaging plot developments and characterizations that held my interest right up to the end credits.

Bridesmaids does have it's charms but all of the hype that glitters around this ensemble number is not gold. Before I go any further,there will be discussion of key plot points here,so spoiler alert,Will Robinson!(you have been warned):



THE CHICK FLICK SITUATION

The biggest balloon to be burst at this party is the whole "this is not a chick flick!" mantra that everyone connected with Bridesmaids has been chanting nonstop to the media. Folks,I know that you meant well with this and your goal was to break out of the girlie ghetto that Hollywood sets up for this kind of film but you are also doing this movie a big disservice.

The truth is,Bridemaids is a chick flick with bathroom humor and major league swear words. I say this not only as someone who's seen quite a few of the films in this genre but as a reader of chick lit as well. The main plot of this movie could easily serve as the storyline of a book by the likes of Sophie Kinsella or Jennifer Weiner.



Our leading lady Annie(Kristen Wiig)is feeling incredibly inadequate as her life is taking more that one turn for the worse. Her bake shop went bust and her boyfriend dumped her at the same time,leaving Annie two step away from broke.

She's working at a job she hates,her only effort at a love life is being a jerky guy's occasional booty call and her housing choices are between staying with her eccentric mother or her eccentric roommate and his creepy sister.

The one bright spot is her best friend Lillian(Maya Rudolph),who has just gotten engaged and wants Annie to be the maid of honor. Annie is thrilled to be helping her lifelong friend but getting overwhelmed at the finances of her wedding duties,not to mention one of the other women in the bridal party determined to horn in on their relationship. If that doesn't sound like a typical chick lit novel,I don't know what does:






THE FIERCENESS OF THE FUNNY

Calling Bridesmaids a chick flick or worthy of the chick lit label is not intended as a put down. Rather,I think it's kind of sad that such a female friendly film like this has to be in constant denial about what it really is in order to bring in more box office revenue.

Also,while I did find some of the dialogue amusing(one of the best lines to me was "I've seen better tennis playing in a tampon commercial"),many of the notorious sequences in the film,such as the infamous food poisoning at the dress shop,felt pretty forced there.



Frankly in my opinion,there was plenty of material on hand already to make
some fabulous funny moments,such as Annie's rivalry with Helen,that had a more organic connection to the story.

Those threads weren't as strongly woven as they could have been and when they were being picked up on,the temptation to go above and beyond gave those scenes a halting quality.

For example, the scene where Annie has had enough of Helen ripping off her ideas and pitches a fit at the bridal shower started off alright but trashing the decor while getting into a shouting match with Lillian about bleached body parts killed the joke. Over the top can work but it's a very delicate balancing act for any comedic actor to take on and can leave you falling flat on your face. Not to mention falling back on easy physical humor.

Gross is as gross does,and while it can be fitting at times,a good gross-out has to come across as natural. No matter whether it's guys or gals, a gag worth gagging over should fit like a glove(granted,not a glove that you'd want to wear often):






THE MELISSA MCCARTHY FACTOR

Melissa McCarthy has had a great rise in her career,thanks to her lead role on Mike and Molly as well as this film,and as a fan of hers,it's been wonderful to watch. Her take on Megan,the brash and bold member of the bridal bunch,is a breath of fresh air as no matter what the circumstances are,she stays true to herself.

From hitting on the man sitting next to her on the plane to Vegas to swiping as many puppies given as bridal shower gifts as she can,Megan is shameless when it comes to enjoying life on her own terms.

To me,her best scene was when Megan decided to give Annie a pep talk about dealing with her problems. She opened up a little regarding her own seemingly happy go-lucky nature and gave Annie the emotional kick in the pants that was needed. While Melissa did bring the funny,she also contributed to the real heart of the story:



Overall,I had to say that Bridemaids was better than I expected but it could have been a lot better than it was had they embraced the female bonding aspects of the plot more and cut down on the gross outs. Kristen Wiig is right not to want a Bridesmaids sequel,since there's no need to continue this story other than sheer greed,and perhaps the success of the film will encourage Hollywood to take more chances with female focused material.

So,I'm willing to raise a glass in their honor and send some congrats their way,with the hope that Bridesmaids blazes a path that others can follow to film fame and glory. At the very least,this should inspire future drinking games for Oscar parties to come: