 |
 |
 |
 |
2026 marks the 15th anniversary of the female-driven comedy Bridesmaids. The cast had a humorous mini-reunion at this year’s Oscars in March, and earlier this month new 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray versions were released. They include tons of extras, including behind-the-scenes footage, deleted and alternate scenes, and a full cast commentary. That makes this the perfect time to look at it and some other female-toplined films.
Bridesmaids (2011) – I recently watched this movie again and boy, does it hold up. Kristen Wiig (who also co‑wrote the screenplay) and company are comedy gold. When Annie’s (Wiig) best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged, what should be a happy occasion turns into a competition between her and Lil’s new bestie Helen (Rose Byrne). Melissa McCarthy as the groom’s unhinged sister, Wendi McLendon‑Covey as an exasperated (and oversexed) mother, and Ellie Kemper as a naïve newlywed all provide big laughs.
The women meet for lunch at a Brazilian restaurant Annie recommends and they contract food poisoning. It strikes while they’re trying on gowns at a swanky bridal boutique, leading to a very funny, and gross, aftermath. Their plane ride to Las Vegas for a bachelorette‑party weekend is cut short when an inebriated Annie gets them thrown off the plane. Meanwhile, Helen–the epitome of beauty and refinement and a complete phony–always manages to save the day. The idea that Lil can’t see her true colors seems questionable.
Jon Hamm turns up as Annie’s “friend with benefits” and lethal self‑esteem killer. Chris O’Dowd is charming as a policeman who has his eye on Annie. The late Jill Clayburgh, in her last film role, shines as Annie’s mother in the few scenes she’s given. The film received two Oscar nominations: one for Original Screenplay and a Best Supporting Actress nod for McCarthy.
Girls Trip (2017) – Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish star in this raunchy, laugh‑filled riot that never loses steam. The four are old college friends once known as the Flossy Posse. They reunite after many years at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Ryan (Hall) is an Oprah‑like life expert and keynote speaker at the event. Sasha (Latifah) is a journalist with a failing celebrity gossip site, Lisa (Pinkett Smith) is a nurse and divorced mother of two, and Dina (Haddish) is the group’s good‑time gal. Sasha receives a photo of Ryan’s husband Stewart (Mike Colter) canoodling with another woman. Ryan confesses she knows about the affair and says she and Stewart are in couples therapy. Hot‑headed Dina attacks Stewart and gets the quartet booted from their swanky hotel. Julian (Larenz Tate), an old musician friend, gives up his suite for them.
Dina spikes the girls’ drinks with absinthe, causing them to hallucinate, with the funniest bit being Sasha making out with a lamp (!) she thinks is a hot guy. There are plenty of other antics we won’t mention here as they are adult‑oriented. Let’s just say you won’t look at a grapefruit the same way after watching this. When Stewart’s side chick reveals she’s pregnant, the stakes become higher for Ryan and her posse. Despite some serious infighting, however, friendship rules and the girls pull through.
The four leads all commit to their roles, with the hilarious Haddish stealing every scene she’s in. She’s loud, crude, overtly sexual, but also a loyal friend. Old pro Queen Latifah radiates warmth, and along with Regina Hall anchors the film in believability even when the group’s shenanigans are outrageous. A sequel has been rumored, but Hall says the script is not right yet.
The Opposite Sex (1956) – This was a revamping of Clare Boothe Luce’s 1936 play The Women, about New York society gals and their marriages. It was previously made into a hit 1939 film with an all‑star, all-female cast that included Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford. The characters in this pseudo-musical version don’t burst into song, though. Their careers are as performers, so we get to see them sing on stage. June Allyson stars as Kay Hilliard, a happily married nightclub singer. Her seemingly idyllic life is upended when she learns husband Steve (Leslie Nielsen) has been cheating on her. Kay’s informed of his infidelity by a gossipy manicurist (Alice Pearce) at a fancy salon that she and her upper‑class girlfriends patronize. She was the last to know.
Those friends include firecracker Sylvia (Dolores Gray), perpetually pregnant Edith (Joan Blondell), and level‑headed Amanda (Ann Sheridan). Joan Collins plays the “other woman,” Crystal Allen. Her main cohort is fellow chorus girl Pat, played by Carolyn Jones. The plot is bookended by musical numbers that may have you shaking your head, although the vibrant, colorful sets and costumes are eye‑catching.
After Steve, realizing his mistake, ends the affair, Crystal manipulates a “chance meeting” with him. Word gets back to Kay, sending her on a train to Reno for a visit to a “divorce ranch.” She meets fellow future single ladies Gloria (Ann Miller) and the Countess (Agnes Moorehead), who provide a much‑needed jolt to the proceedings. In 1939’s The Women no man was seen…nada. In this one we get a few, including Jeff Richards as Buck Winston, a singing cowboy stud at the ranch with a “wandering eye.” Kay rejects being another notch on his belt, but suddenly‑single Sylvia takes the bait. Meanwhile, Steve has succumbed and married tart‑with‑no‑heart Crystal. More manipulations happen, leading to a satisfying ending.
Instead of playing Musical Chairs, these women seem to be playing Musical Boyfriends and Husbands. The only two to come out unscathed are Ann Sheridan’s Amanda and Joan Blondell’s Edith. Sheridan seems like the only real woman in this dated concoction, bringing a wise sensibility to her character. And Blondell knows how to land a quip. As Crystal, Collins is unlikable. There’s no subtlety to her character; she’s just self‑involved and full of herself. Someone should have told director David Miller that having Crystal pose provocatively for her chorus‑girl performances doesn’t make her a dancer. It’s sad that Miller didn’t get a chance to show off her legendary hoofing. And June Allyson earns her “Everybody’s Sweetheart” tag once again; no man can come out looking good cheating on her.
Stage Door (1937) – Jam‑packed with a bevy of talented beauties and clever dialogue, Stage Door examines the lives of struggling New York theatre actresses. The gals all live in a boardinghouse called the Footlights Club. And what a group they are. They include Jean (Ginger Rogers), Judith (Lucille Ball), Eve (Eve Arden), Annie (Ann Miller), Terry (Katharine Hepburn), Linda (Gail Patrick), and Kay (Andrea Leeds). Barbs fly, hearts are broken, roles and decent food are scarce, but these women soldier on for their chosen craft. Adolphe Menjou plays Mr. Powell, a playboy theatrical producer who likes to wine and dine the aspiring thespians (the casting couch really has always been around). Jaded Linda was his main girl, but Jean becomes his newest conquest, with Terry to follow. Also at the boardinghouse is Miss Luther (Constance Collier), a seasoned professional who becomes Terry’s acting coach.
Kay has her heart set on a role in a new play called Enchanted April and is crushed when Terry is chosen. They don’t know Terry got the part because her wealthy father paid Powell, hoping she would fail. Terry struggles at rehearsals and is uncooperative and amateurish. Her antics lead her mentor Miss Luther to ask the director, without irony, “Could you see an older actress in the part?” Something tragic happens that informs Terry’s performance and makes her a great success.
The whole ensemble is pitch‑perfect. These queens of the quip deliver the razor‑sharp dialogue without pausing for breath. Hepburn’s patrician manner and independent nature are used to great advantage here. Rogers never met a wisecrack she couldn’t land. Ditto for Arden and Ball. Special mention should go to Franklin Pangborn as Powell’s butler. Without dialogue, he manages to use his face and body to great comic effect. Andrea Leeds received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her turn as Kay.