"Bridesmaids" - in theaters

When I first saw the trailer for "Bridesmaids", I almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard. So when I finally went to the theater, I was just praying that all the funny parts weren't in the preview! I hate it when that happens.

But it didn't happen here, thank GOD.

The story is about Annie (Kristen Wiig), a jewelry store clerk who lives with some creepy Brits, has a failed business venture under her belt (the bakery "Cake Baby"), has a scuzzy fuck buddy (Jon Hamm), and a tiny-bit-crazy mother. The one constant in Annie's life seems to be her friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), who she has known since she was a small child. But of course, that all changes when Lillian gets engaged, and asks Annie to be the maid of honor.

The other bridesmaids are a motley crew of individuals. You've got Helen (Rose Byrne), whose so perfect you just hate her instinctively. Then there's the cousin, Rita (Wendie McLendon-Covey), whose life with three sons and a husband is just one crusty sock after another. (And if you get that joke, then you've got a sick mind, but I swear, they came up with it, not me.) Ellie Kemper plays Becca, Lillian's co-worker, who is a newlywed as well, and who is much too innocent for her own good. And finally, the holy grail of bridesmaids is Meghan (Melissa McCarthy), Lillian's fiance's sister, who's every word you want to catch because it is just so absurd and ridiculous. She really does steal every scene that she's in, and believe me when I say that you want her in every scene.

As Annie plods through the pre-wedding madness, it's quite easy to see how she hates the way her life is going and envies Lillian's. It changes slightly when she meets Nathan (Chris O'Dowd), a Wisconsin state trooper who keeps pulling her over for issues with her car. Nathan is adorable on about 13 different levels, and the whole time, you just hope that Annie doesn't screw it up.

There are some serious gross-out scenes in this movie. Like, to the point where you can't even look at the screen, it's that disgusting. Then there are the awkward parts, which are also frequent. The toast giving at the wedding shower is perhaps the most uncomfortable 7 minutes on film to date. I'm totally serious.

But overall, this film is charming, and says a lot about the levels of friendship between women. I don't know if the filmmakers were trying to make a point by giving Lillian's fiance NO lines, but it sent a message, saying that this film was for women, by women.

So on the CWeave scale, I give this movie a 9. Seriously, go see it. You'll laugh so hard you'll pee. And then you'll cry because you peed. For real.