The Year Bridesmaids Was Made: A Movie Milestone

Bridesmaids is an American comedy film that was released in 2011. The film was written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo and directed by Paul Feig. It stars Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy, among others. The plot centres around Annie, a single woman whose life is in disarray, who is asked to be the maid of honour at her best friend Lillian's wedding.

Bridesmaids was released in 2011

Bridesmaids, the 2011 American comedy film, was directed by Paul Feig and starred Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy, among others. The film was released in the United States on May 13, 2011, and was a critical and commercial success. With a budget of $32.5 million, it made $26 million in its opening weekend and eventually grossed over $306 million worldwide.

The film follows Annie Walker, a young single woman whose life is a mess. She is a former baker whose bakery went out of business, wiping out her savings and causing her boyfriend to leave her. She now works a stressful, underpaid job at a jewellery store and shares an apartment with obnoxious roommates. Her only solace is her lifelong best friend, Lillian. When Lillian gets engaged, she asks Annie to be her maid of honour, and the film centres on the competition and mishaps that ensue between Annie and the other bridesmaids.

Bridesmaids received numerous accolades, including two Oscar nominations in 2012 for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The film's success was a breakthrough for female-centred comedy and proved that women could excel in raunchy humour just as well as men.

The success of Bridesmaids also launched the careers of its cast and crew. It gave a career boost to Wiig, who also co-wrote the screenplay, and director Feig. It also turned McCarthy into a breakout star, and she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

The film was written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo

Bridesmaids, the 2011 American comedy film, was written by the talented duo of Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. The film marked a turning point in comedy, showcasing that an all-female ensemble could deliver a hilarious, raunchy, and heartfelt performance on par with bro-centric comedies. The success of Bridesmaids paved the way for more female-driven comedies and proved that women could pull off gut-busting jokes just as well as their male counterparts.

The writing process for Bridesmaids began in 2006, shortly after Wiig's supporting role in Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up." Recognizing her comedic talent, Apatow suggested that Wiig write a screenplay starring herself, and he offered to produce it. Wiig teamed up with her writing partner, Annie Mumolo, whom she met at The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy troupe in Los Angeles. The two had previously written sketches together and shared a strong comedic chemistry.

The basic premise for Bridesmaids originated from Wiig and Mumolo's collaboration, marking Wiig's first leading role. The story centres around Annie Walker (played by Wiig), a young single woman whose life is in a downward spiral. After her bakery goes out of business, she loses her savings, her boyfriend, and her passion for baking. She finds herself in a series of unfortunate situations, including a stressful job at a jewellery store and an unfulfilling relationship with a self-absorbed man. However, she finds solace in her lifelong best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), who becomes engaged and asks Annie to be her maid of honour.

The film follows the misadventures of Wiig's moody maid of honour, navigating the strange and expensive rituals associated with her role. She leads Lillian and the other bridesmaids through a series of wild events on the road to the wedding. The dynamic between Annie and Helen (Rose Byrne), the bitchy rival to Wiig's Annie, creates comedic tension and adds to the chaos. The cast also includes talented actors such as Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, and Chris O'Dowd.

Bridesmaids was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $300 million worldwide. It received multiple accolades, including nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for McCarthy and Best Original Screenplay for Wiig and Mumolo. The film's impact extended beyond box office success, challenging the notion that women aren't funny and opening doors for more female-centric comedies.

It was Wiig's first leading role

Bridesmaids, released in 2011, was Kristen Wiig's first leading role. Wiig, who co-wrote the film with Annie Mumolo, starred as Annie Walker, a single woman whose life is a mess. After her bakery goes out of business, Annie loses her savings and her boyfriend, and she ends up in a stressful, underpaid job at a jewellery store. When her lifelong best friend, Lillian, gets engaged, Annie is asked to be her maid of honour.

Although Wiig had already appeared in films such as Adventureland and Date Night, and was a regular on Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids was her first leading role. She was also a co-writer on the film, alongside Mumolo, who also appears in the film as the nervous flier sitting next to Wiig on the plane. The pair met at The Groundlings, an LA-based improvisational comedy troupe, in the early 2000s, and wrote the script for Bridesmaids together. Wiig and Mumolo's screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Wiig's performance in Bridesmaids was praised by critics, and the film was a critical and commercial success. The film made $26 million in its opening weekend and eventually earned over $306 million worldwide. Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying that Bridesmaids "seems to be a more or less deliberate attempt to cross the Chick Flick with the Raunch Comedy". Wiig's performance was also recognised by Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon, who labelled the film "the first black president of female-driven comedies".

Bridesmaids also starred Maya Rudolph as Lillian, Rose Byrne as Helen Harris III, Melissa McCarthy as Megan Price, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Rita, Ellie Kemper as Becca, and Chris O'Dowd as Officer Nathan Rhodes.

The film was directed by Paul Feig

Paul Feig directed the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids, which was written by and starred Kristen Wiig. The film was a critical and commercial success, making over $300 million worldwide and receiving multiple award nominations.

Feig is known for his work in comedy, and Bridesmaids is no exception. The film centres on Annie Walker, a young single woman who becomes maid of honour for her best friend, Lillian. When a rivalry develops between Annie and another bridesmaid, Helen, a series of mishaps ensues, threatening to ruin the wedding.

Feig's direction of Bridesmaids helped to launch a wave of hit R-rated comedies starring women. The film's success also gave a career boost to Wiig, who co-wrote the screenplay and starred as Annie, and to co-star Melissa McCarthy, who received an Academy Award nomination for her performance.

Feig's involvement in Bridesmaids began in 2007 when he came across the script by Wiig and her writing partner, Annie Mumolo. Feig has said that he felt pressure to ensure the film's success, as he believed that Hollywood would be less likely to greenlight female-led comedies in the future if it underperformed. Fortunately, the film was a massive hit, and Feig is credited with helping to bring about a change in comedy and proving that women-led comedies could be just as successful as their male-dominated counterparts.

In addition to his direction, Feig also made a cameo appearance in Bridesmaids as one of the wedding guests.

It grossed $288.4 million worldwide

Bridesmaids, the 2011 American comedy film, grossed $288.4 million worldwide. The film was made on a budget of $32.5 million and went on to gross over $306 million worldwide, with $169.1 million in North America and $137.3 million in international markets. This made it the top-grossing Judd Apatow production at the time, surpassing Knocked Up.

The commercial success of Bridesmaids is notable for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrated the viability of female-driven comedies, with a predominantly female cast and creative team. This success challenged the notion that women-led films were not profitable and helped pave the way for more female-centric stories in Hollywood.

Secondly, the film's gross profit exceeded expectations, particularly for a comedy film. This financial achievement further emphasised the appetite for diverse and representative storytelling in the film industry. It also showcased the talent and box office draw of its cast and crew, many of whom gained career boosts from the film's success.

Lastly, the worldwide gross of Bridesmaids had a significant impact on the careers of its six stars, director Paul Feig, and producer Judd Apatow. It became the biggest live-action hit in their respective careers up to that point, highlighting the value of investing in female-driven content and creative talent.

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