In the 2011 comedy film Bridesmaids, Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig) and Helen Harris III (Rose Byrne) first meet at the engagement party of their mutual friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Annie is a single woman in her thirties who has lost her bakery, boyfriend, and savings, while Helen is the wealthy, snobbish wife of Lillian's fiancé's boss. The two women are instantly jealous of each other's friendship with Lillian and become increasingly competitive for her attention throughout the film.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Where do Helen and Annie first meet? | At Lillian's engagement party |
Helen's relationship to Lillian | Friend of Lillian's fiancé's boss |
Annie's relationship to Lillian | Lifelong best friend |
How do Helen and Annie feel about each other? | Jealous of each other's friendship with Lillian |
What You'll Learn
Annie and Helen meet at Lillian's engagement party
Annie and Helen first meet at Lillian's engagement party, held at the exclusive Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. The party is the first time Annie meets any of the other bridesmaids, including Helen, the wealthy and beautiful new friend of Lillian's fiancé's boss.
Annie and Helen immediately take a strong dislike to each other, as they are both jealous of the other's close relationship with Lillian. Their competitiveness to gain her attention intensifies as the film progresses, with Annie feeling left out as Lillian gets caught up in the whirlwind of wedding planning. Annie is particularly bitter about how her life compares to her friend's fairy tale, and instead of supporting Lillian, she vents her frustrations in all the wrong ways.
Helen, meanwhile, uses her wealth and status to undermine Annie at every turn. She uses her influence to gain the bridal party access to an exclusive bridal shop when Annie neglects to make a reservation, and later upstages Annie's thoughtful gift to Lillian with an extravagant trip to Paris.
Despite their differences, Annie and Helen eventually reconcile, and Helen even arranges for Annie to be picked up by Nathan, the police officer she has been seeing, after the wedding.
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They immediately dislike each other
Helen and Annie meet for the first time at Lillian's engagement party. From the very start, they feel envious of each other's close relationship with Lillian, and their competitiveness to gain her attention intensifies as the film progresses. Their mutual dislike is immediate, with Annie and Helen deliberately hitting each other with tennis balls during a doubles match and screaming at their partners when they make mistakes.
Annie is a single woman in her thirties who has recently lost her bakery, her savings, and her boyfriend. She is unhappy in her underpaid job at a jewellery store and shares an apartment with obnoxious British immigrant siblings, Gil and Brynn. She is also in a dysfunctional relationship with a wealthy and self-absorbed man named Ted, who does not respect her. Annie's best friend, Lillian, is the only positive presence in her life, so when Lillian gets engaged and asks Annie to be her maid of honour, she eagerly accepts. However, this also makes Annie feel left out, especially after meeting the rest of the bridal party, including Helen, the wealthy, snobby wife of Lillian's fiancé's boss.
Helen, on the other hand, is beautiful, wealthy, and over-the-top. She is the new friend of Lillian, who is instantly jealous of Annie's long-standing friendship with Lillian. Helen uses her influence to one-up Annie at every turn, such as getting the bridal party into a chic shop without a reservation and buying the bridesmaid dresses that she liked, despite Annie's protests.
Their mutual dislike and competition for Lillian's attention lead to several hilarious and awkward situations throughout the film, including a disastrous plane ride to Las Vegas for the bachelorette party, which results in an emergency landing and the party having to take a bus back home. Despite their differences, Helen and Annie eventually reconcile, and Helen even helps Annie get together with Officer Nathan Rhodes, a man she has been flirting with, by arranging for him to pick her up after Lillian's wedding.
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They compete for Lillian's attention
Annie Walker (played by Kristen Wiig) and Helen Harris III (Rose Byrne) are introduced to each other at the engagement party of their mutual friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Helen is the wealthy, snobbish wife of Lillian's fiancé's boss. From the very beginning, Annie and Helen are jealous of each other's friendship with Lillian and become increasingly competitive for her attention.
Annie and Helen's rivalry intensifies as they try to one-up each other in planning Lillian's bridal festivities. Annie first suggests a bachelorette party at Lillian's parents' lake house, but Helen overrules her and plans a trip to Las Vegas instead. Unable to afford a first-class ticket and too proud to let Helen pay, Annie books a ticket in economy class. She accepts a sedative and liquor from Helen to help with her fear of flying, but this leads to a paranoid breakdown that causes the plane to make an emergency landing. The party is forced to take a bus home, and Lillian decides that Helen should take over as the planner for the bridal shower and wedding.
Throughout the film, Annie and Helen continue to compete for Lillian's attention and affection. They play a game of doubles tennis, deliberately hitting each other with the ball and screaming at their partners. Annie also leads the bridal party to a Brazilian steak restaurant, where everyone except Helen gets food poisoning. During a bridal shop visit, Annie neglects to make a reservation, and Helen once again uses her influence to gain access.
Despite their rivalry, Annie and Helen eventually reconcile. On the day of the wedding, Helen apologizes to Annie and expresses her hope that they can be friends in the future. They work together to find Lillian, who has gone missing due to cold feet about the wedding. In the end, Annie and Helen share a hug, indicating that they have moved past their differences.
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Helen upstages Annie's ideas
In the 2011 film "Bridesmaids", Annie Walker (played by Kristen Wiig) and Helen Harris III (Rose Byrne) meet for the first time at the engagement party of their mutual friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Annie is a single woman in her thirties who has fallen on hard times, whereas Helen is the wealthy, snobby, and over-the-top wife of Lillian's fiancé's boss. From the outset, the two women are jealous of each other's friendship with Lillian and take an instant dislike to one another.
Annie and Helen's rivalry intensifies as they compete for Lillian's attention and confidence, with Helen frequently undermining Annie's ideas. For example, Annie suggests having a bachelorette party at Lillian's parents' lake house, but Helen overrides this and plans a trip to Las Vegas instead. Annie's fear of flying and her refusal to accept a ticket paid for by Helen lead to her drinking and taking sedatives on the plane, resulting in a paranoid breakdown that causes the plane to make an emergency landing. This incident ultimately leads to Lillian asking Helen to take over the planning of the bridal shower and wedding.
Another instance of Helen upstaging Annie's ideas occurs during the bridal shower at Helen's home in Chicago. Annie's heartfelt, handmade shower gift is upstaged by Helen, who surprises Lillian with a trip to Paris—an idea Annie had previously suggested and which Helen had rejected. Enraged, Annie berates Helen and Lillian in front of everyone and destroys the decor, leading to her being kicked out of the shower and disinvited from the wedding.
Despite their differences, the two women eventually reconcile, and Helen apologizes for her behaviour, admitting that she feels lonely and unsatisfied in her marriage. They work together to find Lillian, who has gone missing due to cold feet about the wedding, and Annie resumes her role as maid of honor. In the end, Helen and Annie share a hug, and Helen even arranges for Officer Nathan Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd), with whom Annie has been developing a romantic relationship, to pick her up after the wedding.
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Their rivalry leads to funny moments
In the 2011 comedy film *Bridesmaids*, the rivalry between Annie and Helen leads to several funny moments. The two women first meet at Lillian's engagement party, where they are both introduced as bridesmaids to the bride, Lillian, who is also Annie's lifelong best friend. From the start, it is clear that Annie and Helen are jealous of each other's friendship with Lillian and compete for her attention. This dynamic sets the tone for several humorous scenes throughout the film.
One such scene occurs when Annie and Helen play tennis together. Instead of bonding, the two use the opportunity to try to one-up each other, with Helen insinuating that Lillian has changed and implying that Annie doesn't know her as well as Helen does. This conversation mirrors an earlier scene at the engagement party, where Annie and Helen both attempt to one-up each other by claiming they can communicate with Lillian "with just a look".
Another funny moment arises when Annie and Helen go dress shopping with Lillian and the other bridesmaids. Annie is shocked by the price of a dress that Helen has chosen and tries to discreetly show her the price tag. However, Helen's response indicates that she thinks the price is reasonable, revealing her lack of consideration for the budget constraints of the other bridesmaids.
The rivalry between Annie and Helen also leads to a series of unfortunate events during the bachelorette party, which Helen plans as a trip to Las Vegas. Annie, who has a fear of flying, is anxious about the trip and accepts a combination of sedatives and liquor from Helen to calm her nerves. This leads to a hilarious scene of mayhem on the plane, where Annie's intoxication results in hallucinations and a paranoid breakdown, ultimately forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.
The bridal shower, hosted by Helen at her home in Chicago, provides another opportunity for comedic moments. Helen adopts a Parisian theme, which was originally Annie's idea but was voted against. To make matters worse, Helen upstages Annie's heartfelt gift by giving Lillian a trip to Paris, causing Annie to fly into a rage and berate Helen and Lillian in front of everyone.
Despite the rivalry and humorous moments throughout the film, Annie and Helen ultimately reconcile. On the day of the wedding, Helen apologizes to Annie, revealing that she feels lonely despite her event planning skills and is unsatisfied in her marriage. This leads to a heartwarming moment where the two women hug and put their differences aside.
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Frequently asked questions
Helen and Annie first meet at Lillian's engagement party.
Helen is the wealthy, snobby trophy wife of Doug's boss.
Annie is Lillian's lifelong best friend and maid of honour.