BRIDESMAIDS
US, 1989, 100 minutes, Colour.
Shelley Hack, Sela Ward, Stefanie Faricy, Brooke Adams.
Directed by Lila Garrett.
Bridesmaids, as the title indicates, is a film about four women. It is popular telemovie material, directed towards a wide audience. In structure and style it is reminiscent of such films as Robert Altman's A Wedding.
The film is strong from the women's perspective, in writing and direction.(direction by Leila Garrett). The star cast is attractive: Sela Ward, Brooke Adams, Shelley Hack and Stephanie Faricy.
The women who are the bridesmaids symbolise the various stances by women in the '80s and illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of human nature of women in professional and home roles.
1. Enjoyable and interesting telemovie? Human nature, women?
2. The settings for the four bridesmaids, their coming to Minnesota, the small? town Minnesota settings? The musical score, the songs, especially 'Going to the Chapel'?
3. The title and the focus on the four women, on marriage in the '80s, on parenthood, not marrying?
4. The establishing of the central characters, their home settings? The assembling of the women at the wedding? Their memories of school and growing up, their relationships to one another, to the bride’s in other? The interactions, the tangles, the secrets and their revelation? Getting to understand each other better?
5. The focus on Kim: glamorous in the past, her legal work, her marriage, her wanting children, her husband and the vasectomy? Going to the wedding? Friendships? Caryl and her jealousy? The interaction with the group? Their supporting her against her husband?
6. Caryl and her glamour, the New York businesswoman, jewellery and design, fashion? Her going back to the small town, seeing her home, seeing it as small? Her concern about her pregnancy and revealing this to the group? Her being glamorous in the town? Jealousy of Kim?
7. Pat and her home in Florida, children and her exasperation, her divorces, her unsatisfactory marriage, the pressure of her parents? Her coming to the wedding, spraining her ankle, needing attention? Meeting Matt? The infatuation with him? The sexual liaison? The reaction of the other women? Beth and her reaction, the confession about Jack and tier hardness?. Having to forgive? The truth about Jack and his lack of character? The brittleness of her marriage? Final decisions?
8. Beth and her marriage, the ordinary girl who didn't go away, the friendliness, the dowdy touches? Her love for the other women? Sharing with them? The ups and downs of her marriage? The affair with Jack and her telling the truth to Pat? Her wanting to be forgiven?
9. The audience not seeing much of the bride2 The focus on the bridesmaids? Preparation for the wedding, Lulu and her bossiness, her memories of the past, the schedules for the bridesmaids, the dresses? The comedy with the dresses and their style, the decision to cut them up, the shock for Lulu at the wedding?
10. The sketch of the men in the film: the various husbands and the wives' comments on them, Caryl's lover and his not wanting to get married? Matt and his infatuation with Pat, the affair? Michael and his marrying of Susan?
11. The various incidents in which the women reminisced about their past: the Minnesota heat, the visit to the school, the swimming pool, the skinny-dipping and the meeting the policeman? Meals together? Going over the town and the revelation of the secrets?
12. The feminine point of view on marriage, commitment, family, children? A film of the '80s?
