August 'Nick's Pix:' BRIDESMAIDS

Jul 22
4 min read

Updated: Jul 22

Join me for Bridesmaids, a very Special Nick's Pix Screening on Wednesday, August 13th, at 7 p.m. in Oak Park! Tickets are only $9 ($7 for seniors!) Get your tix HERE!

I am beyond thrilled to invite you to a one-night-only screening of Bridesmaids, the 2011 blockbuster comedy classic, at the gorgeous Lake Theater in Oak Park on Wednesday, August 13th at 7 p.m. This isn’t just a movie screening. It’s a full celebration.

I’ll be there to host the evening, lead a post-show discussion, run some trivia, and hand out prizes. It’s going to be a phenomenal night.

But first, let me tell you why Bridesmaids isn’t just one of the funniest films ever made, it’s a landmark. And why seeing it again (or for the first time!) on the big screen with a crowd is a must.

SNL Royalty and Raunchy, Relatable Comedy Gold

From the moment I first saw Bridesmaids back in 2011, I was elated, as a film critic, as a fan of great comedy, and especially as someone who has been religiously watching Saturday Night Live since its very first broadcast in October 1975. I mean it. I’ve never missed an episode. Ever. (Yes, even through the dark seasons.)

So imagine my joy when one of the funniest people to ever grace Studio 8H, the spectacularly talented Kristen Wiig, not only starred in a movie, but co-wrote and produced it too. This was her baby. This was her moment. And she absolutely nailed it.

And as if that wasn’t enough SNL star power, her real-life best friend Maya Rudolph, another all-time-great from the show, co-starred. That chemistry? Totally authentic. Totally perfect.

Add in Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Rose Byrne, Rebel Wilson, and of course Melissa McCarthy, and you’ve got a comedy ensemble for the ages.

McCarthy, who was already a TV icon in my eyes, because she played the unforgettable chef Sookie on the wonderful series Gilmore Girls, became an overnight movie star with this Oscar-nominated role.

Directed by Paul Feig (who also helmed the incredibly underrated Ghostbusters reboot... yeah, I said it, and I stand by it: it’s better than the original), this movie just hits every comedic beat with precision, passion, and full-throttle hilarity.

Plot Recap: Heart, Humanity, and Hilarity

Bridesmaids centers on Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig), a down-on-her-luck former baker from Milwaukee whose life is unraveling. Her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged and asks Annie to be her maid of honor, but things spiral fast as Annie butts heads with Helen (Rose Byrne), the snobby new friend who threatens to replace her.

What follows is a series of escalating disasters: food poisoning in a bridal shop, an absolutely bonkers airplane meltdown, a destroyed bridal shower, all while Annie struggles with self-worth, broken dreams, and her fear of being left behind. The emotional core is real, raw, and relatable.

It’s a movie about friendship, insecurity, and reclaiming joy, all wrapped in one of the funniest scripts of the 21st century.

The Laughs: Unapologetically R-Rated and Genius

When Bridesmaids dropped, it arrived in the middle of the “dude comedy” wave, the Judd Apatow boom featuring Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, James Franco, and others. From The 40-Year-Old Virgin to Knocked Up to Superbad, these movies were raunchy, outrageous, and undeniably male.

But Bridesmaids came in swinging and completely changed the game.

This wasn’t just a “funny female version” of those bro comedies. It was better. Funnier. Smarter. Grosser. More emotionally honest. And Wiig and co-writer Annie Mumolo didn’t do it with speeches or agendas, they just wrote real women, in all their messy, hilarious, complicated glory.

The infamous bridal shop diarrhea scene? The drunken airplane freak-out? The dueling speeches at the engagement party? All-time great comedy moments. The script, the improv, the performances... it's all lightning in a bottle.

A Stellar Cast, and Some Scene-Stealing Performances

Let’s talk MVPs.

Yes, Melissa McCarthy blew the doors off with her fearless, foul-mouthed, endlessly quotable Megan, a performance so good, it got her an Oscar nod.

But I’ve gotta give a massive shoutout to Wendi McLendon-Covey. Her deadpan delivery, her bitter rants about her sons, her desperate attempts to cut loose, every single line is comedy gold. She just about steals the whole movie, and it's absolutely my favorite performance in the whole film.

Chris O’Dowd is charming as the sweet Irish cop. Jon Hamm is hilariously horrible in a role that subverts every rom-com fantasy. And seeing the legendary Jill Clayburgh in her final film role (actually released posthumously), playing Annie’s mom, adds a lovely emotional touch (and yes, another SNL connection... she hosted once too!).

More Than Just Laughs: Why It Still Matters

There’s heart here too. Annie’s dreams, her failures, her stubbornness, they all hit home. When she finally bakes again, when she starts fixing her life, when she reconciles with Lillian, you feel it.

Feig and Wiig created something that works as both a gut-busting comedy and an honest character piece. That’s rare. That’s why it holds up.

And that’s why, more than a decade later, Bridesmaids is still cited as a game-changer, not just for proving that women-led comedies can dominate the box office, but for doing it without compromise.

Join Me at The Lake Theater – August 13th

I love this movie. I love showing it to people. And I cannot wait to talk about it with you on August 13th.

We’ll watch it on the big screen, laugh our butts off, relive the greatness of SNL’s finest, and then have a fantastic post-show discussion. I’ll be doing trivia, giving away prizes, and hanging out to celebrate what is, no exaggeration, one of the greatest comedies ever made.

So, I am very excited to be showing this film to you as my next Classic Cinemas' Nick's Pix' Screening: