Nashville, TN: As much as I love a good movie, I also have to mentally prepare myself when I go into a theatre or scroll through my Netflix for the inevitable: the happy ending. Because as good as a movie can be, the wrap-it-up scene is almost always the same: the girl gets the guy, they live happily ever after, and all is well. You know, not REAL life.
In especially delicate times (like now), I have to be really careful with the movies I see. Like most gals, I love me a good romantic comedy, but when I'm ruminating on the deep meanings of love and loss, the last thing I want to see is the guy coming back. Because - guess what? He doesn't. (And sometimes that's better in the end, but that doesn't sell movies... but that's for another blog....)
The new movie
Bridesmaids was recently released. From the title, I knew it was going to involve a wedding (which doesn't bother me) and there would be some talk of love (which doesn't bother me... too much). But for two separate friends who had seen it and highly recommended it, I posed the questions:
is it ok for me to see it right now? As in, in my current state of affairs? And both of them responded enthusiastically,
"Yes! It's sooooo funny! I couldn't stop laughing! And it's really smart too!"
I've needed a good laugh and since I trusted my friends, I figured I could handle this one,
PB. Plus, it's with
Kristen Wiig and
Maya Rudolph - two of
SNL's funniest ladies - so even if the movie wasn't the best, it was guaranteed to have at least some funny facial expressions.
So I went with another single gal pal and we were both ready to escape reality for 2 hours & 5 minutes. But here's what happened: besides Kristen & Maya being the best TV-transitioning-to-movie-stars they could be and
Melissa McCarthy pretty much stealing the show, the movie leads itself to the predictable Hollywood ending: the girl is happy
only when the guy shows up in the end. In the words of my are-you-kidding-me???-movie-going-friend,
"I think this movie may have hit a little close to home for women who are newly single or perpetually single."
As always in life, I try to find the silver lining in dark(ish) situations. In this movie, it came in the form of a scene between Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig. Annie (Kristen) has hit her bottom: lost her job, got kicked out of her apartment, has no boyfriend, lost her business, etc. Megan (Melissa) comes over to her place (which happens to be Annie's Mom's house, where she's now living) to make her feel better... with a little tough love. She literally crawls on top of Annie and starts pushing her and wrestling her saying, "is life bothering you right now? Well, I'm life. Are you going to fight for your shitty life or are you just going to take it?" to which Annie (after getting beat up by this random new friend) finally fights back. She decides she WILL fight for her shitty life.
And then the very last scene (to those who haven't seen it, sorry that I'm giving it away), there is a surprise performance by
Wilson Phillips. They were the bride's (Maya Rudolph) favorite group in her younger years and now they're doing the full circle performance at her wedding. And you know what? I got it. It's cheesy and a random part of the movie but it makes complete sense. (And I was able to slip back to high school days for just a bit.)
You could sustain or are you comfortable with the pain?
You've got no one to blame for your unhappiness
You got yourself into your own mess.
Letting you worries pass you by
Don't you think it's worth the time
To change your mind?
The bottom line is: my life may not end up in the form of a Hollywood happy ending, but I WILL fight for my shitty life. (Even though technically it's actually pretty good, minus a shitty part I'm going through right now.....)
And now, (until that scene from the movie shows up on youtube), I leave you with: Wilson Phillips. Air drumming encouraged.
