What woman hasn’t dreamed of walking down the aisle to the man of her dreams and having an elaborate reception with everything just-so? Many of the fairer sex also have a location in mind in our white-clad fantasies of taking our first dance steps as a Mrs. across the lacquered floors of a catering hall, or museum, or…The Plaza Hotel. The creators of the film Bride Wars took this widely accepted fact about women and made an entire feature length film about it. Relaunching the career of actress, and in this case producer, Kate Hudson, and capitalizing on the impeccable and diverse talents of Anne Hathaway, this scrap of celluloid truly defines the romantic expectations of every American woman.

Two best-friends, Emma (Hathaway) and Liv (Hudson), become rivals when The Plaza Hotel does the unthinkable and schedules their special days on the same special day. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that this destroys a lifelong friendship, as every woman’s wedding is pretty much the apex of their life, eclipsed only by the day their first son is born and the day their husband gets promoted. The shenanigans that ensue — from shopping to diet sabotage to shopping to spray tanning run awry to shopping — are reflective of the general competitive nature of women. Also, the dresses, shoes, and make-up of the starlets are to be admired. In Bride Wars, the browsing, buying, bickering, and all-around wonderment that surround every set of nuptials are perfectly lauded and well-lit, as this cinematic masterpiece is a visual smorgasbord of dainty delights. The narrative will speak to the average woman, and the men in attendance will surely appreciate the sensitivity to their plights, as being the groom is never as glamorous as being the blushing bride.

Of course, if you don’t believe me, you can read these reviews from The New York Times , Variety , and Entertainment Weekly . (Only a ‘C’!? Really?! Travesty!) I haven’t even seen the movie. Stephen just bribed me with a gift card and, being a woman, I couldn’t resist humiliating myself for the chance to shop.

- Ainsley Drew

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