"Bridesmaids"

By now, you've probably heard the buzz that this film is funny and entertaining.  It is.  I caught it today and recommend you see it.

I was a little surprised to find more in the film than just humor.  Written by two women (Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo), the movie plumbs female relationships with pleasing accuracy.  There is emotional drama, diverse and well-written female characters and, of course, many funny scenes.

Hollywood is reluctant to make "female-directed" movies because male executives don't relate to them and fail to acknowledge any audience for them.  That's a shame.  I hope the box-office success of this movie changes that a bit.  It's fun to see a movie with emotional feelings and female dynamics.

It is also bittersweet to see Jill Clayburgh in her final role.  Jill died last November after a long career in movies.  She was nominated for Best Actress Oscars for her two most-famous films, "An Unmarried Woman" and "Starting Over."  Both films, made in the late 1970s, are worth watching.  They captured the status of women at that time.  Feminists cited her work as influential in representing the social dilemmas of women during that period in history.

I predict Melissa McCarthy will get a career-boost from her work in this film: she's really funny.  Melissa was Sookie the cook on "The Gilmore Girls" and is currently starring in "Mike & Molly," a popular TV show.