A fat chick in a movie! And the world didn't end!
So I went to the movies and paid a whooping $9.50 for a matinee to see Bridesmaids. The sole reason I saw it in the theaters is Melissa McCarthy. I wanted Hollywood to know that just because a movie has a fat woman doesn't mean the world will end. (It didn't, instead the movie has so far made over 107 million.) The movie was produced by Judd Apatow who put pre-weight loss Jonah Hill and Seth Rogan in his films.
Spoilers follow. You have been warned.
Unfortunately although the movie seems like it's an ensemble, it's actually about the messed up life of Maid of Honor, the very skinny Kristin Wiig's Annie. Melissa's part is actually quite small. I don't know if I would characterize the character as positive. Melissa's character Megan seems nuts, food obsessed and grosser than the other girls. A perfect is example is a scene where all the women get food poisoning. The bridal shop has only one toilet and three of the bridesmaids run there while the bride runs to the street. In the bathroom, two of the bridesmaids fight over the toilet, while Megan shits in the sink. This is considered funny. But the thin Bride who ends up shitting in the street this is tragic. Also Kristin Wiig who co-wrote the script has obviously never gone to a bridal boutique with a fat friend. THEY DON'T CARRY PLUS SIZES. So really a funnier scene might have been all the women wearing their dresses except for Megan who has hers pinned to her clothes.
Also whoever dressed Melissa in this movie should never dress a fat woman again. If they were trying to not look fat, they failed but did succeed in making her look like a potato. I don't watch Mike and Molly but I've seen pictures, Melissa McCarthy can be dressed properly.
Look at the way Melissa is dressed here compared to her co-stars
Might as well have dressed her in a burka.
That being said Melissa is a very funny lady and while I would like to see more fat actors in dramatic roles (one of Melissa's breakout roles was as Sookie in the drama series Gilmore Girls, although she was the comic relief), I'm hoping to see more of her on the big screen even in comedic roles. She does have an important scene in the movie where she wakes up Annie and helps her change her life. Megan finally has some character development where she reveals she grew up ostracized and instead of giving up, she worked hard on her education and became a higher up in the government and confident in herself. In a scene on an airplane, Megan immediately knows the man sitting next to her is a sky marshall (played by Melissa's real life husband Ben Falcone). He denies it and also refused her advances. Later it is revealed that not only was she right but they eventually hook up.
The movie also had a very underused Rebel Wilson playing Annie's strange roommate. And at the ending Wilson Phillips performing with Carnie Wilson looking much less emaciated.
Is Bridesmaids fat positive? Not really. Melissa McCathy's comedic talents are underused. While there are no jokes about her weight, she is obnoxious, gross, and food obsessed. However it is nice to actually see letting a fat chick even in a supporting role. But with such limited roles to fat actors, is it worth it just to be seen?
