‘Bridesmaids’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Mina Kimes
January 5, 2021 · Bridesmaids (2011) · Comedy · 1:53:20 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe friendship scenes, particularly the lunch scene between Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph's characters where 'it's just two characters hanging out for four minutes and you're like, this is fun'▶ 9:12
Mallory RubinAgrees with the lunch scene establishing the friendship dynamic, noting it makes later scenes like the dueling speeches more effective because it establishes Annie and Lillian's shared history▶ 10:33
Mina KimesHighlights the Bridal Salon scene as 'pantheon' and 'one of the funniest scenes in the last 20 years,' but also praises the dueling speeches scene and identifies the lunch scene between Annie and Lillian as a 'hidden gem' upon rewatching▶ 5:27
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsTough morning for the janitor the next morning - who cleans up after the bridal shower disaster▶ 48:05
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsWeddings as a movie trope, Helen's stepkids and passive aggressive lines, nine golden retriever puppies, Wilson Phillips ending, and Milwaukee as a setting▶ 1:11:15
Mallory RubinThe ensemble performances, scatological humor, and explicit R-rated comedy in general▶ 1:13:16
Mina KimesThe money/class themes and how the film depicts the absurdity of weddings and the wedding industrial complex▶ 1:10:24
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe cop character (Chris O'Dowd) - poorly written, unmotivated, and makes inappropriate jokes about shooting people; also the Apatow movie formula of hitting rock bottom then rallying at the end▶ 1:13:53
Mallory RubinGiving out puppies as party favors - irresponsible pet ownership and keeping them in the back of a van▶ 1:18:43
Mina KimesThe cop character - specifically a friendly cop making jokes about shooting people, which wouldn't happen in a 2021 movie▶ 1:14:33
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsPaul Rudd — Discusses various casting alternatives including Rebel Wilson and Busy Phillips for McCarthy's role, Mindy Kaling for Rudolph's role, and mentions Paul Rudd's cut scene. Agrees with SPEAKER_02's suggestion about Paul Rudd or Jason Sudeikis as alternate male leads.▶ 1:19:47
Mallory RubinPaul Rudd — Cannot imagine cutting Paul Rudd out of a movie, expressing confusion about removing his blind date scene▶ 1:20:25
Mina KimesPaul Rudd — Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis would have been really good as opposite roads (alternative male leads)▶ 1:20:45
Joey Pants Award
Bill SimmonsBen Falcone — Nominated Ben Falcone (Air Marshal John), Annie's boss at the store as 'clear pick', and Wendy McClendon Covey▶ 1:21:03
Mallory RubinMichael Hitchcock — Annie's boss at the store (Hamilton Swan from Best in Show)▶ 1:21:38
Mina KimesAndy Buckley — Mentioned Andy Buckley (Dave Wallace from The Office) and Tim Heidecker as Doug, though noted Heidecker's role was minimal▶ 1:22:19
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsKristen Wiig — Yes for Kristen Wiig, yes for Jon Hamm (Mad Men + The Town + this), yes for Melissa McCarthy (Oscar nomination + mainstream breakthrough), no for Maya Rudolph (The Good Place was better), no for Rose Byrne (Neighbors was her peak), yes for Paul Feig, yes for Chris O'Dowd, second/belated apex for Wilson Phillips▶ 1:30:06
Mallory RubinMelissa McCarthy — Agreed that this was Melissa McCarthy's mainstream breakthrough moment, disagreed on Maya Rudolph (her Good Place run was better), discussed Wilson Phillips having multiple appearances and second life through the movie▶ 1:30:44
Mina KimesMelissa McCarthy — This is Melissa McCarthy's best performance despite her other good work, definitely yes for Paul Feig as his biggest critical and commercial success▶ 1:32:08
Picking Nits
Mallory RubinAnnie capitalizes random words in her emails; putting the giant cookie and chocolate fountain outside where elements could ruin them; Annie's mom not being in the car with her driving to the shower despite living together▶ 1:40:23
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsAcknowledged some quotes earlier in discussion and commented on the picks, calling Jon Hamm's character 'amazing' and noting the semen speech as 'best semen everywhere speech probably in a movie'▶ 1:42:29
Mallory RubinThree picks: 1) Bryn's line 'At first, I did not know that it was your diary. I thought it was a very sad handwritten book', 2) Lillian's 'Why can't you just be happy for me and then go home and talk behind my back like a normal person', 3) Annie's entire speech about cracking a blanket in half and semen everywhere▶ 1:41:51
Mina KimesTwo picks: 1) Megan's 'I'm glad he's single because I'm going to climb that like a tree', 2) Jon Hamm's 'It's called humor. Learn about it.'▶ 1:42:35
Who Won the Movie
Mallory RubinMelissa McCarthy — Melissa McCarthy - became an icon, career skyrocketed, got Oscar nomination▶ 1:50:39
Mina KimesMelissa McCarthy — Melissa McCarthy - the performance that knocks your socks off on first viewing▶ 1:51:25
Movies Referenced (23)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clueless (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 3:18 |
| Mean Girls (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Mina Kimes, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:55 |
| Best in Show (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Mallory Rubin | ▶ 1:21:28 |
| Neighbors (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | ▶ 38:16 |
| Sing (2016) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 35:23 |
| The Hangover (2009) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 31:24 |
| Fight Club (1999) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Mina Kimes, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 41:34 |
| My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:32:30 |
| Sex and the City (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:59 |
| Wedding Crashers (2005) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | ▶ 1:32:41 |
| Wonder Woman (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Mina Kimes, Bill Simmons | ▶ 15:19 |
| Ant-Man (2015) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:26:35 |
Directors Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Feig | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | ▶ 40:40 | |
| Paul Thomas Anderson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood | ▶ 1:08:12 |
| Ben Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Argo, Gone Girl, The Town | ▶ 1:02:03 |
Actors Referenced (51)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kristen Wiig | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 29 | Mina Kimes, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | Bridesmaids | ▶ 8:55 |
| Maya Rudolph | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 20 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | Bridesmaids, Away We Go | ▶ 4:39 |
| Melissa McCarthy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 19 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 14:25 | |
| Paul Rudd | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Mina Kimes | Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp | ▶ 1:20:20 |
| Jon Hamm | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Mina Kimes, Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons | The Town | ▶ 4:31 |
| Rose Byrne | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Mallory Rubin | Insidious | ▶ 4:43 |
| Rebel Wilson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | Jojo Rabbit, Pitch Perfect | ▶ 1:15:59 |
| John Belushi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | National Lampoon's Animal House, The Blues Brothers | ▶ 9:52 |
| Lamar Jackson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | Smokey and the Bandit | ▶ 1:34:30 |
| Bill Cosby | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | ▶ 1:07:51 | |
| Terry Crews | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Idiocracy | ▶ 9:02 |
| Wilson Phillips | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | Bridesmaids | ▶ 11:13 |
Writers Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Cosby | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:07:51 | |
| Andy Greenwald | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:28 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 28:02 |