Anne Hathaway: 10 greatest movies of all time
By Reed Gaudens
10. Bride Wars
Original Release Date: Bride Wars received a wide theatrical release on Jan. 9, 2009, which is generally known as the weakest release date of the year.
Box Office Earnings: Despite being dumped in the post-holidays dead zone and suffering from negative reception from critics, Bride Wars managed to fight its way to financial success with a worldwide gross of over $114 million against its $30 million production budget.
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Critical Acclaim: Upon release, Bride Wars garnered widespread negative reviews from critics, leading to its 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Although it might not be the greatest film to have ever been produced, it wasn’t meant to be. As a romantic comedy, it excels in its own unique ways thanks to the dynamic between Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson.
About the Role: Hathaway plays Emma Allen, who has always dreamed of her wedding day, along with her best friend Liv Lerner (Kate Hudson). When Emma and Liv get engaged within days of each other, they ecstatically plan their weddings together, but the mood turns sour when their dream ceremonies are booked for the same day at the Plaza Hotel. Emma, a modest middle school teacher, wasn’t a massive stretch compared to Hathaway’s past characters, though Emma allowed her to dive a bit more into straightforward comedy than usual.
Simply the Best: Even though Bride Wars mostly faded from pop culture significance since 2009, there’s an argument to be made that it maintains a decent profile in the pantheon of rom-coms with consistent reairings on television. And it’s just mere fact that the film wouldn’t have worked without its lead stars, as Hathaway and Hudson perfectly mesh their comic sensibilities and pull off Casey Wilson and June Diane Raphael’s wild script. Believe it or not, Bride Wars remains an underrated and imperfect bright spot in Hathaway’s filmography.