FILM
10 www.guestlist.net
Issue 54 / 2013
Bachelorette
Somewhere within Headland's script is a tale of female friendship
enduring the insecurities left behind by their formative years. The
primary concern, however, is to spin a lean, cocaine-fueled yarn, with
plenty of snide quips and romantic revelations along the way.
August 16th
Dunst is Regan, a tightly-wound, vipertongued demon who "did everything right",
yet must still look on as her chirpy chum
Becky (a enjoyably 'straight' Rebel Wilson)
is the first of her high school clique to get
married. Punctual and pedantic, she has
been entrusted with pulling together every
facet of Becky's wedding to the handsome
Dale (Hayes MacArthur), while coarse cynic
Gena (Caplan) and dizzy, free-wheeling
nymph Katie (Fischer) walk on some serious
eggshells the night before the big day. One
particularly painful scene sees a surprise lap
dance turn ugly, when a stripper unwittingly
harks back to Becky's high school days.
With the bachelorette party coming to a
swift end, the three remaining friends drink
some champagne, do some coke and tear
Becky's dress in half while trying to prove
that two people can fit in it. And so begins
their late night dash around New York city.
The scenario promises laughs, and
Headland certainly has a flair for one liners
and witty perceptions (brace yourself for
Gena's 'intriguing' take on the subject of
blowjobs), but her direction is surprisingly
modest and understated – Bridesmaids
2.0 it is not. Which is fine, as Bachelorette
forges its own path. It's not afraid to get
gritty – there are strong references to date
rape and depression – but almost always
remains dignified. Part of this can be
attributed to Dunst's stellar performance.
Regan is shallow, self-centred and incredibly
bitter for her age. But Dunst embraces it
all, finding a refreshing sense of power in a
potentially thankless 'bitch role', especially
in her altercations with Dale's bachelor party
buddies, led by the obnoxious but sexy
Trevor (James Marsden).
While some may come away frustrated by
the lack of redemption, there's something
to admire in Headland's warts-and-all
approach.
