MovieChat Forums > Bride Wars (2009) Discussion > Terrible movie with subliminal messages

Terrible movie with subliminal messages

posted 15 years ago by EmilioCacao
50 replies | jump to latest

I think this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen; not because its predictability but also because of these subliminal messages about love and life they've been trying to stuff teenagers and young people in general. According to Bride Wars:

1. The poor needs to make way to the rich's wishes of having their dreams come true. Hathaway's character ends her wedding dreams so Hudson's can be married where and when she wanted. At the Plaza, on June 6. Since Hathaway played a teacher making way less money than a lawyer, she had to break up with her boyfriend...

2. After a breakup of an almost 4-year relationship, It takes less than a year to marry your best friend's brother. It was obvious Hudson's brother made way more money than Hathaway's ex. It was just a matter of time to solve the economic situation for the teacher by marrying someone with a higher income.

3. Money matters, not love, not even sex. It's all about how much you make, that's gonna make you happy. Nothing else. Proof of that is the scene when they found the ring and the Vera Wang dress incident. Hudson's character didn't learn or evolved in any way during the movie. She will still be the same materialistic bitch for all sequels to come. Hathaway will be at her side, adapted to a mediocre, insensitive life.

4. It's ok to be cruel to your best friend and make her fat with candy, color her hair blue, make her tired to death with a crazy dance teacher and send invitations already mentioning your wedding date without having talked to her.

If you have more "life lessons" from this movie, feel free to post.

Javier H. Moreno
www.cacaorock.com

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] im_a_singer144 15 years ago

Wow...okay the movie was bad, but you're reading into way too many things LOL. Chill out, it's just a light Chick-flick. :)

[–] EmilioCacao 15 years ago

Hi Singer144,

You're right, I might be reading into way too many things. But movies usually are about messages and I wondered who in their sane mind approved the making of this film at the Studios.

I wouldn't show this movie to a 9 or 10 year old girl, that's for sure. I am not a big fan of Disney-ana, but I'd rather take my daughter to see Enchanted.

Javier H. Moreno
www.cacaorock.com

[–] ledger-and-phoenix 15 years ago

I adore Enchanted and Bride Wars pales in comparison...the only positive message I took from this film was that both women learned more about themselves from their "civil" war. Hudson's character learned that one doesn't have to be perfect all the time and Hathaway's character learned that you don't have to please everybody and that you need to be your own person. One thing I was really pleased about in the end was that Hathaway's character didn't settle for the guy that had some really controlling tendencies. It seemed like he wanted an innocent little homebody that he could control. He wasn't even understanding when he found out that she had a little fun back when she was in college.
But, yes, other than those points this movie showed women in the worst way possible.

"Kill your doubt with the coldest of weapons: Confidence."

[–] x_stormdancer_x 15 years ago

I think the reason Fletcher was upset by the spring break video was it was alluded to that they were dating in college. Maybe the Acapulco trip happened while they were together? Just a thought.

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”~Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

[–] JennyC1115 15 years ago

That's what I thought, too.

[–] Heidi_Smiles 15 years ago

I thought it was more like "your stupid feud with your friend is ruining our wedding."

I don't know if I've lived 10,000 days, or one day 10,000 times...

[–] SteveGreen 14 years ago

I dare say the original script had a really raucous video, probably a shot of her dancing on a table half-naked, but - like everything else in this movie - it was watered down into lacklustre bilge.

Few comedies have real guts these days (look at Leap Year, a misfire on every level). For truly black comedy, check out The War of the Roses - a splendidly vicious affair.

[–] dwp2 15 years ago

I don't think Enchanted has a good message for little girls at all. The main characters both leave their fiance(e)s for people they've only known a short time. They have nothing in common, other than their differences. On top of that, the little girl plays fairy godmother by running up her dad's credit card. At least in Bride Wars, the girls end up with guys who really love them for who they are (with one of them walking away from an easy relationship with a guy who doesn't love who she really is).

[–] turboteen77 15 years ago

Hey Javier. I just finished watching this terrible movie. I wouldn't rank it as low as "Cool as Ice" just yet but man the writing was terrible.

I didn't really read too much into it as the "haves" always beat the "have nots" however it did stink that the spoiled, get whatever she wants bride eventually got her way.

By the way did you notice the little plot hole. The girls could have still have their desired dates. It's just Candace Burgeon's character should have addressed the issue with the girl that came right after them.

My fiance loves this movie and I simply couldn't understand why. Plain and simple this is a real bad movie and definitely a renter. I would put it 3rd on my Netflix queue. I get 3 movies per mailout.

[–] Othy59 15 years ago

This isn't a chick flick, it's a vacuous, unfunny ego-trip for an actress (*cough* Hudson *cough*) who's been in one too many crap films and decides to make another crap film about crushing other people dreams to have your own selfish wishes... whilst trying to pass it off as a chick flick.

Well I didn't expect a kind-of Spanish Inquisition!

[–] MadnessEvolved 15 years ago

"This isn't a chick flick, it's a vacuous, unfunny ego-trip ..."

ITA.

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.

(Is it unusual that I did that from memory?)

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] brigitte329 15 years ago

Maybe you are too focused on the one issue of money, but more importantly: I believe it was a 10 year relationship that Hathaway got out of at the last minute to marry & get pregnant by her bff's brother. lol

[–] scarletminded 14 years ago

"Maybe you are too focused on the one issue of money, but more importantly: I believe it was a 10 year relationship that Hathaway got out of at the last minute to marry & get pregnant by her bff's brother. lol"

What they said! It was 10 years.

Anyway, even for a fluffy chick flick, it was dumb. This is why I don't get women's culture or films...I am a woman and I think the writing on films like this are so awful. I wouldn't let a young girl watch this film. It makes women look like all they want is to be married and knocked up, even if they have a good job. All the wedding obsession is confusing to me, since I am a woman and don't have it at all.

I felt the "one year later" thing was a tack on at the end. It seems odd she would marry her BFF's brother with no issues from her friend who literally beat the pants off of her during her wedding and also had a big part in her friend breaking up on her own wedding day...and this is the person who is supposed to stick by you? I would think this woman would be upset with her marrying her brother...since she doesn't have parents, not sure if they are dead or she just LOST them somewhere, the movie never tells me what has gone on with them...that would have given one character a dimension...oh, the writing was bad. :)

[–] ThePhoenixHope 15 years ago

1. The poor needs to make way to the rich's wishes of having their dreams come true. Hathaway's character ends her wedding dreams so Hudson's can be married where and when she wanted. At the Plaza, on June 6. Since Hathaway played a teacher making way less money than a lawyer, she had to break up with her boyfriend...

Say what? Emma and Fletcher broke up because he navigated that entire relationship and she was starting to grow a spine. Remember in the scene at the end where she tells him he's in love with who she was ten years ago? People change and grow apart; it had nothing to do with finances.

2. After a breakup of an almost 4-year relationship, It takes less than a year to marry your best friend's brother. It was obvious Hudson's brother made way more money than Hathaway's ex. It was just a matter of time to solve the economic situation for the teacher by marrying someone with a higher income.

Again, you're missing the point. Every interaction between Emma and the brother showed that they were close - and since she's Liv's best friend it would make sense they new each other well. It isn't until Emma and Fletcher break up that they realize how they feel about each other. That brother is a pretty patient guy considering Emma was with Fletcher for ten years. Again, finances don't factor into it.

3. Money matters, not love, not even sex. It's all about how much you make, that's gonna make you happy. Nothing else. Proof of that is the scene when they found the ring and the Vera Wang dress incident. Hudson's character didn't learn or evolved in any way during the movie. She will still be the same materialistic bitch for all sequels to come. Hathaway will be at her side, adapted to a mediocre, insensitive life.

You, my friend, are projecting. Face it. YOU have an issue with money matters and, honestly, how could you take anything seriously about this movie? The only message is that Hollywood is running out of ideas.

4. It's ok to be cruel to your best friend and make her fat with candy, color her hair blue, make her tired to death with a crazy dance teacher and send invitations already mentioning your wedding date without having talked to her.

No one said it was okay...and if it were, they wouldn't have apologized to each other at the end. Get it?

If you have more "life lessons" from this movie, feel free to post.

No, I didn't learn any life lessons from this movie nor did I expect to. This movie is bubble gum, simply used to waste time when you can't sleep at night and dreaming of slipping into a coma. How could you possibly take this trash seriously?

Dear Mary, you who gave birth without sin, teach me how to sin and not give birth.

[–] Sugarminx 10 years ago

LMAO Phoenix, great response to OPs bizarre observations.

And I absolutely agree with you that OP was projecting his own issues with money on to this silly movie.

Life lessons from a Kate Hudson movie? Now I've heard everything

Everything I've ever told you has been a lie. Including that - George Spiggott

[–] Helpfan65 15 years ago

IA, this movie was horrible for the reasons you cited. Plus here it is 2009, and yet this movie tells us that it is still the end all, be all ultimate goal for young women to get that ring and dress up like Cinderella.

Compare this to the movie Hudson's mom made, Private Benjamin, when her character actually realizes there is more to life than being somebody's wife and it quite depressing to see how much women and Hollywood have regressed.

[–] EmilioCacao 15 years ago

Ha! Maybe Private Benjamin was criticized for the opposite! I don't think Hollywood has regressed, but a certain group of women that's more attracted to material things. This movie can be used as a time capsule for the "my decade"

Javier H. Moreno
www.cacaorock.com

[–] lynsey_poushay 14 years ago

Did you miss the part where we don't even see Emma's wedding which clearly did not take place at the Plaza in June? The point of the movie was that their bond as friends was more important than either of their weddings.

[–] jasminka26 15 years ago

Their parents were friends, they came from same social standing, so there was no rich bride, poor bride. So it happened that one of them chose a more lucrative field than the other. That's the reality, in some fields of work you do earn more money than in others. Don't you have personal friends who earn more or less money than you simply because they are in a different field of work? By no means this movie was about class, or money, or who's more privileged.

[–] cmsdznr 15 years ago

Great post.

Life lesson learned:

Avoid films by this writer, director and producer.