BRIDE WARS
Funny wedding chaos grows into a lesson in repentance and forgiveness.
Should You Watch It?
Bride Wars has enough genuine charm to earn a qualified recommendation. Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are well cast, the story moves briskly, and the attempts by Liv and Emma to sabotage each other’s weddings produce very funny moments.
The cost is significant. The friends become nasty, and the movie includes many light profanities, some obscenities, a bachelorette party with male dancers, and unmarried cohabitation. Those elements keep this from being suitable for children or young teens.
Still, the ending is heartwarming. The film extols friendship, repentance, and forgiveness, showing that mature friendship requires both humility and change. If you are a discerning adult who can handle the content, this is worth seeing; otherwise, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESLiv and Emma are lifelong friends who have always dreamed of marrying at New York City’s Plaza Hotel. When both women become engaged, they turn to their favorite wedding coordinator.
A mistake sets both weddings for the same June date. When the bride who has the other date refuses to change it, the friends’ lifelong bond is put to the test. Let the wedding wars begin.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a funny, sometimes heartwarming comedy that falls short of greatness. The movie has very funny sabotage scenes, Hudson and Hathaway are well cast, and the story moves along at a brisk pace.
The weakness is the central conflict. Once Liv and Emma turn nasty, it becomes difficult to sympathize with them. The film also does not fully capitalize on the pain their behavior creates for those around them. Its positive ending helps, but the comedy remains uneven.
The Worldview
The film presents a light redemptive worldview that ultimately extols friendship, repentance, and forgiveness. Liv and Emma learn that repentance and forgiveness help create a more mature friendship that can last. Each woman also learns from the other’s strengths: Liv adopts Emma’s compassion and generosity, while Emma adopts Liv’s take-charge, dynamic personality.
The movie also includes mixed pagan problem areas, and its moral vision lacks an explicitly religious foundation. Although the two weddings seem intended as religious ceremonies, no religious clergyman officiates at an actual ceremony. That omission is a missed opportunity.
At its best, the film recognizes that love between friends requires humility, repentance, and forgiveness. Scripture says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light redemptive worldview ultimately extolling friendship, repentance and forgiveness, with some mixed pagan problem areas; six or seven mostly light obscenities, one strong profanity (GD) and 35 light profanities (e.g., My God! or God!); light comic violence such as a funny fight scene; no sex scenes but nightclub scene at bachelorette party has male dancers with short shorts strutting, unmarried couple lives together, brief video shown of drunken woman with young men in bar during spring break and woman gets up on table to dance, and unmarried man is sleeping next to his live-in girlfriend who’s awake and in a pensive mood thinking about problems in her life; upper male nudity with male dancers in short shorts and some female cleavage; alcohol use and drunkenness; no smoking; and, revenge, lying, women sabotage one another’s weddings, engaged couple have argument, and friends fight, though story implicitly rebukes some of the immoral behavior and extols repentance and forgiveness.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Liv and Emma learn that repentance and forgiveness are part of a mature friendship. Why can both be difficult, and what does genuine repentance look like?
Psalm 51:10–12 · 2 Corinthians 7:10Each friend learns from the other’s strengths. How can another person’s compassion, generosity, or courage help reveal areas where you need to grow?
Proverbs 27:17 · Philippians 2:3–4The film shows friends hurting one another through revenge and sabotage. What helps stop a cycle of retaliation?
Romans 12:17–21 · Ephesians 4:31–32The weddings appear religious, but no clergyman officiates. What makes a marriage covenant more than a public celebration?
Genesis 2:24 · Matthew 19:4–6The Final Word
Bride Wars is funny and brisk, with a heartwarming lesson about friendship, repentance, and forgiveness. Its profanity, sexualized dancing, alcohol, and cohabitation make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other family viewing, see.
