I didn’t initially intend to see this movie. Judging from the trailers, it just didn’t seem very funny to me. But then I started hearing lots of really good buzz (including on Stardust), so I started thinking it could be worth a chance. When I was in Chicago, my buddy and I had too much pizza and beer and were contemplating taking in a movie. We’d both come to similar conclusions and also figured that we’d be the best company to watch with, AND these would likely be the best conditions under which to see it.
Turns out, we both really enjoyed this movie. Like a lot. On the surface, it seems like a pretty basic premise: a group of long time gal pals take a trip to New Orleans and inappropriate hilarity ensues.
But here’s what Girls Trip got right that most comedies today completely miss: it wasn’t about the comedy. It wasn’t just cheap jokes built around a contrived premise. This was a story about female friendship, and it was full of rich plot and character development. And it happened to be very funny on top of that. Why is this concept so difficult for Hollywood to grasp nowadays?
The cast was flawless: Regina King, Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, and MVP show stealer Tiffany Haddish. Honestly, from the previews I’d seen, I’d expected Haddish to be too much. Yes at times she was, but at other times she was totally on her game. And another point about how well written the film was, she wasn’t a throwaway character. She could have just been the token crazy chick, but she had layers like the rest of them, particularly a high degree of loyalty that we all should aspire to.
So I say this movie is absolutely worth giving a chance to, even if it doesn’t seem like your thing. And not just because it’s awesome to support a film that is driven by minority women (although that’s mega bonus points). I say give it a chance because it’s one of the most well crafted comedies of recent memory.
Girls Trip – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/