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Comedy Gold: The Tearful Origin of Bridesmaids' Iconic Scene
29 Jun
Summary
- The iconic airplane scene was written in one afternoon after two hours of crying.
- The original script's Vegas bachelorette party was deemed unusable due to timing.
- The scene earned co-writers an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Fifteen years after its release, the airplane scene in Bridesmaids remains a standout comedic moment, but its creation was far from smooth.
Co-writer Annie Mumolo shared that the original script featured a sprawling Las Vegas bachelorette party sequence. However, producer Judd Apatow announced just a month before filming that the Vegas plot was unusable due to similar scenes in other recent comedies like The Hangover.
Following this news, Mumolo recalled a two-hour period of intense crying. Afterward, she and co-writer Kristen Wiig collaborated remotely via phone. By the end of that same day, they had written the now-iconic airplane scene, complete with the first-class versus coach dynamic, the sleeping pill incident, and the anxious seatmate.
This improvisational session not only produced the scene that would become the film's emotional heart but also secured Mumolo and Wiig an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a rare feat for a comedy. The scene is now considered one of comedy's most unusual origin stories.
