Fifteen years after Bridesmaids originally hit theaters, the food poisoning scene remains a moment that can be recalled with vivid clarity when reflecting on the film. While gross-out material is stereotypically aimed at male audiences, the Kristen Wiig movie did well to shatter that idea. It’s a wonderful and key part of the beloved modern comedy, which makes it all the more surprising to learn that it was a relatively late addition to the script.
Vanity Fair recently brought Wiig and co-star Rose Byrne together for a mini Bridesmaids reunion, and part of the discussion pertained to the unfortunate mess that the title characters make in a bridal gown shop following a visit to a questionable restaurant. The former explained that the goal was for her and co-writer Annie Mumolo to craft a gross-out scene that came from their own specific vision – and part of that was apparently not actually seeing too many bodily fluids. Said Wiig,
That was a sequence that came later in the writing process that we sort of embraced in like, 'Ok, well, we'll write our version of this type of thing.' And we just kind of made it our own and it was like, 'I don't wanna see any vomit...' You can find a way to do your version of it. And they were right. It was just, it was funny.
Recalling the scene, there is some vomit featured: Wendi McLendon-Covey's Rita doesn’t make it to the toilet in time and sprays some on the closed seat, and Ellie Kemper's Becca later comes up behind her and vomits in her hair. That being said, it’s certainly not anything like the “Mr. Creosote” segment in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, and most of the grossness is implied (such as Melissa McCarthy’s Megan unloading her bowls in a sink and Maya Rudolph’s Lillian pooping in the street while given privacy by her flowing bridal gown).
For what it’s worth, an original version of the scene was much grosser, as Ellie Kemper was going to be featured in a moment where she projectile vomited into the office of the woman who owns the bridal shop. That scene was cut, however.
For Kristen Wiig, what she really loved about the food poisoning scene was not the grossness of it all, but seeing the special comedic instincts of her fellow performers. Each of them have their own special reactions as they come to the realization that they are getting sick, and it’s all different kinds of funny. The actress added,
It was so fun to do that scene and to see the different, like Rose was saying, like different characters, to see everyone's version of like just for example, like not feeling well and like trying to hide it – just the way, even Ellie [Kemper] just politely (covers her mouth daintily). It was fun to watch the ladies just do their thing, watching these incredible women.
Bridesmaids has aged incredibly well thanks to the awesome gifts of its talented ensemble cast, and if you don’t want to take my word for it, you can rewatch the great 2011 comedy right now with a Starz subscription.
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