They both have plenty of bodily fluids, girl drama and embarrassing speeches, but there's one thing Bachelorette has that Bridesmaids didn't: master wise-cracker Lizzy Caplan.
Even if you don't know her by name, you've probably seen Caplan in something over the years. The hard-working actress has been in everything from Cloverfield to New Girl to The Class. She's best-known for her amazing ability to sling pithy zingers and scathingly sarcastic remarks, which was best showcased in the tragically short-lived series Party Down.
Speaking of which, Bachelorette reunites Caplan with her adorable Party Down love interest, Adam Scott (Parks & Recreation, Step Brothers). Those still suffering from Party Down withdrawal may find temporary comfort in Bachelorette, where you can once again watch Caplan and Scott exchanging secret kisses and witty barbs. (A sample of the latter: "I'm glad to see you're still fighting the good fight against the tyranny of pants," Scott's character quips in response to Caplan's rather short T-shirt dress.)
Caplan's deadpan performance nicely complements her Bachelorette co-stars. Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man) plays the super-anal maid of honor, Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) is the ditzy alcoholic friend and Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) is the earnest bride.
While the bride spends much of the movie soundly asleep, her three friends get up to all kinds of no good the night before the wedding. They spend the night getting high, gossiping, chasing guys and ultimately trying to fix a major screw-up that results from some of their moronic shenanigans.
The cast is all solid, but Caplan really stands out. She magically remains somewhat relatable even as her character engages in really questionable behavior (like bragging about her blow job skills to a stranger on an airplane). Most importantly, she's just plain funny -- even when shiz gets awkward.
I'm hoping Bachelorette is the movie that propels Caplan's career to the next level. In the meantime, here's a list of my top five favorite Caplan roles thus far.
1. Casey on Party Down. Sarcastic, eye-rolling Casey certainly had no shortage of things to make fun of with goofy Ron Donald (Ken Marino) and goofier Kyle Bradway (Ryan Hansen) in the house. Throw in some ridiculous party guests, and you've got a treasure trove of material for her to unleash her plethora of deadpan quips on.
2. Janis in Mean Girls. Why would anyone bust her ass to hang out with bitchy/stuck-up Regina (Rachel McAdams) when she already had a bitchy/hilarious bud like Janis? Bitchy/hilarious always trumps bitchy/stuck-up. Always.
3. Amy on True Blood. She may have been a V-junkie/kidnapper/hippie, but didn't Amy seem kind of perfect for Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) in a lot of ways? Even when she was tripping on V, she was still level-headed enough to keep her dumb boyfriend out of trouble.
4. April in Hot Tub Time Machine. Yes, her hat is really stupid. And her wardrobe in general is hard to get past. But hey, it was the '80s! Caplan more than holds her own opposite screen vet John Cusack. The two have great chemistry and plenty of witty dialogue as time machine-crossed lovers Adam and April.
5. Sara on Freaks and Geeks. It's hard to believe that sarcasm queen Caplan got her start as the painfully earnest, disco-loving prepster Sara on Freaks and Geeks. She's pretty endearing as the sweet young co-ed harboring a schoolgirl crush on Nick (Jason Segel).
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