Bridesmaids

The most successful production to bear Apatow’s name (no small feat), Bridesmaids was the brainchild of SNL alum Kristen Wiig, who wrote the screenplay with her Groundlings improv cohort Annie Mumolo. Wiig plays Annie, whose love life consists of periodic summons to the bed of a narcissist (unbilled Jon Hamm), and whose dreams and savings evaporated when her bakery went bankrupt. Now lifelong friend Lillian (Wiig’s SNL castmate Maya Rudolph) has asked her to be maid of honor at her wedding, but none of her plans seem to work out—and she’s outdone at every turn by competitive bridesmaid Helen (Rose Byrne). Putting a distaff spin on Apatow’s trademark crudeness-to-sentiment ratio, Bridesmaids was also the first of his films to connect with the Academy, earning nominations for Wiig and Mumolo’s script and Melissa McCarthy’s scene-stealing turn as the groom’s crass sister.