In 2008, the prototype movie bridesmaid was immortalized by Katherine Heigl’s people-pleasing character Jane Nichols in the film 27 Dresses. Eleven years later, the cast including Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman and Edward Burns, reunited in Malibu to discuss the beloved movie and their characters’ whereabouts today.
”I think it would be awesome to see, seriously, what are their lives like 10 years later?” Heigl remarked in Entertainment Weekly’s Reunions Issue feature published Friday, February 8. “Do they end up together? I personally think they did.”
(Credit: Fox)
NEW YORK – JULY 05: Actresses Malin Akerman and Katherine Heigl sighting as they film a scene for their new movie “27 Dresses” on location in Tribeca, New York. (Photo by Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic)
In the original film (spoiler alert), Heigl’s character Jane opens the film with her devoted role as a repeat bridesmaid. In the meantime, she’s hopelessly in love with her boss (Ed Burns), which eventually causes heartache when her gorgeous younger sister Tess (portrayed by Akerman) nabs his heart instead.
“I really related to Jane,” Heigl mused. “My experience [in my 20s] was being a people pleaser, trying to make people happy. I understood her mind-set.”
According to screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, viewers and test audiences were not supportive of Jane. “People were more uncomfortable with Jane over the course of development than they were with Miranda Priestly in [The Devil Wears] Prada,” said McKenna, who also wrote the adaptation for Prada. “We never got a note to make Miranda less Miranda, but I often would get the note to make Jane less of a doormat. People kept saying, ’She should be more like the women in Sex and the City,’ by which they meant sexy woman on the town, but I named her Jane. The whole point of it is that she is your all-purpose friend who drives you to the airport.”
Eventually, Jane ends up meeting a cynical weddings columnist named Kevin Doyle played by Marsden. They end up falling in love with the final scene showcasing their own wedding—with Jane’s 27 bridesmaids supporting her in their respective dresses.
Newspaper reporter Kevin (James Marsden) offers a helping hand to fallen bridesmaid Jane (Katherine Heigl). (Credit: Fox)
“There’s no other way for that movie to end than [with] a wedding,” Heigl opined.
The screenwriter, however, saw it differently. ”I actually always advocated for her to end up on her own,” McKenna told EW. “I always wanted her to actually go on a date with someone that you felt was going to be a healthy date for her.”
Despite the wedding and the seemingly happy ending, Heigl still believes there’s room for a sequel.
“I think [Tess and George] have, like, three kids and she’s made Jane the godmother every time,” the former Grey’s Anatomy actress revealed. “So Jane has to plan the christenings and the baby showers and the gender-reveal parties, but then all the other bridesmaids [also] make her the godmother. But [Jane and Kevin] can’t get pregnant.”
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