Bridget Everett Loves Us More
Bridget Everett has said that her motto is the same as LL Cool J's: Dreams Don’t Have Deadlines. Well, they may not have deadlines, but it looks like we may be at Bridget’s redemption date. 2017 has been Bridget’s year. Heck, last week was Bridget’s week.
The festival favorite from earlier this year, Patti Cake$, was just released on VOD. In it, Bridget plays Barb Dombrowski, a singer turned beautician whose deferred dreams have weighed her down her whole life. If there were justice, Bridget would get nominated for this film. I had to postpone seeing it myself until this week, thanks to Hurricane Harvey. It was worth the wait. Every performance is strong, and you’ll cry from all the emotions in the box. It’s the kind of movie that will make you believe in your own dreams again, or still.
Bridget also had her Amazon pilot come out, Love You More, created with Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City). If you follow any New York comedian/singer/actor worth their salt, they’ve posted about it. You need to vote for this one. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s got soul and raunch in equal measure. It’ll break your heart and lift you up. Everett plays Karen, a woman living with her scene-stealing roommate Jean (Loni Anderson) and working at a home for people with Down Syndrome. This aspect of the story could easily go the way of a stereotypical “mess of a woman with a heart of gold” sitcom trap, but it doesn’t. It treats people with Down Syndrome as, shocker!, people like anyone else. There’s a girl who’s vapid and just wants to talk to her boyfriend on her phone all day and primp. There’s a dude who’s obsessed with his record collection. There’s even a type A personality girl who’s kind of a dick. Yes, people with Down Syndrome aren’t all here to inspire us with their courage and fortitude. Some make our workday annoying, just like other people.
Bridget herself deftly swings from branch to branch between heartwarming moments with an upset resident to raunchy topless moments imagined in her mind while trying on bras. Every moment of the pilot feels like Bridget's hosting a party and sincerely hopes you'll have a fun time. A pilot is intended to introduce us to a world and to make us want to invest in the characters that live there. Mission accomplished, Bridget.
Everett has long been a staple in the New York cabaret scene. Her voice is powerful and her stage presence even more so. She’s also been frequently seen on long-time friend Amy Schumer’s show and in countless other movies and series. If there’s an official EGOT Committee (and if not, there should be!) I’ve got the next contender for you. It would be insulting to all those years of work to call this her breakout year. Instead, I think it's better to think of 2017 as Bridget’s turn at center stage and boy does she shine.
