Kate Hudson vows to take the woman next to her in sickness and health, in good box office and bad and during positive press and tabloid twitter.
Hudson, seated by her “Bride Wars” co-star Anne Hathaway, mentions that girl power is No. 1 in her little pink book. In fact, it was her own mother, Goldie Hawn, who first taught her about female solidarity.
“A few years ago my brother was getting married and we had a bridal shower for my sister-in-law,” Hudson says. “My mom made a speech that I’ll never forget. She said, ‘I want all of you girls to look around the room. Even if you don’t know the woman next to you or if it’s your sister, I want you to remember one thing: Men, they come and go. They will hopefully stay, but you never know. But that girl sitting next to you will get you through everything.’“You know, my mom is full of these little wisdoms, but I know the point is that women give a lot to men,” Hudson says, her eyes misting up. “We thrive in relationships. But sometimes you lose sight of the girls who are there for you all the time.”
Hathaway nods. “You just pick up the phone call and there’s your girlfriend on the other end crying. You know exactly what to do,” she says.
In “Bride Wars,” they play lifelong best friends who dream of having weddings someday at the Plaza Hotel. Unfortunately, they get engaged at the same time, plan their weddings by mistake on the same day and turn into competitive Bridezillas when it comes to having the biggest, best nuptials.
Both are very single and looking, Hudson divorced a year from Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson, Hathaway split from con man Raffaello Follieri, who’s now in prison. They sat down for a little estrogen fest where the topics ranged from weddings and men who cry to what they’re looking for in 2009 in a date.
Q: When two A-list women are in a movie together, is there a competition to see who can look better on the screen?
HUDSON: Basically I didn’t eat for weeks. I’m just kidding. I’m so into eating Ryder’s pancakes in the morning. I’m a working mom. But I’m physical. I’m always doing something — dancing, diving, Pilates, biking or running. I’m quite active. And for this movie we actually did a lot of drinking.
HATHAWAY: I think that was a different way to develop your biceps.
HUDSON: I’m a tequila girl, but we like our champagne.
HATHAWAY: I’m with Kate. Wait, we’ve totally veered off the subject of looking good for the movie. We had script meetings and I would touch my toes. Does that count? No, I worked with a trainer in New York. I wanted my character Emma to look like an ex-ballerina. She had to be tight, proper and sinewy.
Q. The one strange thing in “Bride Wars” is these women compete to have the best wedding on the same day at the Plaza Hotel. Why not just have a double wedding?
HUDSON: In real life that would have been more fun. I say the bigger the party, the bigger the ballroom. But in real life — and I don’t even know if I’d get married — but if I did then there is a little part of you as woman who wants to say, “It’s my day.” What if you read your own vows and her groom said something more romantic? I’d be thinking, “Oh, that kind of sucks.”
HATHAWAY: I think you’d also want your friend to have her day. And you would want your day for yourself. I don’t want my joy to be spread too thin. So I wouldn’t have a double wedding. For most women it would come down to economically good, psychologically pissed. But if anyone out there had a double wedding then I’m sure it was lovely.
Q: What is it like to film a movie that’s basically a step into Estrogenland?
HATHAWAY: The weather in Estrogenland inspires a very cozy feeling. Precipitation is unexpected, but constant. It’s actually delightful and a lot of fun. I’m not a girly girl in the slightest. My best friends are my brothers. So for me to be around women and talk about the love of shoes was great. Between shots Kate turned me on to great shoe Web sites. Now I can still be myself, but girly as well.
HUDSON: Anne, you didn’t learn to love shoes on “Princess Diaries?” That’s the girliest movie of all time.
HATHAWAY: But I never wanted to be a princess. I was focused on my character’s psychological torture. Still, it’s great to be around all this female energy on a movie set. It made me so much better and more open and loving.
HUDSON: This movie was an interesting time for all of us because there were so many women on the set and it was empowering. It was my first movie as a producer and all the producers were women. When you get a lot of women in the room, watch out. It’s a powerful energy.
HATHAWAY: But still the best moment of the whole film and filming was the end, when Kate and I are on the ground, laying there in big wedding dresses, just laughing and talking between scenes. You can’t get much more girly than that moment.
Q: There’s a point in the film during a bachelorette party where you have an actual dance-off. Which one of you was more embarrassed to do that scene?
HATHAWAY: I had to go for it because my character is the better dancer. I did feel very protected by her drunkenness during that scene. The only problem is I’m not a good dancer but I tried hard. My favorite part of the scene was actually cut out. At the end of my big dance, I run up to an officer, do a handstand at his feet, wrap my hands around his legs and he grabs my feet and my butt. Then I say, “Book me.” We did take after take …”
HUDSON: I was terrified when she did this scene. I thought she’d go right over his head and wipe out. Just wait for the outtakes on the DVD. The DVD extras should be rated R.
Q: Both of you have had very public ups and down with men. What makes a guy right for you?
HUDSON: I don’t know yet who the perfect guy is. I do know that I like honest guys. That gets me going. I also like men who are really upfront about who they are and what they want. Sadly, those guys are really hard to find.
HATHAWAY: (Laughing) Yes, they are!
Q: Is there too much emphasis even in Hollywood these days to move relationships along and get married?
HUDSON: Personally, all of us love relationships. I would never be cynical about people wanting to get married and have that day. Weddings are beautiful. It’s your day to present yourself to your man and throw this party about spending the rest of your lives together. As for marriage, it will always be important for people. When you sit with your girls, you talk marriage, kids, relationships, love, loss and the drama of it all. It’s a big topic for all of us.
HATHAWAY: All I know is I don’t feel any pressure to get married. I don’t feel it from my family or my friends. Or even from within. I wonder if this pressure is something women place on themselves. I just want to live the happiest life ever. If you’re the person who doesn’t want to get married, then don’t get married. Who cares? It you want to commit yourself and have that piece of paper then go for it. Just be yourself. We do need to work on making marriage possible for everyone in America.
Q: Do you think men are as vulnerable in relationships as women?
HUDSON: Gosh, it’s funny, because the boys are vulnerable, but usually they don’t talk to each other about relationships. It’s not cool, I guess, for guys to talk about their feelings with other guys. But I have my guy friends who call me, and they’re like girls when they’re troubled. I hear, ‘Hey, Kate, can you talk? I’m having problems with my girlfriends.’ My brothers really talk to me. I think it’s great for guys to tell a friend who is a girl. If they talk about relationship problems with other men, their guy friends will probably say, ‘Oh, just dump her.’ Guys are excited when their guy friends become single again.
Source: Sun Times
