Pete’s House from “Bridesmaids”

Speaking of Cameron Woods (in case you missed Monday’s post, you can read it here) . . . while wandering around the neighborhood recently I was reminded of a spot that I stalked long ago but had yet to blog about – the house belonging to Pete (Brian Petsos) in the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids. As mentioned Monday, the quarter-mile stretch of Orion Avenue in Van Nuys that makes up Cameron Woods is easily one of the most charming and oft-filmed spots in L.A. Per a 2012 Los Angeles Times article, the two-block idyll was the brainchild of William Buchner. Between 1946 and 1952, the developer built a stretch of large picturesque New England and Cape Cod-style homes on the street’s 6200 and 6300 blocks. Inspired by a road in Connecticut, he constructed the residences on oversized 100-by-300-foot lots, allowing for expansive front and back yards dotted with native walnut trees. His vision was unfortunately cut short due to a disagreement with his partners and a change in zoning laws, so only a handful of properties wound up being built with the remaining lots sold off and subdivided. The small idyll that Buchner did create, though, is a charming oasis seemingly far removed from modern life – so much so that it is commonly referred to as the “Leave it to Beaver block.” And it is at a home smack dab in the middle of it that Annie (Kristen Wiig) shows up for a doomed blind date with Pete in Bridesmaids.

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In real life, Pete’s house, a charming 1950 residence, is much larger than it appears to be from the street, boasting 4,227 square feet, a whopping 7 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, a 0.60-acre lot, a sprawling backyard with a pool, a spa, a rock waterfall, an arbor, multiple patios, and parking for 12 cars!

I was a little late to the Bridesmaids game, seeing it for the first time almost a year after it debuted via a SAG screener I received in early 2012. The DVD featured the director’s cut of the movie, which included the blind date scene with Pete. I had no idea until sitting down to write this post that the segment was initially left on the cutting room floor and was not part of the original film! So if you saw Bridesmaids in the theatre or only have the original version on DVD, you’re likely reading this thinking “What blind date scene?” In the bit, Annie arrives at the home of Pete, whom Becca (Ellie Kemper) has set her up with. Instead of immediately heading out, Pete slips upstairs to make a call to his ex-wife and asks Annie to entertain his young son, Tyler (Blake Garrett), who quickly informs Annie that his mother is going to kill her. Things only get worse from there. Needless to say, Pete and Annie fail to make a love connection.

It is obvious from the way the scene was shot that the actual interior of the house was utilized, though it has since been remodeled. You can check out current photos of the inside here.

The pad has a few other credits to its name, as well.

I learned from a commenter named Andrew on the Streamline blog that the place portrayed the residence of Bobby Thompson (Tim O’Kelly) and his family in the 1968 film Targets, though it looked considerably different at the time.