(Once more into the Bridesmaids Fray we go - partay!)
CAST: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel MacAdams, Isla Fisher, Christopher Walken, Jane Seymour, Bradley Cooper.
DIRECTOR: David Dobkins
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and a couple of really crafty Nuptials Kamikazes - straight ahead…
I used to think couples opted for small, private weddings to save money and be economical - which I totally get and is the approach we took, er, will take. Ahem. Now, however, I’m starting to wonder if they choose the “no-frills” approach to matrimony to keep unwanted guests from crashing the event in hopes of snagging free food, booze, and ass. Think that’s a tad farfetched? Well, allow me to regal you with the story of a friend of mine who claimed to do this sort of thing when he was a college student in the early 70’s. He says he’d take whatever girl he was banging at the time - and together they would crash a wedding, blend in, and dance the night away. At least he was just there for the free food and booze, because he already brought some ass with him. Ahem.
Then there are the heroes of our next Valentine’s review, WEDDING CRASHERS, who basically treat weddings like some sort of lace-and-taffeta-choked game park filled with frilly and giggly prey - and they are the big strong hunters. They are John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn), two of our nation’s capital’s many lawyers, and two of our nation’s most relentless poonhounds. As previously mentioned, J & J’s modus operandi involves infiltrating any wedding in the D.C. area - and basically turning it into their own personal playground. These two dipshits are just cute enough, smart enough, and - yes - also dumb enough to pull this crap off. And the jackpot: that apparently prized artifact called, ahem, “Bridesmaid Pussy”. As opposed to, ahem, “Best Man Cock.” We’re saving that for the sequel that I will star in with Neil Patrick Harris, where we crash weddings to bag - you got it - the Best Men.
But I digress. Anyhow, John and Jeremy’s successful run of “Matrimony Marauding” runs into a snag when their little charade goes over a little too well at the high-profile wedding of one Christina Cleary (Jenny Alden). See, it turns out that Christina’s dad is William Cleary (Christopher Walken), Secretary of the Treasury. Which, I don’t have to tell you, is kind of a big deal. John and Jeremy certainly think so, and they determine that bagging William’s two other daughters, Gloria and Claire (Isla Fisher, Rachel MacAdams) will be the Vagina Equivalent of winning the World Cup. Sorry… these chicks are cute, but I’ll take Paolo and Fabio Cannavaro over them - any day.
Unfortunately, their plan works a little too well, and before you know it, William is inviting these two “fakers” to their New England summer pied-a-terre. Jeremy, having already fucked Gloria, say “Fuck, NO!” - but John hasn’t played “hide-the-sausage” with Claire yet, so he pretty much goes “Hell, YEAH!” Before you know it, J & J are whisked away to Kennebunkport (or something) along with the rest of the Clearly clan for what is sure to be a long weekend of role-playing. And I don’t just mean the one where you force your boyfriend to dress like the Fed-Ex guy and you pretend to spill chocolate milk down the front of his pants and invite him to use your bathroom to clean up. Ahem.
So… how long can John and Jeremy go on with this masquerade before someone finds them out? Are they taking the act too far? Will John succeed in wooing Claire? And what happens when he finds himself - GASP - falling in love with her? Doesn’t he know he’s breaking rule # 1 of the “Wedding Crasher’s Manual”? And what about Jeremy? What happens when Gloria turns into a sex machine and fucks him every chance she gets? Has he created a monster? How will he tame the beast? And will Claire’s asshole boyfriend Zack (Bradley Cooper) blow the whistle on them? How will this vacation end?
Who cares. Let’s get my future co-star Neil Patrick Harris on the line - and get that sequel started: WEDDING CRASHERS 2: BEST MEN, WATCH OUT!
BUT, SERIOUSLY: We were supposed to review VALENTINE’S DAY as part of the Valentine’s 2012 celebration. However, that would be too “on-the-nose” as a review, and so we’ve gone with the 2005 smash WEDDING CRASHERS instead, which is both a romance (two, to be exact) and a bromance. It’s also, frankly, a much better film than VALENTINE’S DAY. Another reason I chose WEDDING CRASHERS was to showcase a film with a great Rachel MacAdams performance. I’m a fan of hers, and was disappointed by her wan and bland turn in the recent overrated romance THE VOW. So much so that we had to watch WEDDING CRASHERS again to get a shot of that potent MacAdams charisma. This was the first movie that made me fall for MacAdams - she is, quite literally, a breath of fresh air here. Almost as vibrant as Julia Roberts in PRETTY WOMAN - and we know what that movie did for Roberts’ career.
But more on MacAdams’ lovely performance later. Because as good as she is - and she’s very good - hers is not the only strong element here. We’ve talked in past reviews about how a perfect cast, a witty script, and a confident director are the recipes for a successful comedy. They’re all present in WEDDING CRASHERS.
The parts are all perfectly cast right down the line - not a false note among them. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are thoroughly engaging and bring two different kinds of charm to the table. Wilson is good-looking, but not conventionally or perfectly handsome, and this complements John Beckwith’s quirky, offbeat, and mellow personality. Wilson turns John into someone who marches to his own drummer and is quite comfortable with his flaws - which becomes something irresistible to all those bridesmaids and, eventually, Claire. This is easily one of Wilson’s best roles.
Vaughn, on the other hand, brings his trademark rapid-fire wit and funny intensity to the role of Jeremy - which is a nice complement to John’s more laid-back demeanor. Vaughn has some really hilarious lines in this movie. I’ve heard that he likes to do improv sometimes. If this is true, then some of the stuff he comes up with in WEDDING CRASHERS is sheer genius. Vaughn brings an acid edge to Jeremy that keeps you leaning forward to see what will come out of his mouth next. He’s one of my favorite comedians.
The supporting cast is just as strong - right down to the smallest role. Christopher Walken, Jane Seymour, Isla Fisher, and Keir O’Donnell are similarly unconventional as the rest of the Cleary family. Bradley Cooper fits his “smug rich jerk” role to a “tee”. In fact, he plays the role so well, that it took me years to stop seeing “Zack” in his subsequent roles. By the time THE HANGOVER rolled around, I could accept Cooper in “good guy” roles. It took awhile, though, and it’s because he plays this antagonist so well.
Last but certainly not the least, Rachel MacAdams delivers a quietly dazzling performance as Claire Cleary, the girl who makes John rethink his lothario ways. MacAdams is pitch-perfect here, making Claire one of the best romantic comedy heroines in a long time. The problem with a lot of these movies is that the heroines often seem to be the same, no matter who is playing them. With MacAdams, Claire feels like a real, unique, vibrant human being. She never once descends to the cutesy-ditzy-annoying schtick that Meg Ryan and Cameron Diaz sometimes peddle (which, uncharacteristically, MacAdams was guilty of in THE VOW). Nor does she fall into the overly-brittle trap that often snares Katherine Heigl. Bottom line: Claire could’ve become a stereotype in the hands of a lesser actress - but MacAdams knocks the role out of the park, making us root hard not only for her, but for her relationship with John.
Ultimately, WEDDING CRASHERS succeeds because of a “perfect storm” of perfect cast, funny script, and confident direction. It’s also a solid Valentine to all the unexpected romances and enduring bromances out there. If only more romantic comedies would get the formula right…
