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Review #184 of 365
Film: You, Me and Dupree [PG-13] 108 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $8.75
Where Viewed: Century Aurora 16, Aurora, CO
When 1st Seen: 14 July 2006
Time: 7:55 p.m.
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DVD | soundtrack |
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
All those people who were expecting You, Me and Dupree to be this summer's Wedding Crashers, well, I apologize, but this is not it. Matt Dillon is a fine actor, but he does not have the same chemistry with Owen Wilson as does Vince Vaughn. This is an entirely different movie, and sadly, nowhere nearly as good. It is not without some merits, however.
The basic premise, as everyone who has seen the preview umpteen trillion times can tell you, Carl Peterson (Matt Dillon) and Molly Thompson (Kate Hudson) are just settling into their new marriage when Carl's best man, Randolph Dupree (Owen Wilson), loses his job and his apartment on the same day. Loathing the idea that his best friend would be stuck sleeping on a cot in their favorite 'boys night out' watering hole, he brazenly invites Dupree to stay at his house…bah…bum…buh…without asking Molly. Fortunately, Molly is a very forgiving and understanding soul, and she agrees to allow Dupree to move in. Big mistake. Dupree has never really been domesticated, and he starts to immediately make a mess of their lives, their house, and their neighborhood. This would be enough trouble for Carl and Molly were it not also for the fact that Molly's father (Michael Douglas) who also happens to be Carl's boss, is having trouble giving up his little girl leading him to start prompting Carl with questions about hyphenated last names and vasectomies. So, poor Carl's and Molly's marriages seems doomed the longer Dupree stays in residence and the more havoc Mr. Thompson wreaks on Carl's professional and personal lives. So, there you have it, the makings of a super funny movie. So what happened? Why isn't it that funny? Partially it's because the chemistry of the leads just isn't quite right. Kate Hudson is not Cameron Diaz and as I wrote before, Matt Dillon is not Vince Vaughn. So, you don't get Something About Mary and you don't get Wedding Crashers, instead you get Dupree. Dupree? Did they choose that name because it rhymes with Me? And that is another problem with the film. Is the film about Molly and Carl or is it really about Dupree finding himself? Well, it turns out to be both. Unfortunately, the whole thing is so contrived from the outset that it's nearly impossible to care about Molly or Carl—both are pretty uninteresting characters. The opposite is true for Dupree. He is very interesting, almost too interesting for this film. Owen Wilson is pretty much the same character he plays in all of his films—I think he puts it as "the loveable screw-up". To which Carl retorts, "You're not that loveable." It's a bit awkward when the dialog of the film points out the very things wrong with the film.
The basic premise, as everyone who has seen the preview umpteen trillion times can tell you, Carl Peterson (Matt Dillon) and Molly Thompson (Kate Hudson) are just settling into their new marriage when Carl's best man, Randolph Dupree (Owen Wilson), loses his job and his apartment on the same day. Loathing the idea that his best friend would be stuck sleeping on a cot in their favorite 'boys night out' watering hole, he brazenly invites Dupree to stay at his house…bah…bum…buh…without asking Molly. Fortunately, Molly is a very forgiving and understanding soul, and she agrees to allow Dupree to move in. Big mistake. Dupree has never really been domesticated, and he starts to immediately make a mess of their lives, their house, and their neighborhood. This would be enough trouble for Carl and Molly were it not also for the fact that Molly's father (Michael Douglas) who also happens to be Carl's boss, is having trouble giving up his little girl leading him to start prompting Carl with questions about hyphenated last names and vasectomies. So, poor Carl's and Molly's marriages seems doomed the longer Dupree stays in residence and the more havoc Mr. Thompson wreaks on Carl's professional and personal lives. So, there you have it, the makings of a super funny movie. So what happened? Why isn't it that funny? Partially it's because the chemistry of the leads just isn't quite right. Kate Hudson is not Cameron Diaz and as I wrote before, Matt Dillon is not Vince Vaughn. So, you don't get Something About Mary and you don't get Wedding Crashers, instead you get Dupree. Dupree? Did they choose that name because it rhymes with Me? And that is another problem with the film. Is the film about Molly and Carl or is it really about Dupree finding himself? Well, it turns out to be both. Unfortunately, the whole thing is so contrived from the outset that it's nearly impossible to care about Molly or Carl—both are pretty uninteresting characters. The opposite is true for Dupree. He is very interesting, almost too interesting for this film. Owen Wilson is pretty much the same character he plays in all of his films—I think he puts it as "the loveable screw-up". To which Carl retorts, "You're not that loveable." It's a bit awkward when the dialog of the film points out the very things wrong with the film.
"It remains to be seen which film finally will be crowned the summer's funniest film. Unfortunately, "Marriage Crashers" a.k.a. You, Me and Dupree is not the film to win the title."
I am glad that Matt Dillon is seeing a resurgence in his career, but this movie makes me think he should stick to dramas where that grimace and look of introspective pain would suit his characters better. Kate Hudson looks amazing in this film especially in one scene that involves a dream sequence by Carl placing her in a skimpy bikini on her father's yacht lusting after Dupree. She gives the most consistently strong performance in the film, though her talent is mostly wasted as she is given little to do but react to the latest zany activity by Dupree or the perpetual lateness of Carl coming home from work. Owen Wilson's talent too is pretty much under utilized. The script is too formulaic in the middle and doesn't really figure out what's going on until three quarters of the way through when all of the sudden it takes a dive into the deep end. Carl disappears into the night after receiving a blow to the head straight out of the board game Clue when Mr. Thompson hits him with a candle stick in the dining room. A distraught Dupree galvanizes the neighborhood kids to mount an all out search for Carl when he hasn't returned by the next morning. This search is absolutely preposterous and cheesy beyond belief. They actually devote more than a few minutes to the concept. And, when Dupree does find Carl—in the most logical of places by the way—the result is that he goes to stand up to Mr. Thompson. Huh? Doesn't he need to apologize to his wife first and foremost? Well, anyway, this film will not be long remembered. If you are hoping for good comedies, I've put together a selection from these same actors that will showcase their talent and humor a bit better (see below). So far, this will not be known as the summer for great comedy given that most of the attempts have failed. It remains to be seen which film finally will be crowned the summer's funniest film. Unfortunately, "Marriage Crashers" a.k.a. You, Me and Dupree is not the film to win the title.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
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Movies Starring:
Owen Wilson
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Review-lite [150-word cap]
All those people who were expecting You, Me and Dupree to be this summer's Wedding Crashers, well, I apologize, but this is not it. Carl Peterson (Matt Dillon) and Molly Thompson (Kate Hudson) are just settling into their new marriage when Carl's best man, Randolph Dupree (Owen Wilson), loses his job and his apartment on the same day. Carl brazenly invites Dupree to stay at their house without asking Molly. Fortunately, Molly agrees to allow Dupree to move in. Big mistake. He starts to make a mess of their lives, their house, and their neighborhood. The film lacks chemistry and purpose. 2006 will not be known as the summer for great comedy. It remains to be seen which film finally will be crowned the summer's funniest film. Unfortunately, "Marriage Crashers" a.k.a. You, Me and Dupree is not the film to win the title.
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