Wedding Crashers
Written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher
Directed by David Dobkin
New Line Cinema
2005
Rating:


The comedic acting troupe of Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, Steve Carrell and Jack Black could become as potent a comedic team as the Saturday Night Live alums of the 1970s. Just as Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd once meant comedy gold, the newly dubbed Frat Pack is consistently releasing some of the funniest movies around.

While they haven't quite made their "Caddyshack" or "Ghostbusters" ("Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" comes closest), "Wedding Crashers" is an unapologetic throwback to the adult, R-rated comedy. Filled with boob shots, crotch shots, pot shots and buckshot, "Wedding Crashers" is one of the most gloriously profane comedies since "American Pie." The film also has much heart, even if the love quest of John (O. Wilson) and Jeremy (Vaughn) isn't quite as subversive Jim's.

John and Jeremy are, as the title says, wedding crashers, men who go to weddings uninvited for the sole purpose of bedding a vulnerable, lovelorn woman. The life of the wedding crasher, the rules of which have been stipulated by the mythical Chaz, initially appeals to John. But one night he rolls over from his latest conquest and realizes how empty his life has become. With great reluctance, John agrees to go with Jeremy to the final wedding of the season, the marriage of the daughter of the Secretary of the Treasury Cleary (Christopher Walken). At the wedding, John finds the woman that could end his days of crashing in Cleary's daughter and maid of honor Claire (Rachel McAdams). John manages to impress Claire by talking economics with her father, dancing with a flower girl and giving advice on a speech, but it's all for naught since Claire is dating Sack Lodge (Bradley Cooper), an adenoidal preppy freak. Meanwhile, Jeremy gets waylaid by Claire's other sister Gloria (Isla Fisher) and demands that they leave when Gloria turns into a "level five clinger." John turns Gloria's affections to their advantage and accepts her invitation to spend the weekend at the family compound, much to Jeremy's chagrin. As Jeremy fends off Gloria's S&M fantasies, the advances of her goth brother Todd (Keir O'Donnell) and Sack's sadism, John slowly worms his way into Claire's heart until his ruse falls apart.

Like "Old School," "Wedding Crashers" is really a chick flick parading around in frat boy clothes. For all the female nudity and vulgarity, there's a real heart at the center of the film, and not just in regards to John's pursuit of Claire. John and Jeremy proclaim to be confirmed bachelors, but they really long for a long-term relationship with a woman. In the biggest surprise, McAdams, in what's usually a throwaway role, makes it understandable why John would go through so much trouble to be with her, while Fisher's Gloria practically steals the movie, which is quite a feat considering the competition. There's also sincerity to John and Jeremy's camaraderie. John affectionately calls Jeremy "Baba Ganoosh" and Jeremy, in one of the film's most honestly touching scenes, tells John that he loves him while his mouth is full of maple syrup-slathered muffins.

Credit director David Dobkin, who worked with Vaughn on "Clay Pigeons" and Wilson on "Shanghai Knights," for knowing that their chemistry would work together on screen. Of all the Frat Pack combinations, the pairing of Wilson and Vaughn ranks as the best. Vaughn's dark rat-a-tat delivery and Wilson's affable mellowness prove to form the perfect comic equilibrium. Dialogue like, "She just eye-fucked the shit out of me!" spills from their mouths like laughing gas. The movie runs long to fit in as many jokes as possible — an early wedding montage set to "Shout!" could have been half as long and twice as effective, while the third act appearance of another Frat Packer earns applause and giggles with exclamations of "Meatloaf!" but feels unnecessary — but there are worse things than laughing with these guys for two hours.

Posted Monday, July 18, 2005

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