What happens when everything falls into place in your life and then yourhomeless, dead-beat immature best friend falls onto your front lawn? Obviouschaos.
Life couldnùt be much better for Carl Peterson. Everything seems to be goinghis way, until an unexpected roadblock, in the form of his best friend,firmly plants itself in the middle of Carlùs happy ending.Carl (Matt Dillon, Crash) canùt help but sympathize with goofy Randy Dupree(Owen Wilson, Wedding Crashers), much to the chagrin of his new wife, Molly(Kate Hudson, The Skeleton Key). Hence begins a recycled charade we have allseen before.
Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of the popular TV show ArrestedDevelopment, have a difficult time working new twists into this old storyline. How many comical, uncomfortable situations can be contrived for thisthreesome?
Well, letùs see. Carl and Molly walk in on Dupree having sex in a creativelyquirky way. Dupree accidentally catches the house on fire. Molly findsDupree masturbating to Carlùs porn collection. The list goes on.Unfortunately, most of it leaves an unsatisfied feeling of óbeen there, donethat.à Itùs almost as if various pieces of Down and Out in Beverly Hills,Meet the Parents, and As Good as it Gets were haphazardly thrown together.Having said that, it would be wrong not to admit there are a few chucklesalong the way and it is all thanks to Owen Wilson.Wilson is at his comic best as the lovable oaf Dupree. His puppy dog eyesand surfer dude hair combined with his unbridled compassion for his friendsmake him the perfect buddy. He also happens to be a top-notch chef, poet andbicyclist.
When he moves in with Carl and Molly, one of his most prized possessions isa giant moose head. Wilsonùs character is so genuinely endearing that itùsdifficult not to fall under his spell.
One of the highlights of the film is when Wilson makes a zanily touchingspeech on Career Day at Mollyùs school. From that moment on, it becomesapparent that this aimless doofus has more heart in his little pinkie thanmost of us do in our entire body.
Throughout his stay with Carl and Molly, Dupree definitely makes lifeinteresting. However, after we reach the halfway point in the film, it feelsas if the scriptwriters threw up their hands and said, óI donùt know. Do youwant to try this? Yes, yes, letùs do that and every other random idea too!Ã^The plot takes some dangerous, desperate and uninventive veers off coursethat leave the actors floundering on screen.
For example, Carl begins to become suspicious of Dupreeùs relationship withMolly. Does Dupree have a crush on his wife? As soon as this thought ismentioned, itùs dropped from the plotline, never to be brought up again.The biggest disappointment of the film is the underwritten role of Molly.Hudsonùs greatest acting challenges are to be cute and likable whilestrutting around in lingerie and bikinis. Oh, yeah, and she has to perfecther annoyed/shocked face whenever Dupree surprises the newlyweds‹which isoften and not far between.
Michael Douglas makes an appearance as Mollyùs unrelenting father akafather-in-law from hell. His antics are just too outrageous to hit the funnybone. The character should have been eliminated all together or completelyrewritten.
You, Me, and Dupree is definitely not worth your $9-plus at the movietheater. Basically, if youùve seen the trailer, you already know each andevery comedic high point. However, in a couple of months this film will be aworthy rental purely for the charming Owen Wilson.
Grade: C+
Contact reporter Kristi Ellingsworth at ellingsworthdbk@gmail.com.
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