Anthony's Film Review - Wedding Crashers (2005)

With a good cast and script, it's nowhere near the senseless screwball comedy...

If there is one place where women think so much about love, it's where love itself is celebrated: weddings. They think of it so much that they literally dream of the wedding they're attending as their own. As a result, they are easily charmed by any man who wants to meet her. Nothing wrong with that. I'm sure people in real life meet each other when they attend the same weddings. Hell, after seeing Wedding Crashers, I'd probably go to weddings just to meet women. Not that I won't be there for the bride or groom, whichever one I'm acquainted with. And I certainly won't be there for cheap sex.

Which is exactly what two wedding crashers are seeking. Jeremy and John (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, respectively) find women to sleep with by going to weddings. With various false identities, they are prepared to slip into any wedding as guests and be on the lookout for lovely ladies who are likely to be single. With various tricks up their sleeve, they often are successful at seducing them. They usually get the girls because they work as a team. They also have a list of wedding crash rules they must follow.

One day, they crash one of the biggest weddings they've ever been to. It is for one of the daughters of William Cleary (Christopher Walken). This man just happens to be the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, meaning the wedding itself is very luxurious. For the purposes of scoring with women, there would have to be many who would be there. What happens next is that both guys find themselves with their own unexpected situations. John finds Claire Cleary, whom he might actually be in love with. Jeremy meets Gloria Cleary, a virgin who clings to him after quick sex on a beach.

They find themselves spending time with the Cleary family at their home, as if they were cousins of a distant uncle. Why they end up going is the result of John winning a little debate. John wants to go because Claire will be there. Jeremy refuses to go because Gloria is way too crazy about him. They both have to deal not only with those girls, but also with the rest of the crazy Cleary family. William Cleary's wife Kathleen attempts to have an affair with John. Todd Cleary, the loner son who likes to paint, has his own infatuation with Jeremy. And to top it off, Claire has a boyfriend named Zach, who is both obnoxious and arrogant.

The movie is surprisingly sweet and funny. I thought it would be a screwball comedy with off-color humor, but it wasn't. Now, I would say that the film does seem to not know where it's going for the second half, but it does pick up by the end. Plus, Christopher Walken doesn't do any funny monologues in this one, but hey, let's give him a break. What makes the film work are the main stars. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson play two guys who are likable despite their womanizing ways. And they have plenty of opportunity to show their comic side. I could not imagine any other actors playing these roles just as well.

I'll end it here with one final note. Will Ferrell has a cameo appearance that is absolutely hilarious. If the rest of the movie isn't worth the price of admission, at least he is.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Wedding Crashers, visit the Internet Movie Database.