Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Coming off of the success of last year’s WEDDING CRASHERS success, both Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn have big comedies out this year, and this is our first review for Owen Wilson’s starring vehicle. Check this out:
Call me Oscar de La Jolla.
Just back from the AMC La Jolla and what they said was the first preview of You, Me and Dupree with Owen Wilson, Matt Dillon, Michael Douglas and Kate (yum yum) Hudson.
I'll be honest, I'm a bit fencey when it comes to Owen Wilson - sometimes I find him funny and a real one of a kind character - but other times he just plain bugs. So when I was offered tix to see a new movie starring Mr. Butterscotch Stallion himself, I was a bit torn - (I consider WED CRASHERS a fine piece of VINCE VAUGHN work). Alas, as my Thurs. night schedule was sadly, desperately permitting just about ANY plans for the eveing, I went ahead and dragged my friend Brian.
Turns out the flick was YOU, ME AND DUPREE - which is definitely a starring vehicle for blondie but also features some pretty wonderful performances by Kate Hudson, Matt Dillion and (surprise!) Michael Douglas (and no, he's not dating Kate in this, he's her Dad -- funny how you can go from Gwyneth's hubbie to Kate's Dad in 7 short Hollywood years but I digress). Okay - so here's the big relief - this is the Owen Wilson film that EVERYONE will love! Why you may ask? Simple - because he basically plays up all his annoyances for comic effect in the film and disarms them - creating in this Dupree character a loveable loser who keeps getting a pie in the face throuhout the movie.
The plot: the closest thing I could compare it to would be DOWN AND OUT IN BEV HILLS - in as far as its about a guy who moves into a couple's home and tests their relationships, ultimately changing their dynamic. The clever part about this movie though is that the couple in question (Kate & Matt - who come to think of it is almost as old as Mr. Douglas!) are recent newlyweds so the whole movie is a metaphor for that very testy period of the early months of marriage and how hard it is to weather. (And believe me, I know). We start out in a Hawaiian paradise - a destination wedding if ever there was one. Everything is smooth except the Best Man seems to be missing - yup, seems Dupree has flown to the WRONG island and arrives just in time by helicopter where he is greeted by Matt and one bearded Seth Rogan (from 40 Yr Old Virgin) at a nearby volcano. Surprisingly, the early wedding scenes veer more toward the romantic than comical and while that may be the point (to lure the females) I think they could use a bit of trimming here and cut right to the jokes - cuz there are some pretty great ones.
Back at home, Matt learns that Dupree got fired for jetting off to his wedding - therefore losing his apt. AND company car - in fact he's now sleeping on a cot in their favorite bar. Feeling guilty, Matt invites Dupree to stay with him and ( a peturbed) Kate in their new house. Now here's the goldmine of the movie because I gotta tell you that DUPREE is a classic comedy character - carefully constructed with strict set of personality rules and quirks - in fact it almost seems like they could set this guy up for a franchise: he's OBSESSED with Lance Armstrong ("that guy has done more with one testicle than you have with both arms!") and the honor of men among other men but at the same time a lover (he recites them during viwings - so funny) of Audrey Hepburn flicks and writer of bad heartfelt poetry - which inadvertantly seems to be the saving grace that finally warms him up to Kate's character Molly. The directors (the Russo brothers who did ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) seem to have given Owen a lot of room for improv - cuz its filled with the some great off the wall one liners like "You've the heart of a lion, small friend." which he says in earnest to an 8 year old. But of course these quirks only escalate conflicts in the house as Molly's Dad (Douglas) seems to hate Matt Dillon and seems intent on his undoing at work and in the marriage to Kate (not to mention his insistence on Matt getting a vascectomy - the Vascectomy pamphlet with the Hang glider on the cover had my bud Brian snorting his Coke thru his nose). Which of course leads to Matt being kept from Kate and therefore space for Dupree to develop a relationship with his Kate leading to Matt's insane jealousy - ya follow?!? Anyway - the 'bad houseguest' jokes were an obvious given but they make some fresh new versions of stuff like Dupree caught masturbating or his date with the mormon librarian going awfully erotically awry by way of candles and full body butter. After screwing things up just one too many times, Dupree finally decides that 'the Mothership has spoken" (can't explain this but its hysterical and you just gotta see it) and he needs to fix the situation.
Again. as the movie switches gears back to sweet/romantic from broad comedy its a bit jarring and could use some trim but this time Kate Hudson is so damn cute and likeable that she single handedly carries this aspect of the movie and eventually it actually delivers (More so I think that SOMETHING ABOUT MARY which felt clunky when it got sentimental). Whew! OKay I think you got the gist - they said this was still an early cut so hopefully they'll streamlie it a bit but its a pretty damn fantastic movie - and pretty good Owen Wilson vehicle to boot. The crowd actually stood up and cheered at the end - (except me of course, still don't like him enough for that).
Anyone else get a chance to see this tonight? I ask because the film was produced by (in part) my managers, Sean Perrone and Aaron Kaplan, and I want to cast the net wide. If you loved it or if you hated it, I’d like to hear about it in the interest of fairness and as many different POVs as possible.
Anyway... thanks, Oscar.
"Moriarty" out.
