Reviewed by Stuart O'Connor
Stars Jason Biggs, Isla Fisher, Joe Pantoliano, Matt Malloy, Joanna Gleason, Audra Blaser, Chris Diamantopoulos,
Edward Herrmann, Margo Martindale, AD Miles
Written by Michael Ian Black
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 90 minutes
Directed by Michael Ian Black
Isla Fisher has finally succeeded where other former Aussie soap stars — Kylie Minogue, Melissa George, Kimberley Davies — have failed: she's got herself a name-above-the-title starring role in a genuine Hollywood movie. The question is, though, did she get it on her own merits or becaue she's the future Mrs Borat? To be fair, Fisher does have lovely comic timing, and she did steal her scenes in Wedding Crashers — the film that really brought her to the attention of Hollywood's high flyers (she'd already done Scooby Doo and I ? Huckabees). And judging by her performance here, she appears to have a pretty safe career ahead of her.
Wedding Daze (released as The Pleasure of Your Company in the US) is one of those films the Americans do so well — a safe, run-of-the-mill, inconsequential, non-taxing comedy of which we see maybe half a dozen a year. It doesn't have that American Pie or Farrelly Brothers gross-out edge to it, although it does star the "pie guy" and has a few close-to-the-edge gags. I'll have to own up here to having a real soft spot for this style of film — it's the perfect way to relax on a Sunday night, where you can sit back with a DVD, a pizza and a beer and just switch the brain off for an hour and a half and simply be entertained. And on that front, it won't disappoint.
The plot itself is as slim as Paris Hilton, and about as clever. Anderson (Biggs) proposes to his girlfriend (dressed as Cupid, in a red sequined G-string and fairy wings) at a posh restaurant, where she promptly collapses and dies thanks to a weak heart. Cut to a year later, and Anderson is still heartbroken and hasn't moved on with his life. Prompted by his best mate Ted to meet someone new, Anderson goes a little far and proposes to Katie (Fisher), a waitress at the diner they've gone to for lunch. Who he met for the first time when she came over to take their order. To the surprise of everyone present — including herself — Katie says yes. Cue all kinds of getting-to-know-you, meet-the-parents shenanigans and misadventures, which ultimately results in most of the cast behind bars.
OK, I never said it was Shakespeare. It's not a work of genius, but it's good, light fun. Biggs plays a slightly older version of his geeky, insecure Jim from the American Pie films. Fisher scales back her crazy Gloria from Wedding crashers and is a suitably sweet and charming girl-next-door type. The supporting cast are adequate, if unchallenged in their roles (I mean, Anderson's best friend falls for Katie's best friend, for crying out loud). But that's what you expect from this kind of comedy , and they do make up for it with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments — most of them involving Anderson's surprisingly horny and extremely kinky parents. You'll never look at cock rings the same way again.
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SECOND OPINION | Neil Davey: Take the star of American Pie. Add the co-star of Wedding Crashers. Throw in some Farrelly Brothers gross-out scenes. Stir. And half bake for 90 minutes. Wedding Daze is deeply formulaic, highly predictable and hungry for those teen dollars. However, it’s also really quite funny so while it’s flawed — Farrelly moments generally only work in Farrelly films — it’s easier to forgive than many of this genre. It has a dumb plot, but the two leads are likeable — the cute-as-a-button Fisher demonstrates quite a gift for comedy — and there are great pleasures to be found via the supporting cast. It’s a shame that writer/director, Michael Ian Black doesn’t put his faith in them to provide laughs and instead shoehorns in moments of grossness. Do you really need to see Fisher with snot over her face? These moments just jar as they’re not particularly funny and seem to be there just to eke out a 90 minute running time.
Far better are the peripheral characters, particularly Joe Pantoliano as Katie’s Buddhist jailmate dad who escapes so he can give away his ‘Little Bear’ and, most of all, Edward Herrman and Margo Martindale as Anderson’s homely parents who, it transpires, have a very healthy attitude to sex in the film’s best running gag. While the finale degenerates into an abject mess, Black just about gets away with it. There won’t be many multiplex-goers seeking their money back.