The Wedding Crashers Review

by [email protected] (dnb AT dca DOT net)
August 16th, 2005
WEDDING CRASHERS
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2005 David N. Butterworth

*** (out of ****)

    At times lewd, crude, and morally indefensible (should you hold the holy institution of matrimony in high esteem), the buddy comedy "Wedding Crashers" is almost entirely hysterical the rest of the time, with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn excelling as a pair of divorce mediators who get their jollies crashing weddings for the free wine, women, and song such affairs religiously offer. So professional at this are John (Wilson) and Jeremy (Vaughn) that they even subscribe to a complex book of rules that dictates, for example, "invites are for losers" and "never leave a fellow crasher behind." Things look dandy for our unlikely heroes, highlighted by a hilarious wedding montage at which J&J ply their unscrupulous trade--a little Visine in the eyes at a Jewish ceremony here, a little "we lost a lot of good men out there" speechifying at a Cantonese celebration there--until John breaks one of the afore-mentioned cardinal rules by falling for a daughter of the Treasury Secretary (played with scrupulous menace by Christopher Walken) and the wedding scammers crash and burn. The chemistry between Wilson and Vaughn is incredible; viable. Jeremy is a motor mouth loudmouth; John is more the caring, sensitive type. Together they set their sights on the canapés--and more importantly the single women--and they go to work. Spectacularly! The writing, by Steve Faber and Bob Fisher, is consistently first rate, painting the two friends as sympathetic clowns with uncomfortably big hearts, plus David Dobkin ("Shanghai Knights") directs with flair and intelligence. And the supporting players, among them Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, and Jane Seymour, ensure that the boys' ultimate change of face rings true.

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David N. Butterworth
[email protected]

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