YOU, ME AND DUPREE
Review by
Mark Walters
There's something about Owen
Wilson. You just have to like the guy from the second he opens his mouth. He's
like that guy in school that was just cool to everyone, and you enjoyed seeing
him in the hall. Owen Wilson is, in a word, endearing. And it's that quality
that is making him a pretty bankable leading man in comedy films these days.
In the new film YOU, ME AND DUPREE he plays an unwanted roommate forced
upon a newly married couple. But can an actor so endearing ever really be
annoying enough to become a nuisance?
Our
story opens with a wedding between Molly (Kate Hudson) and Carl (Matt Dillon).
All of Carl's friends are there to cheer him on, including his best man Dupree
(Owen Wilson). At first things seem to go well. Carl gets a promotion from his
boss, who just so happens to be Molly's dad Mr. Thompson (Michael Douglas),
and the new couple are very happy together. Then Carl finds out that Dupree
lost his job, and has nowhere to live. In an effort to help his friend, Carl
invites his best man to live with him and Molly until he gets back on his
feet. But Dupree gets a little too settled in, and his job search doesn't
appear to be priority. To make matters worse, Molly's wealthy and judgmental
father begins pushing Carl to the limits at work, and emasculating him in the
process. Can this newly married couple survive the pressures of their jobs, or
more importantly their unwanted houseguest? Then again, maybe Dupree is
just what they need to figure out what's wrong in their lives.
Okay, so this isn't anything we haven't seen before, and it may not be as good
as what we've seen before, but YOU, ME AND DUPREE does at least start
out as a fairly entertaining film. Wilson is pretty solid as the wacky friend,
and manages more than a few laugh out loud moments. But for every scene that
hits, there are also quite a few misses. One of the biggest problems
with the movie is that it unfortunately holds back more than it should. Some
of the comedic moments really could've been amped up for a much bigger payoff,
but instead come across as pretty standard fare. On the other side of that
coin there are also some dramatic moments that never reach their full
potential. Essentially this is one of those films where you've got a seemingly
happy couple that must tolerate an outside person, their experiences with that
outside person makes them realize that their relationship isn't all wine and
roses, and hopefully the outsider can help make
things right before it's too late. Movies have used this type of formula for
years, never putting more than a slight variation on it. Where the movie
ultimately fails is in its final act, which not only drags on a bit too long,
but doesn't quite satisfy in the end. Wilson is funny, but starting to
get just a bit tired with his all too familiar performance. Kate Hudson
doesn't have a whole lot to do here. The story doesn't give her many
important character moments, save for some heightened emotions late in the
film. Matt Dillon is pretty solid as the straight man of the
Wilson/Dillon duo. I actually found him in some ways more likable than
Owen. Michael Douglas turns in a subdued but effective performance as
Molly's overbearing father. The most disappointing moments in the film
come through missed opportunities between his character and Matt Dillon.
Even THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRIGN's Seth Rogen, who has sporadic moments of
comedic charm, can't save this by-the-numbers dreck. This sadly turns
into one of those forgettable comedies that only has select moments of
quality. Is Hollywood too formulaic for its own good? This movie
would lead me to say yes.
BIGFANBOY.com score - On a scale of
1 to 10, 10 being best, I give YOU, ME AND DUPREE a 6.
Visit the Universal YOU, ME AND DUPREE movie
website by clicking
here.
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