Movie Review: The Heartbreak Kid

Ever since the 1995 release of There's Something About Mary, I was waiting for the Farrelly brothers to return to the manically comic heights they scaled there. However, their filmography has been spotty at best. With that said, I was looking forward to The Heartbreak Kid. It brought the brothers back together with Ben Stiller and also marks a return to the world of the R rated comedy. It is underneath this R rated barrier where they thrive and have done their best work. All of this begs the question: Does The Heartbreak Kid succeed? I would be forced to say the answer is yes. This is not their best work, though it is likely the best they have done since Mary.

The Heartbreak Kid winds somewhere in between the not funny Dane Cook vehicle Good Luck Chuck, and the comedic high notes reached by Judd Apatow's Knocked Up. It delivers many more laughs than the former, while not reaching the heart filled truth of Knocked Up. This also makes me question the recent commercials promoting Kid. The latest one to hit the screen says that we "Finally have an R rated comedy for adults." I guess they didn't see Knocked Up.

Ben Stiller stars as Eddie Cantrow, a bachelor who is unlucky in love. The movie opens with Eddie attending the wedding of his ex-girlfriend and being forced to endure sitting at the kids, sorry, singles table and having the wedding toast turn into a roast. Funny, the opening is very similar to how Good Luck Chuck opened, except this one actually had some laughs. Anyway, Eddie is lamenting the possibility of living life alone weighed against being tied down in marriage. It is a very real feeling, one that I am sure many of you out there have gone through. At this early stage in the movie it seems like we are going to get a realistic look at how life can throw you a curve ball when you list expect it. This feeling is not going to last long as the movie is the one throwing a curve ball.

In short order Eddie has a chance encounter with a lovely young blonde named Lila (Malin Akerman). After a little foul-mouthed needling from his father (played by real-life dad Jerry Stiller), Eddie asks Lila out and a whirlwind romance ensues. The couple have a hasty wedding and head of to Cabo for their honeymoon. This is where the romance heads south, Lila turns out to be completely insufferable and Eddie has a chance meeting with the sweet Miranda (Michelle Monaghan). Miranda makes Eddie realize just how grave a mistake his marriage was.

I am sure you have all seen movies that could easily be solved if the characters would stop for a minute and converse like actual human beings rather than scripted puppets whose only goal is to move the plot forward no matter how ridiculous the high concept is. Wow, that was a mouthful, but I am pretty sure you know the movies I mean. The Heartbreak Kid is halfway to being one of those misfires. As I sat in the theater, I could not help but think if Eddie would stop for a minute and talk to Lila, things may have gone better. Even if Eddie had spoken openly with Miranda things would have turned out better. Then my thoughts went a step further, Eddie and Lila had a whirlwind romance to be certain, but did they not talk about anything serious? Romances can be all about the romance and the making out (which this couple did a lot) and not about serious life questions, but once the idea of marriage enters the picture some serious questions have to be asked. It is apparent that the Farrelly's and the writing team don't want you to ask, much less try to have any deep connection with the characters.

The funny thing is that this movie is actually funny and I have found a way to rationalize this questioning of their relationship. People will do strange things when faced with love, or the lust or desperation that can be confused with love. The Heartbreak Kid is about some of the things that people do in desperation to find love. Now the thing to know about this movie, Eddie is not a terribly nice guy. Yes, he is portrayed as a bit of a lovable loser in the early goings but it quickly turns out he is bit more of a self-obsessed loser. In this character there is truth, however it is not a very nice one. While Eddie is a jerk, I am sure that many of us have had similar moments. Not necessarily on the public level of Eddie's, but they exist. Lila on the other hand is just as culpable for the collapse as Eddie. While she does become intolerable, I wouldn't last five minutes with her, it is her lack of communication is a big reason for concern. Together, Eddie and Lila have to rank among the top doomed couples of cinema. There may have been a spark of true romance at the dawn of their marriage, but it was their inability to communicate truthfully and actually open themselves up to each other which doomed them from the start.

Now, this movie is funny. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and moments that will leave you shaking your head. It is vulgar, crass, and at times even a little mean. For the most part it works. It is not at the level of Apatow's recent output, but then again, what is? There are touches of heart, but I think that is more a result of trying to get to the next laugh rather than an attempt at depth. I am just shocked that I actually still like it after all I have written. I guess it was a little refreshing to see a movie that is a little north of reality that centered on an unlikable guy, and having the confidence to play it out to the very end. There is no cheap finish here. Although, I do feel for Miranda, she is the one truly sweet character in the movie and she deserves so much more than what she gets.

Let me note that the one thing I would have gotten rid of is Carlos Mencia. He has supporting role as Uncle Tito, wearing an awful wig and false mustache. He goes through his schtick, which would got a couple laughs at first, but he keeps reappearing throughout and it is just a bit much. On the other hand, I could have done with a bit more of Rob Corddry, who plays Eddie's domesticated pal Mac. He is quite funny, and his baby's appearance was hilarious. The rest of the supporting cast is very good, particularly Danny McBride as Miranda's cousin Martin (he was also funny in the underrated Hot Rod).

Bottomline. This is a funny movie. Stiller does a good job at playing a version of his standard character type. It is definitely a step up from what the Farrelly's have done lately, and will hopefully be a turning point for them as they try to ride the current wave of Apatow backed R rated comedy. You could do much worse than getting a few chuckles at this. Oh yes, be sure to stay through the credits (shouldn't be too hard with Bowie playing over them).

Recommended.