Talkie Tuesday: The Wedding Ringer

Hello everyone!

This past weekend I got a call from my best friend and she basically suggested a trip to the movies, and then we narrowed our selections down to two: The Imitation Game, and The Wedding Ringer. Turns out, neither one of us was really feeling the dramatic aspect of the first one, even though I still have serious plans to see it at some point, but we were definitely in for some good old-fashioned comedic relief.

Now, I don't usually go for comedy, myself; in fact, there are only a handful of funny movies I can honestly stomach and een they tend to have a whole lot of other genres barging along with them. BUT, that being said, I was all 'Why not?' when the suggestion fell, and so we packed ourselves into a car, drove one town over, and sat down for at least an hour and a half of pure, American movie comedy.

I had seen mentions of the movie prior to actually seeing it, so I knew Josh Gad and Kevin Hart were the actors who fronted the whole thing, but I honestly didn't pay much attention back when I did notice something. It was just one of those movies I honestly never thought to watch, let alone enjoy, but I was pleasantly surprised to be proved wrong. For approximately two hours, my stomach muscles got a very good exercise, my tear-ducts cleared all out, and I think my vocal chords demanded I stop laughing for at least a full two days afterwards.

The movie begins with Josh Gad's character, Doug Harris, is getting ready for his upcoming nuptials. No, wait, it actually starts with a party/wedding scene where Kevin Hart's character, Jimmy Callahan, is making a best man speech. Only, we realize moments later that he was actually PAID to be the groom's best man ... say what?!

Back to Doug. He's marrying who he sees as a girl impossible to ever get for someone like him (played by Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), and he's bitten off more than he can chew, because the wedding is going to be over the top ridiculous. Not to mention, his future father-in-law kind of hates him. Oh, and he has no best man. Or any other groomsmen to begin with, so the Indian wedding planner, Edmundo (who is so batting for the other team that I swear my eyes hurt when I saw him, and I bawled over, laughing like an idiot because he represented everything modern society THINKS a homosexual man should be like ... it was so ridiculous, it was hilarious!) sends him to Jimmy. Enter their contract deal: they will try to pull of the Golden Tux, aka, a whole operation that will eventually (hopefully) end with Doug's happy marriage.

Sounds like a good start? Think again!

"God created the world in seven days. We have to do a whole lot more in a lot less time." 

Aka, prep Doug for the wedding, transform Jimmy into best man Bic (named after a shaving cream and razors, go figure, AND he's supposedly a military priest!), get the groomsmen all in order with their stories all lined up ... and meet the parents.

Or family, rather, since there are some others in the picture - most notably a grandmother who, in Jimmy and Doug's attempts to wriggle out of the family's intelligent questions, gets set on fire.

Yup, you read that right.

"How do you like your grandma? Originally or extra crispy?"

Just one of those lines you're not too sure what to do with, but you laugh anyway. You're also thinking the family is insane since Doug and his bunch of misfits will have to play football against the future father-in-law and a bunch of old men ... but anyway, they win that one.

Barely.

Images not mine

Throughout the movie, Jimmy keeps reminding Doug that their business is strictly professional, and they'll go separate ways after they're done. It hurts Doug, but he agrees, and quest for groomsmen mission impossible begins, as they memorize files, take fake pictures of random activities (hiking, climbing, parachute jumping, etc), crash a random wedding and have a dance-off, and figure that Edmundo is just a persona for the guy since business was flagging before he invented the flamboyant side of it all. Of course there's a down to the movie as Jimmy questions things halfway through, but it doesn't last long as he gives Doug a bachelor's party that pretty much puts his whole world upside down (including a trip to the ER because of a dog, peanut butter ... and you need to watch for the rest).

The rehearsal dinner goes through mostly okay, and then bam! It's the big day! Which begins with a disaster since the family priest is unavailable but the one who replaces him would recognize Jimmy as NOT Bic ... and so Jimmy takes place of the priest, marrying the couple. Of course you know that this means the wedding is by far not legal ... plus, Gretchen (the bride) basically admits at the reception that she only married Doug because he's what the family wants and she doesn't love him.

Cue Doug exposing everything, the whole scheme and all, and the whole groom's party doing a mad rush to the doors to freedom! The movie ends with everyone seated on a plane (even the dog) to Tahiti (which would have been the honeymoon destination), which Jorge Garcia's character sums up nicely: "I have a bad feeling about this flight."

Rings any bells? Lost, anyone?

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It reminded me of The White Chicks, another comedy I do enjoy, and frankly it was a very good way to spend the evening. Sure some of the stuff was so over the top that it was outrageous - but they worked precisely because of that, and made it all worth it in the end. Kevin and Josh nail their performances big time, as do the other actors. It did border on politically incorrect at times, but seeing as it's a comedy, I don't want to go too far into that to begin with.

I recommend it as a must-see if you need to be cheered up, or just feel like hanging at the movies with your friends!

xx