You, Me and Dupree
Mash-ups seem to be all the latest rage in the music industry. A producer takes a song or portion of a song from one artist, and then combines it with material from a second artist. In the process something new is created that hopefully transcends the sum of the original, individual parts. I’m not sure, but “You, Me and Dupree” may be the first time I’ve seen this technique applied to a movie. At least, I think that’s what directors Anthony and Joe Russo were trying to do.
The basic premise is simple; as the movie opens Carl (Matt Dillon) and Molly (Kate Hudson) are getting married. Dupree (Owen Wilson) is the best man. From the very beginning we come to know Dupree as a career slacker. He arrives at the wrong Hawaiian island for the wedding, he loses his job for taking time off to attend the wedding, and winds up being evicted from his apartment. Where does he turn? Why, to his best friend Carl of course. This sets the stage for the movie to really get rolling.
I looked forward to seeing this movie, as I am a fan of Owen Wilson. I wasn’t expecting art but I thought it might be fun. As the movie progressed I have to confessed, I found it more and more puzzling. Then it dawned on me, I was actually watching two movies. One a light, romantic comedy. The other a coarse, crude buddy film. I enjoyed the former; I could have lived without the latter. As each scene opened I never knew which of the two I was going to be watching.
Most of the humor in “You, Me and Dupree” comes from the situation created when Dupree moves in with the newlyweds while he searches for a new job and then presumably, a new place to live. Just for a few days of course! It shouldn’t be difficult to imagine the conflicts that emerge from a scenario like this, some with disastrous results. Ultimately, the movie is about Dupree as he comes face-to-face with his “slack-ness” and its effects on the people around him.
So, would I recommend this movie? Let me think about that. There are several very funny situations and plenty of chuckles through out. The down side is the presence of several scenes that seem to be included simply for shock value. They don’t advance the story or really contribute in any meaningful way. Frankly the movie would have been better off without them in my opinion. Still, I have to confess that I did laugh out loud more than once and I did enjoy most of the movie. If you’re looking for a few laughs and not expecting anything deeper than that, you might find this one entertaining.
This movie is rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, language and a drug reference. Honestly, I think it’s pushing right up against the edge of an R rating and I wouldn’t recommend taking even your young teenagers to see this one.
In addition to Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon the movie also stars Michael Douglas as the father-in-law.
The basic premise is simple; as the movie opens Carl (Matt Dillon) and Molly (Kate Hudson) are getting married. Dupree (Owen Wilson) is the best man. From the very beginning we come to know Dupree as a career slacker. He arrives at the wrong Hawaiian island for the wedding, he loses his job for taking time off to attend the wedding, and winds up being evicted from his apartment. Where does he turn? Why, to his best friend Carl of course. This sets the stage for the movie to really get rolling.
I looked forward to seeing this movie, as I am a fan of Owen Wilson. I wasn’t expecting art but I thought it might be fun. As the movie progressed I have to confessed, I found it more and more puzzling. Then it dawned on me, I was actually watching two movies. One a light, romantic comedy. The other a coarse, crude buddy film. I enjoyed the former; I could have lived without the latter. As each scene opened I never knew which of the two I was going to be watching.
Most of the humor in “You, Me and Dupree” comes from the situation created when Dupree moves in with the newlyweds while he searches for a new job and then presumably, a new place to live. Just for a few days of course! It shouldn’t be difficult to imagine the conflicts that emerge from a scenario like this, some with disastrous results. Ultimately, the movie is about Dupree as he comes face-to-face with his “slack-ness” and its effects on the people around him.
So, would I recommend this movie? Let me think about that. There are several very funny situations and plenty of chuckles through out. The down side is the presence of several scenes that seem to be included simply for shock value. They don’t advance the story or really contribute in any meaningful way. Frankly the movie would have been better off without them in my opinion. Still, I have to confess that I did laugh out loud more than once and I did enjoy most of the movie. If you’re looking for a few laughs and not expecting anything deeper than that, you might find this one entertaining.
This movie is rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, language and a drug reference. Honestly, I think it’s pushing right up against the edge of an R rating and I wouldn’t recommend taking even your young teenagers to see this one.
In addition to Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon the movie also stars Michael Douglas as the father-in-law.
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