Grown Ups (**)
Directed By: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob
Schneider, Salma Hayek-Pinault, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph, Joyce van Patten
Seen: August 21st 2010
** Out of ****
Grown Ups tells of 5 men who go to their basketball coach’s funeral 30
years after winning the championship under his tutelage and their follow up on
the funeral with a week-long lake holiday where they have all but forgotten the
reason for them being there. As far as reasons to get old friends back together
go, this one is pretty thin, as these guys do not shed a single tear for their coach;
in fact they break out in laughter during the main service with only one of
them having an emotional reaction at all – but only as an over-the-top
melodramatic character to be mocked about this relentlessly.
Lenny (Sandler), now a big shot Hollywood producer; Eric (James), co-owner
of a lawn furniture company; Kurt (Rock), a very feminine house-husband; Marcus
(Spade), the only single friend left, for good reason; and Rob (Schneider), a
three time divorcee pacifist vegan bring their friends and family along for the
week, and at times chaos, at time fun ensues. Lenny is married to international
fashion designer Roxanne (Hayek-Pinault – yes, she’s married now…) and their
kids are terribly spoilt Hollywood brats; Eric is married to Sally (Bello), who
still breastfeeds her four year old son, in public; Kurt is married to Deanne
(Rudolph), the main breadwinner of their home, a cause of shame and tension for
him; Marcus is a shadow of the sad ladies’ man he used to be in his younger
days, and Rob is married to Gloria (van Patten), a woman twice his age but not
the mother of his three daughters: Jasmine, Amber and Bridget, of whom Marcus
makes Jasmine and Bridget the target of his affection/attention for the
holiday, as they are really beautiful young ladies, much to Rob’s chagrin.
The comedy in Grown Ups offer each member of this massive ensemble
cast an opportunity at garnering a few laughs, and most of it is marginally to
somewhat entertaining. There are truly funny moments and running jokes
throughout the movie, but most of is based on the friends’ belittling of each
other, which sometimes brings more of an awkward smirk than a real belly laugh.
The obvious humour is rife in this paint-by-numbers script where there are many
comedians who should actually be much better than they actually are or can be. A
few unexpected moments bring some of the best humour in the movie, one of them
involving Salma Hayek-Pinault and stone-skipping, for instance. The movie also peaks
on a bit of a life lesson – which might be difficult for some to swallow when
that point is reached: while the friends take each opportunity to belittle each
other, there is still love in the group.
Grown Ups has some moments where the value and joy of friendship
shines through, and these are special moments indeed, but they are mostly
masked by forced and uncomfortable attempts at cashing in on the laughter of
adolescents while a slightly more mature approach might have lifted this movie
up to a next level.
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