Cinema Scholars reviews Amazon MGM Studios’ new comedy You’re Cordially Invited. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. The film will be released on Prime Video on January 30th.
Introduction
Gone are the days of big box office comedies. It’s true. Aside from action comedy, animated comedy, or even horror comedy, when was the last time you saw a grown-up, F-bomb-filled, A-list knee-slapper in a theater? While these films were once a cinematic staple, they just don’t get butts in seats these days.
And that’s where the blessing and the curse of streaming platforms come into play. Some may argue that streamers killed the cinema star. But it’s also worth pointing out that were it not for these online vehicles, we may never see these kinds of films at all these days. Much less lovable lower-budget entertainment that isn’t prime-time or theater-worthy.
Thankfully, the blockbuster comedic film is alive and well, albeit on a smaller screen. A bevy of A-list actors are starring in straight-to-streaming titles that would have opened on thousands of big screens once upon a time. Now, they open on millions of tiny screens instead.
What better example than Amazon MGM Studios’ latest Prime Video release, You’re Cordially Invited, starring Oscar award-winner Reese Witherspoon and national treasure Will Ferrell? Despite a few hiccups and some unearned resolution, mega-watt star power, ridiculous laughs, and pithy social commentary prove that R-rated comedy hasn’t gone anywhere.
Synopsis
Margot is an accomplished Los Angeles television producer who grew up as a southern belle from a traditional family in Georgia. When her kid sister announces her engagement, she immediately offers to plan her dream wedding on the island where they spent childhood summers with their beloved grandmother.
Jim is a widower and doting father to recent college grad, Jenni. When Jenni’s longtime boyfriend pops the question, Jim makes it his mission to see his baby girl have the perfect wedding on the idyllic island getaway where he married her late mother years before.
Here’s where things get messy. Due to an act of God, the beloved venue was mistakenly double-booked for both weddings on the same weekend. Initially, both parties agree to compromise in an attempt to make things work. But soon a series of unfortunate events and miscommunications snowball into a hilarious nightmare weekend for everyone.
Discussion
You’re Cordially Invited starts strong with terrific character and plot development. Written and directed by Nicolas Stoller (Neighbors), the filmmaker takes no time divulging the intricacies of each protagonist’s family dynamic and sets up the eventual quandary straight away. From Jenni’s woke party squad to Margot’s cliche southern kin, the various personalities are endlessly entertaining.
The introduction of characters and plot establishment fill the first act with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. However as the story starts to unfold, the crack-ups turn to cringe as Jim and Margot set out to sabotage each other’s events. While there are still some chuckles here and there, the unease between the main characters dampens the mood making the laughs somewhat uncomfortable.
Some of the repeating dynamics fizzle a bit in the second act as well. It is certainly amusing to see how the mutual antagonists battle it out. But by the time they’re hitting the final go-round, the meanness and maddening miscommunications are hard to get over.
By the end though, the film salvages a strong, yet nonsensical conclusion. Without getting into spoilers, the outcome feels completely unearned. But it ends up being pretty sweet nonetheless. I mean, we’re talking screwball comedy here. If we can suspend disbelief enough to imagine dystopian futures or savior superheroes, then sure, we can imagine a happy ending out of a colossal debacle.
Performances
Witherspoon oozes her usual petite powerhouse charisma as the flawed perfectionist Margot. While Witherspoon’s performance embodies the spunk of a career woman in Hollywood, she also conveys an underlying traditionalist that a southern lady can never shake. It’s not exactly demure, but it’s also not gaudy forwardness. It’s a coy, middle ground that belles and sorority girls have mastered. In addition to the Type A persona Margot likes to show, Witherspoon also expertly crafts her character’s not-so-perfect moments with authentic and relatable complexity.
Ferrell gets to go full ridiculous as an overzealous adoring father. As his character continually strives to be his best self, he can’t help but turn dark when challenged, especially when it comes to his beloved daughter. When that switch turns, we get treated to the usual Ferrell antics we’ve come to expect. But his adoration for his daughter and subsequent conflict as she flies the coop is way more sympathetic and tear-jerking than one might expect.
Further Analysis
With big egos and even bigger insecurities, You’re Cordially Invited is a humorous lesson about having patience with one another and remembering that everyone has their own stuff going on too. While the story has plenty of moments where choosing kindness is the MO, it also showcases how easily we can take things out of context and use that as a reason to attack one another.
The film also addresses family issues, co-dependency with loved ones, and unwitting manipulation this can cause. Margot feels disconnected from her family and unfairly pits her younger sister against them. Though she maintains the moral high ground, it turns out that she might be the close-minded one.
Ferrell’s character also takes a turn with complicated emotions and unintended manipulation. As it becomes increasingly clear that his happiness hinges on that of his daughter, his realization of the toll this takes on both of them is heartbreaking. These themes and more coalescence for interesting commentary on family and cultural dynamics.
Conclusion
Despite a somewhat gloomy and repetitive midsection, You’re Cordially Invited is a pretty funny romp. Big star power, hysterical character and story building, surprising emotional heft, and an enjoyable but contrived conclusion make You’re Cordially Invited a blockbuster comedy. And you don’t even have to leave your couch for it.
You’re Cordially Invited will be released on Prime Video on January 30, 2025.
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