Wedding Crashers (2005)
VERDICT:
7/10 Crabcakes and Footballs
Why can’t Vince Vaughn go back to doing movies like this? Fred Claus, man. Fred-effing-Claus…
Wedding Crashers is about two best friends who go to weddings they’re not invited to and become the life of the party so they can hook up with countless bridesmaids that are tripping balls on the fumes of love. Then at one fateful wedding, one of these smooth operators breaks a cardinal rule of crashing and falls for the bridesmaid who’s already in a relationship with a total douche. Reluctant as he is, the love-struck crasher’s best friend plays the wingman and tags along for a getaway to the bridesmaid’s Summer house with the rest of her crazy-ass family so that these two crazy kids can fall in love.
And why does he go along with it? Because that’s what a good wingman does.
That’s what Goose would have done.
I don’t know if I’m the only one, but whenever this movie comes up I always find myself comparing it to The 40-Year-Old Virgin. It’s probably a stupid connection to make considering they have nothing in common outside of being the two big comedies that came out in the Summer of ’05, but such is life and even though my vote still goes for Virgin, Wedding Crashers certainly has its moments.
It’s essentially broken up into the three parts – the hour where they’re at the Summer home and the two half-hours before and after where they’re not. With the exception of a cameo by Will Ferrell in the final half-hour that’s either hilarious or unnecessary or both (I’m leaning towards option “C” on this one), the rest of the humor in the movie doesn’t quite measure up to all the hilarious shit that goes down in that second Act. Spends too much time trying to be serious and lovey-dovey. It sickens me.
On second thought, Wedding Crashers does have one more thing in common with 40-Year-Old-Virgin – ad-libbing. There’s a lot of funny stuff that happens from Todd calling death his “bitch lover” and his father’s awkward enthusiasm that follows to the whole quail hunting scene, but the thing that elevates the script from just having a good sense of humor pretty much boils down to one thing: Vince Vaughn.
I don’t think it’s at the same level as his debut in Swingers, but good lord, this thing sure put him on the map in a big way. I’m not even sure the guy was given a script because the whole movie is just him pulling shit out of thin air and rambling away like some crackhead comedian with a Red Bull drip stuck in his vein, but who the hell cares, he’s a freakin’ riot. It’d still be a funny movie without him, but Vince makes it stand out. Too bad he’s done nothing but crap since.
Owen Wilson’s not bad either, but he’s pretty much Owen Wilson playing Owen Wilson. Bradley Cooper’s also a great scumbag as Wilson’s romantic competition, Sack (great name), and I don’t know how Isla Fisher doesn’t get more roles because she was damn funny as Vince Vaughn’s psycho “girlfriend”, Gloria. That scene where she plugs up her ears and starts stomping the ground so her father will let Vince stay at the Summer house is too good.
Oh, and Christopher Walken plays the father. Like I even need to mention how awesome he is.
But like I said, when I think about Wedding Crashers, I think about the Summer house, everything just kinda makes me chuckle. Even though it’s not consistently funny straight through and even though it didn’t nab the Best Comedy of ’05 award, I still find myself stopping at this movie almost every time while channel surfing, and this movie is on TV a lot.
All about people helping people.
Cut The Crap Movie Reviews 
Couldn’t stop quoting this movie junior year in high school.
Haha, same thing for me Junior year in college. That “motorboating sonofabitch” line wore out fast.
I almost nunchucked you, you don’t even realize
Mom! Meatloaf!
FUCK! I don’t even know what she does back there.
My favourite memory of the film isn’t actually a scene from the film, it’s from a Channel 4 ad for the film. Picture an ominous voice and lots of black and white photography.
“In 1978, Christopher Walken wowwed us in The Dear Hunter.”
(word “WOWWED” appears underneath clips of him)
“In 1983, he scared us in The Dead Zone.”
(word “SCARED” appears underneath clips of him)
“In 1994, he surprised us in Pulp Fiction.”
(word “SURPRISED” appears underneath clips of him)
“In 2005, he… must have been a bit starpped for cash, so he made the Wedding Crashers.”
(word “STRAPPED FOR CASH?” appears underneath clips of him from the film, talking about how excited he is “about this project” and clips of various characters wondering what the hell is going on)
hahahahaha. that’s great. I gotta see if i can find that youtube.
When it came to quoting a film the most, I would always quote this no matter what. Nice Review! ahah and Fred effin Claus
Vaughn is definitely the thing to love about this movie. But credit to Wilson for giving Vaughn someone to play off of.
I absolutely love this movie. I caught a lot of flak for putting in the #30’s in top 100 movies of the decade lol. Like you said, Owen Wilson never struck me as funny or anything but combine him with Vince Vaughn, and you have the proverbial “The whole is greater than the sum of the two parts”.
The movie does follow a pretty simple formula but everything that comes on screen is so carefully crafted. It’s a raunchy comedy but the performances are all very good with subtle looks here and there that you may not catch the first couple times. The last fourth is a movie is a bit of a letdown but I forgive it because everything else was hilarious! Good review.
This movie was my favorite comedy that year. Did this movie come out before “Virgin” or after? Anyway, I enjoyed Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. I thought the love story between Wilson and Rachel McAdams was sweet, but forced.
Can’t remember which came first, all I know is that I missed them both when they came out but it was a big deal at college when they finally came out on DVD. Good times.
Yeah, wasn’t sold on the love triangle either.
Crashers definitely came out first.
You shut your mouth when you’re talking to me!
WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?
My wife and I STILL use quotes from this film. Usually either MA!!! Get the MEAT LOAF! or Lock it up!
Either way, definitely the most quotable films of the 90s. Vaughn and Wilson made a great team. Would love to see a spiritual sequel…maybe not the same characters, etc. but a Vaughn-Wilson buddy comedy of some sort…
I personally would like to see spin-off with Todd and Christopher Walken. That needs to happen.
Oh man that would be priceless! You don’t even need a pitch to tell me that would work…
Then we’ll sail withOUThim!
Their chemistry together was incredible. I think it has a lot to do with having such a great cast that never got stupid or cheesy. Kinda like I Love You, Man. It’s rare you get a big comedy like this and actually have it be original and energetic without it being a farce of itself.
Fred-effing-Claus woulda been a great Movie Themed porn title!