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Will Ferrell

McCoy on Movies: You’re Cordially Invited

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“Did you touch my drum set?” Jim Caldwell (Will Ferrell, left) talks with Margot (Reese Witherspoon) in a scene from writer/director Nicholas Stoller’s YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED. © 2023 Amazon Content Services. All Rights Reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Leanne Morgan, Stony Blyden, Celia Weston, Jack McBrayer and Rory Scovel

DIRECTOR: Nicholas Stoller
 
THE BACK STORY: Jim Caldwell (Will Ferrell) is a widower who loves his only child, his daughter Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan). So when she returns home to tell him that she’s engaged to her boyfriend Oliver (Stony Blyden) instead of that she’s moving back home, he is taken aback to say the least. Once the initial shock is gone, he decides to celebrate the occasion by booking their wedding at the same island resort he and his late wife got married.
 
Margot (Reese Witherspoon) is a successful reality TV producer living in LA who misses her baby sister (Meredith Hagner) dearly since she is kind of her best friend, daughter and husband all in one. But when she arrives on the scene with Dixon (Jimmy Tatro) in tow, she is ecstatic to learn they are also engaged and – surprise – pregnant – to boot. Wanting to ensure nothing but the best for her little sister, she books the same place they used to spend so much time as children having fun with their late grandmother.
 
But as hotel manager Leslie (Jack McBrayer) is soon to learn, his mother forgot to inform him that both Jim had already booked the same wedding date that Margot has. (Let’s just say she was indisposed – permanently.) And since the island can only accommodate one wedding per weekend, the two headstrong would-be wedding planners are going to do whatever it takes to ensure the special day for the bride to be.
 
Even if it results in near disaster. 

 

THE REVIEW: YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED is a movie you can tell the cast had a lot of fun making. The characters are likable enough, the run time isn’t excessive and it’s got a few decent guffaws in the mix to keep you watching till the end. 

 

And that’s about all you really need to know about the latest film from Nicholas Stoller, which is streaming now on Amazon Prime. Because if you already have the service, it’s a nice way to kill about an hour and 40 minutes of a Friday night in or a Saturday afternoon. But given the generally silly nature of the affair, it’s not going to be the movie that makes anyone sign up for added benefits from Jeff Bezos’ studio arm.

 

Witherspoon is at her best when she plays the woman coming to grips with her situation and realizing things about herself after interacting with others. Ferrell is at his best when he’s allowed to go fully goofy while being genuine yet stupid in the process. That’s why sometimes when the jokes feel a little forced and the situations too outrageous, the likable nature of the actors is called upon again – and again – to keep things going. There are times when the film feels like it would be better served going into more a focused tone with other moments feeling like it would be better going for the full joke instead of feeling restrained. Celia Weston adds a nice amount of balance to the mix with Leanne Morgan subtly stealing each scene she’s in, but the film feels like a diet version of some of Ferrell’s better work while trying to delve into some positive messages about family dynamics, but few people will remember that with the silliness preceding it. 

 

In short, YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED is fine for a short stay, but more than one viewing will be enough to convince most it has overstayed its welcome.

 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
 

 

 

 

 

 

TIFF Day #8 – 2024

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Hello NEON Community.

Things are winding down at TIFF.  Lines are shorter and energy is dwindling (especially mine)…but today had a couple nice surprises in store!

Nobody plays tormented better than Sarah Paulson…so I went to see HOLD YOUR BREATH, dir Karrie Crouse, Will Joines (USA) “Sarah Paulson returns to her home in genre work in this supernatural and psychological film from Karrie Crouse and Will Joines…In dust bowl Oklahoma of the 1930s, a mother (Paulson) nears the breaking point as she tries to protect her daughters from deadly windstorms and the impact of her own harrowing past. ”  (taken from TIFF catalog) Though the set-up was great and the photography is lovely (sometimes almost sepia-toned), this film didn’t trust its own material enough.  The addition of jump scares just for the sake of jump scares cheapened the experience.  Though this film is not without some wonderful, haunting moments (like when Sarah is sewing late at night and sews the fabric to her skin without realizing it), I can ultimately see why Searchlight has decided to move this one directly to the Hulu streaming platform instead of giving it a theatrical release.

The next film on today’s list was fantastic! WILL AND HARPER, dir Josh Greenbaum (USA) “This heartfelt documentary from director Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) follows Saturday Night Live alumni and close friends Will Ferrell and Harper Steele as they traverse the US by car following Steele’s announcement of her transition.” (taken TIFF catalog). This roadtrip doc is full of friendship, laughter, and a desire to better know a friend…it also deals with some emotional truths that many Americans have never faced.  We were told at the beginning of the screening that we would be joined by special guests for a Q&A afterward…and it was delightful to process the film with the director, producer as well as Will Ferrell and Harper Steele!  Harper right away addressed the fact that many people who transition don’t have the resources or the support that she has had.  That said, the inner struggle and turmoil when deciding to come out was just as strong for her.  I highly recommend this film. It works! (the photo below is one that I snapped during the Q&A)

My last film of the day was an unsettling and transfixing period piece. THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE, dir Magnus von Horn (Denmark, Poland, Sweden) “In Magnus von Horn’s stylish and audacious blend of true-crime drama and expressionist nightmare, a young seamstress trying to survive in post-WWI Copenhagen makes a fateful connection with one of the era’s most infamous figures.” (taken from TIFF catalog) At the end of the day, this is a horror film.  That said, it’s not what you think of for today’s horror market.  It’s beautifully shot, the script is terrific, the score is inventive…yet there’s something upsetting and potentially sinister at most every turn.  It’s hard to say I “like” this film, but I do think it’s quite brilliant.

Tomorrow is my last day of films…and it’s likely going to be a short day.  I’ll at least hit 30 films by tomorrow – and I’m very anxious to see Luca Guadagnino’s new film QUEER – starring Daniel Craig.

Thanks for checking in,
Jonathan