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After gaining notoriety in indie films, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn have become two of the most reliable comedic talents in Hollywood, part of the "frat pack" that also includes Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, and Wilson's brother, Luke. With that, Wedding Crashers is the kind of movie that sells itself with a mere mention of the title and its two stars. That it more than delivers on that comedic promise is a happy surprise, and it truly earned its box-office success. Wilson and Vaughn are John and Jeremy, respectively, two committed 30-something bachelors who spend their summer weekends lying their way into strangers’ weddings. Their goal is bedding bridesmaids, and they are very good at it. We see John and Jeremy score repeatedly at every manner of nuptials, no matter whether the principals are WASPs, Orthodox Jews, or Hindus. This first third of the movie, which climaxes (ahem) with a montage set to "Shout." the Isley Brothers' perennial reception favorite, may be the most riotously funny 40 minutes of the decade. The film takes a turn when John and Jeremy crash the wedding of U.S. Treasury Secretary William Cleary’s daughter and fall for the bride's two unwed sisters. John becomes smitten with Claire (Rachel McAdams, 2005's It Girl), who is seeing an Ivy League thug (Bradley Cooper), while Jeremy sets his sights on Gloria (Isla Fisher), who may be totally nuts. Of course, since Christopher Walken plays Secretary Cleary, this should come as no surprise -- but Walken plays it as straight as any role he has had for the past 20 years. Things get more complicated than an episode of Three's Company when John and Jeremy are invited to spend a weekend at the Clearys' summer home, where they must survive the most violent game of touch football ever played and contend with the advances of Secretary Cleary's wife (Jane Seymour) and art-damaged son (Keir O'Donnell). Uninhibited by the constraints of a PG-13 rating, Wedding Crashers plays it loose and bawdy, recalling the anarchic spirit of '70s comedies like Animal House and Caddyshack. The film loses its early edge near the end, but Wilson and Vaughn remain charming throughout, easily carrying the film over its inevitable "speak now or forever hold your peace" threshold. Bill Pearis

All Movie Guide

Two guys find out the hard way that sneaking into the wrong party can cause serious problems in this comedy. Jeremy Klein (Vince Vaughn) and John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) are a pair of longtime friends who work for a law firm, helping contentious couples mediate their divorces. Their job has given them a cynical attitude about marriage, and as a hobby each weekend the two make a point of crashing weddings reception, where they load up on free food and booze and try their luck at seducing the bridesmaids. When William Cleary (Christopher Walken), the nation's Secretary of the Treasury and a possible candidate for the Presidency, announces his daughter is to wed, the nuptials are billed as the social event of the year, and Jeremy and John decide they must attend the reception. However, John makes the mistake of falling head over heels for Claire (Rachel McAdams), the bride's sister, while Jeremy attracts the attentions of a woman he'd prefer not to be involved with, and soon their romantic peccadilloes get them in very hot water. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 794043838026
• Source: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Time: 2:08:00
• Sales Rank: 261

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• New Line Cinema's 40th Anniversary Collection

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