I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) - James and Sandler marry in Dugan's crude, wrongfully maligned buddy-comedy

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+ Best Crude Comedy of the Year + Best Buddy Movie of the Year + Best LGBT Movie of the Year

Kevin James wears a fireman's helmet and screams the silliness of Dennis Dugan's I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry out on this delightfully game poster

A widower firefighter wants to secure his inheritance in case of his own death, and as that is easiest done with him being in a new marriage, he persuades his best friend to marry him pro forma. But then ...

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is written by Jim Taylor (Jurassic Park III (2001)), Alexander Payne (The Passion of Martin (1991) and Barry Fanaro (Men in Black II (2002)), based on a treatment by Lew Gallo (Handle with Care (1977, TV movie), producer) and directed by Dennis Dugan (Brain Donors (1992)).
There may well be a whiff (or a major stank, depending on your outlook) of bad taste or perhaps rather of tastelessness about this buddy comedy, which seems to scream out crude comedy about prostate problems, farts, gay stereotypes and so on, - but the fun is well-intentioned at the same time.
It also features a stellar ensemble, who rake in many laughs, at least from this gay critic: Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)) and Adam Sandler (The King of Queens (2007), TV-series) are partially affable and funny; Ving Rhames (Back in the Day (2005)) surprises in a funny closeted role; Steve Buscemi (ER (2008), TV-series) is good as the stickler villain, and Rob Schneider (The Benchwarmers (2006)), Dan Aykroyd (Nothing But Trouble (1991)) and others keep the comedic propeller going.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry just needs you to lower your guards and enjoy it.

Related posts:

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 85 mil. $
Box office: 186 mil. $
= Flop (returned 2.18 times the cost)
[I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry premiered 12 July (Universal City, California) and runs 115 minutes. Tom Shadyac was developing the film as I Now Pronounce You Joe and Benny in 1999 with Nicolas Cage and Will Smith starring. Shooting took place in New York, Los Angeles, California and in Ontario, Canada from September 2006 - ?. Payne was unhappy with the liberties taken with his version of the script, at one point reportedly wanted his name stripped from the film, criticizing the "Sandler-izing" of his work. The film opened #1 to a 34.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent two more weeks in the top 5 (#2-#4) and grossed 120 mil. $ (64.5 % of the total gross). The massive budget for the film, which seems extremely oversized, worked against it ever breaking even. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 13.3 mil. $ (7.2 %) and the UK with 8.3 mil. $ (4.5 %). Most critics at the release seemed to be competing in being insulted by the film and lambasting it. Dugan returned with You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), Sandler's next movie. James returned in Elmo's Christmas Countdown (2007, TV movie), in an uncredited part in You Don't Mess with the Zohan and then as the lead in Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009). I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is rotten at 14 % with a 3.6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry?

Election (1999) - Payne's high school politics dramedy

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+ Best Nebraska Movie of the Year 

 

Matthew Broderick looks disgruntled, caught inside the excited mouth of Reese Witherspoon on this poster for Alexander Payne's Election

High school teacher Jim McAllister has a beef with his over-achiever student Tracy Flick, who is running for student president, so he engages an opposing candidate.

Election is an MTV-produced, fast-edited and funny movie, the third feature from Nebraskan master co-writer-director Alexander Payne (The Descendants (2011)).
Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line (2005)) glows as comedienne as young Flick, while Matthew Broderick (The Night We Never Met (1993)) accepts the role of McAllister, which, according to your temperament, serves as a tongue-in-cheek reference to his legendary turn as rebellious high school student in John Hughes' masterpiece Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), or as a part that throws sly vitriol on this glorious past. - For me, seeing one of the heroes of my youth tackle this bitter, grownup high school teacher did take some of the joy out of Election from me.
It is still a clever tragicomic movie with a gender-focused sting of societal criticism. Payne co-wrote the script with Jim Taylor (Sideways (2004)), based on Tom Perrotta's (Little Children (2004)) same-titled 1998 novel.

Related posts:
 

Alexander Payne: 2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]   
Nebraska (2013) or, Father and Son
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2011 in films - according to Film Excess
The Descendants (2011) - Payne and Clooney score with a Hawaiian story of heartbreak, loss and family 
About Schmidt (2002) or, Dear Ndugu ...

1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 25 mil. $
Box office: 14.9 mil. $ (North America only)
= Uncertain - but looks like a big to huge flop
[Election was released April 23 and runs 102 minutes. Filming took place from July 1998 - February 1999 in Nebraska, Ohio and New York. The film was released theatrically in 16 countries in total, but only the North American gross is made public. It opened #37 in 6 theaters to 119k $ and peaked at #5 in 827 theaters. The film was Oscar-nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay, lost to John Irving's screenplay for The Cider House Rules. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, won a National Board of Review award "for excellence in filmmaking" and 3 Independent Spirit Awards, out of 5 nominations. Election is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.8 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]


What do you think of Election?

About Schmidt (2002) or, Dear Ndugu...

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+ Best Movie of the Year

+ Best American Movie of the Year + Best Dramedy of the Year + Best Road Movie of the Year + Most Deserved Hit of the Year

Jack Nicholson under a cloud with tousled hair on this poster for Alexander Payne's About Schmidt

We meet insurance vice president Schmidt just as he is retiring to an empty existence with his wife, who annoys him fiercely, in Omaha, Nebraska. But then she dies, and what is Schmidt to do then?

 
The taboo-ridden, unsexy material of About Schmidt is handled with usual sensibility and a keen eye for the grotesque and the really, really funny by Nebraskan master filmmaker, co-writer/director Alexander Payne (The Passion of Martin (1991)), one of the best contemporary, American filmmakers, and by Jack Nicholson (Easy Rider (1969)), who gives one of the finest performances of his legendary career. Schmidt stands out as a real, rounded character, who is portrayed with delicate humanity and real spirit by grand master Nicholson. From the character's hysterically funny letters to his African sponsor boy, Ndugu, to the almost unbearable family collisions, he suffers through, Nicholson commands his part with unequaled brilliance.
Other great performances in the movie come from Hope Davis (Mumford (1999)), Kathy Bates (Have Mercy (2006)) and Dermot Mulroney (Pure Genius (2016-17)), who has never looked worse, styled as Davis' betrothed to look a perfect boob here in a very funny part.
About Schmidt is a very moving and funny film for anyone mildly interested in anything in life. Payne co-wrote the script with Jim Taylor (Citizen Ruth (1996)), and the film is loosely based on Louis Begley's (Schmidt's Steps Back (2012)) same-titled 1996 novel.

Related posts:
 
Alexander Payne: 2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]   
Nebraska (2013) or, Father and Son

Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2011 in films - according to Film Excess
The Descendants (2011) - Payne and Clooney score with a Hawaiian story of heartbreak, loss and family  

Hung - season 1 (2009) - Ray Drecker overcomes bad circumstances in mostly promising dramedy (director) 

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) - James and Sandler marry in Dugan's crude, wrongfully maligned buddy-comedy (co-writer)

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Election (1999) - Payne's high school politics dramedy 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 30 mil. $
Box office: 105.8 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 3.52 times its cost)

[About Schmidt premiered 22 May (Cannes Film Festival, in competition) and runs 124 minutes. The script was based on an original script Payne had written but did not find support for in 1991, which he later combined with elements from Begley's novel. Nicholson was paid 10 mil. $ for his performance, a third of the film's budget. Shooting took place in Iowa, Colorado, including Denver, and in Nebraska from March - May 2001. The film opened #24 to a 282k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #4, behind fellow holdover hits The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Catch Me If You Can and Two Weeks Notice, and spent another week in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 65 mil. $ (61.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 6.2 mil. $ (5.9 %) and Italy with 4.6 mil. $ (4.3 %). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Actor (Nicholson), lost to Adrien Brody in The Pianist, and Supporting Actress (Bates) to Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago. It won 2/5 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for a BAFTA, won an AFI award, and a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Payne returned with Sideways (2004). Nicholson returned in Anger Management (2003). About Schmidt is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of About Schmidt?