‘I Now Pronounce You’ the worst summer movie

Thu, 07/26/2007 - 4:15pm
By: Emily Baldwin

What do Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Dan Aykroyd, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Rachel Dratch, Lance Bass, Dave Matthews and David Spade have in common? An appearance in one of the worst movies of the year, “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.”

That’s right folks, the newest film to be released by Happy Madison Productions (Sandler’s production company) is probably one of the worst movies most of these actors have been in (I give exception to Bass- remember “On the Line”?).

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” centers on best buds and firefighting partners Chuck Levine and Larry Valentine who work for a Brooklyn fire station. Larry’s wife died nearly two years before and he is trying to figure out a way for his children to be named as his beneficiaries in case of his death. Apparently Larry missed the boat on filing his paperwork after his wife’s death, and in the case of his death his children will be left parentless and without his benefits.

One way Larry can assure that his kids will be taken care of if something tragic were to occur, is by getting married or by entering a “domestic partnership.” Since Larry is still emotionally unable to move past his wife’s death, he cooks up a plan for his friend Chuck (who happens to be a complete playboy) to pose as his new life partner.

What they believed to be a simple ruse comes under investigation as (apparently) a lot of straight people have been trying to cheat the system this way.

The film starts out attempting to generate laughs using humor a seventh grade boy could have come up with. It then proceeds to flip-flop between being a low-brow racist, weightist and homophobic “comedy” and being a “message movie” about looking at people as individuals and not judging people based on their skin color, weight or sexual orientation.

I traditionally like Sandler and I really like James, but I cannot understand how the two of them found themselves in this pathetic excuse for a comedy. I didn’t laugh out loud once, and I could easily point out every time a scene was supposed to make me laugh.

I’m not one who typically gets offended by films. They are what they are whether I like them or not. But “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” crossed the line for me. I’m offended that they asked the viewing public to shell out on average $10 a ticket to see this thing.

Whatever happened to the comedians who put out films like “Billy Madison,” “Happy Gilmore,” “The Wedding Singer,” “50 First Dates,” “Spanglish,” and “Hitch”? I want that Adam Sandler and Kevin James back!

This is a film you shouldn’t even see on TV years from now when it inevitably starts making the rounds on TBS. Save your money for something better like “The Simpsons Movie” or “The Bourne Ultimatum.”

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