Wanderlust: Disappointing, disconnected comedy

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 01 March 2012 11:40

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new comedy, Wanderlust.

If the writing were sharper, the characters better developed, and someone other than Jennifer Aniston played the female lead, Wanderlust might have been a contender for the Bridesmaids slot on the 2012 comedy movie menu. But a lack of narrative continuity and character depth — hampered by a miscast Aniston — make this a fallen soufflé.

Reminiscent of the Albert Brooks comedy, Lost in America, the film opens with a series of bright sketches to establish Aniston and Rudd as ambitious married people who want to experience the best of life in New York City. They stretch their budgets and imaginations to find a small “micro loft” in the West Village close to a favorite coffee spot. But life quickly intervenes, the jobs disappear, and the couple finds themselves on the road to, hopefully, a brighter future in Atlanta.

Before they reach new opportunities, however, they stop for the night at what they believe to be a bed and breakfast. In these films, few things are as they initially appear, and this overnight haven turns out to be a commune for adults who refuse to grow up. In another series of sketches, Aniston and Rudd find themselves so inspired by the social freedom of the environment they decide to abandon their materialistic dreams to dedicate their lives to finding true happiness. Or so they think.

As in the Albert Brooks original, the characters in Wanderlust soon realize that nothing is perfect when pursuing spiritual perfection. But scriptwriters David Wain and Ken Marino fail to give the leads enough depth to sustain the gaps in their story. Instead of people progressing through logical comic situations, the film offers a series of sketches loosely connected by superficial people. We never get to know the ambitions or disappointments that inspire Aniston and Rudd nor do we fully understand why this artificial utopia appeals. And, as in another Rudd comedy, Dinner for Schmucks, a layer of anger runs beneath the artificial proceedings as if the writers want to comment but can’t find the language. Wain and Marino become so trapped by the aesthetics of the environment that the film leaves no room for real issues or feelings. 

Rudd, as always, delivers his patented schtick in a predictable way. At least he knows his way around this kind of film. Aniston, on the other hand, looks clueless how to play the part. Should she make the character the moral center of the piece or try to match the natural lunacy that Rudd effortlessly displays? This curious actress, still trapped in the persona of Friends, spends most of the film waiting for someone to tell her what to do. Of the supporting cast, Alan Alda is always welcome on screen, even if he is given little to work with this time around.

Bridesmaids and The Hangover make it look so easy for a character-driven comedy to reach hysterical heavens. These films work because they develop characters before imagining exaggerated situations. We savor the lunacy because we care for the people. Wanderlust is a poor imitation because at the movies, just as in a kitchen, what looks easy results from hard work.

Film Nutritional Value

Wanderlust

* Content: Low. What begin with a promising premise quickly weakens into a series of disconnected comedy sketches.

* Entertainment: Medium. The film offers a good number of meaningless laughs that don’t add up to a satisfying movie meal.

* Message: Low. Because the characters are only played on the surface there is little for us to learn from what they experience.

* Relevance: Low. Any opportunity to chuckle is healthy but the best movie laughs emerge from character that this film sorely lacks.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: Low. Because this is not a family film, it’s not appropriate for a dinnertime conversation. 

(Wanderlust is rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use, and runs 98 minutes.)

2 Popcorn Buckets

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