DVD Review: Lighthearted Fun With "Wedding Daze" and "Blonde Ambition"

It's midweek and I'm trying to have something for you to read more often.  I see as many movies as ever but can't always get time at the computer to write.  With good intentions, here's a couple of DVD's of the 24 or more per month I get from Blockbuster.

Wedding Daze:  My rating: $7.50 (1.-9.)

Writer/director, Michael Ian Black (next project is "Run Fat Boy, Run") takes a fun trip down romance lane with the outrageous 2006 comedy starring Jason Biggs ('American Pie'/'Over Her Dead Body') as Anderson, a guy whose girlfriend dies during his marriage proposal in a restaurant full of people.  He's dressed as cupid, tights and wings and all.  A year later, his life's a shambles and his best friend is begging him to get back out and date.  Facetiously, Anderson turns to the waitress, Katie (Isla Fisher - Borat's 'Baby Mama', and asks her to marry him.  Fatefully, she's just had a bad evening with her overbearing boyfriend and accepts. 

From there, the two run off to a secluded junkyard to get to know each other.  Awkward and funny goes the rest of this 90 minute love fest.  Her parents appear to be upper middle class conservatives.  Mom is married to husband #2 and hubby #1 is in federal prison.  What makes this work is Joanna Gleason (drunk mother in 'Wedding Planner') who totally goes for hubby #1, Joe Pantoliano who is a sassy and outrageous, tough guy.  His parents are sedate Edward Hermann (Grandad Gilmore on "Gilmore Girls") and Margo Martindale (Ma Cox in the recent 'Dewey Cox' movie).  These guys have a very active sex life -- too funny.  The new couple not only has these crackpots to contend with but each other, also. 

Isla Fisher has comedic timing that should have made her more famous.  I have to wonder if the Borat guy is keeping her from her destiny.  Anyway, she's so adorable and Biggs is so gawky that they make us want them to have success.  No good script would have all things go smoothly.  Their path to happiness is full of crazy people and experiences.  The rating is 'R' for adult entertainment and little kids won't get it or need to see some of this stuff.  It's darn funny and would be a good weekend pick.

Blonde Ambition:  My rating: $ 6.50 (1.-9.)

Jessica Simpson has made a lot of bad choices in the last few years starting with divorcing Nick.  But she does look good on screen and does a good bimbo impersonation in films.  She's back as the hillbilly girl in the big city whose bubbly personality, good looks, and dumb luck make her a success.

Just the number of celebs per capita in the film would make it good even if the script were bad.  However, though predicable mostly, it's fun to know our duckling will emerge a swan before all is said and done.  Simpson plays naive Katie who arrives in the big city to find fiance Billy (Drew Fuller).  She finally gets to his apartment, gets undressed and spoons him.  Suddenly, a feminine hand comes up and over Billy to caress Katie's arm.  You can imagine Katie's response. 

From there, Katie has the cliched - lose your luggage over a subway grate with a Marilyn Monroe dress on.  Next she goes to live with cousin, Haley (Rachael Leigh Cook) in a dump of an apartment.  Cook does a good supporting role as the aspiring actress with no success.  When Katie is drafted to cover Haley's bike messenger job one day, she takes a fateful trip into a high - price media enterprise.  Penelope Ann Miller plays Debra, the 2nd in command at a big media firm who uses Katie to replace the watchdog secretary of the CEO, Ronald Connelly (Richard Miller).  Connelly is a self-absorbed mess who ends up needing Katie.   And Katie has more skills than we have given her credit for. 

Willie Nelson reprises his 'Dukes of Hazzard' -type daddy role as "Pap Paw" who'll do anything for his baby.  Andy Dick plays, Freddy, Debra's whipping boy/servant at the company.  He helps her to bring down the CEO.  Penny Marshal even took a small part as a bigtime investor.  Luke Wilson plays, Ben, the mailroom guy and romantic interest.  Lots of familiar faces help keep up the quality of the film. 

Look for the kids' party with the kids on caffeine.   Katie getting into a lockdowned building with the window washer. Also the first secretary and bulldog for the CEO, Betty (Karen MacClain), she's classic.

Matthew Flanagan, David McHugh, Jessica O'Toole, and Amy Rardin somehow came up with the original story and several revisions, if IMDB is correct.  Then, John Cohen got to write the screenplay.  Thirty-nine year old nephew of Penny and son to Garry Marshall, Scott Marshall, directed.  The talent doesn't fall far from the tree.  Run time is about 1 hour 45 minutes with trailers.  It's rated PG-13 but it's really harmless. 

That's all I can write as I fall asleep over the keyboard.  Happy movie viewing.  "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" is at MacArthur 2/7, if you're interested.

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