A Guy Thing

PG-13

language, crude humor , some sexual content and drug references

Director

Chris Koch

Three rings of marriage…engagement, wedding, suffering

Starring

The two movies being reviewed today (this and Kangaroo Jack) are not being given star ratings because it would be somewhat unfair. With so many outstanding films currently playing in theaters, that merit Oscar consideration, when purely funny and simply silly movies targeted toward the teen and younger children set are made with good acting and high production values, by comparison they may merit one or two stars. For what they are trying to be, they do a good job. For example, most kids that left "Kangaroo Jack" gave it 3.5 or 4 stars, while the adults tended to be in the 2.5-3.0 range. So for the intended audience, it's a recommended movie. Movies don't have to be great to be good.

Paul (Jason Lee) is about to be married to Karen (Selma Blair) and after a bachelor party, he wakes up in bed with Becky (Julia Stiles). His future mother-in-law calls and asks to speak to her daughter Karen, who is on the way to his apartment and is about to catch him in bed with another woman. Blair provides excellent acting talent that holds together a rather lame plot, accompanied by punch line dialogue that in spite of being bad is very often funny. Jason Lee is described as "always coming a little late" and when Lee's stepfather is asked if he is a golfing duffer says "yes, if you mean do I like playing with my balls". The humor is for the most part not raunchy, but it's far from high brow.

A bit like "Two Weeks Notice" and "Maid in Manhattan," this romantic comedy is a step down in acting, script quality and offers a lighter message about life. That said, this won't be on the lips of Oscar voters this time next year, nor should it make the raspberry list either.