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A Guy Thing Review By Shawn McKenzie 01/18/2003 Boy, do I hate to see a talented comedic actor wallow in crap movies. Jason Lee, an alum of filmmaker Kevin Smith’s movies, is a very funny actor, even when he is given some awful material. Last year, Lee was the best thing in an otherwise forgettable movie, Stealing Harvard (see my review), and now he is in an even worse movie with A Guy Thing. A week before his wedding day, Paul Morse (Lee), who is getting married to Karen (Selma Blair), is at his bachelor party thrown by his older brother, Pete (Thomas Lennon), and best friend, Jim (Shawn Hatosy.) Paul is an ad salesman who works for his future father-in-law, Ken (James Brolin.) He really doesn’t want to be at the party, but enjoys the drinks along with his friends. As he is partying, the obligatory bachelor party strippers (well, not really strippers), called the Tiki Girls, come out and entertain the men. One of the Tiki Girls, Becky (Julia Stiles), is doing the hula-dancing entertainment for the first time, and Paul’s party is her first job. She sucks at the job, but she ends up flirting with a drunken Paul, who she doesn’t know is the guest-of-honor (Paul gave his little party hat that says “Groom” on it to Jim.) The next thing Paul knows, he is waking up to a phone call from his future mother-in-law Sandra (Diana Scarwid.) Paul finds Becky in bed next to him. He can’t remember what happened, but based on Sandra’s call, he knows Karen is on her way. He tries to get Becky out of his place before Karen gets there, but she can’t find her underwear. He gets Becky out in time (he finds and hides the underwear in time as well), but in order to cover up what he did, he spins a web of lies that grows out of control. His neighbor, Minister Ferris (Larry Miller), witnesses some of his cover-ups and is steamed when they involve his son. The cover-up becomes more complex at a dinner hosted by Karen's parents. The dinner is attended by his mom, Dorothy (Julie Hagerty), his stepfather, Buck (David Koechner), and Karen's Aunt Budge (Jackie Burroughs.) Karen’s cousin also happens to be there, who turns out to be Becky. After unsuccessfully trying to avoid her, Paul involves Becky in the cover-up. Things get complicated when Becky's jealous and psychotic ex-boyfriend cop, Ray (Lochlyn Munro), confronts Paul about pictures he took of Paul with Becky. All along the way, as you may have guessed, Paul starts questioning his devotion to Karen and his growing attraction to Becky. The title of the movie refers to some lame philosophy that all guys conspire in covering up their cheating ways. In other words, if one guy can help out another guy in hiding an affair, he will do so, because it’s “a guy thing.” I’m sorry, but that is a load of bull. I’m not going to run out and expose another guy’s cheating ways, but I’m not going to help cover it up either. It’s none of my business, and this movie makes all guys look like they are deadbeats. Ladies, covering up affairs isn’t “a guy thing,” it’s “a deadbeat thing.” Aside from the ludicrous commentary they were trying to make, how was the movie? I laughed a few times, but I wasn’t exactly rolling on the floor. Many jokes just went nowhere (especially one involving gravy spiked with marijuana.) Lee, as usual, does the best he can with what he had to work with, but that only goes so far. Comedy isn’t really Stiles’ area of expertise, but I think she might have potential in the future. Blair is good, but her character was written wrong. Why would Paul question his commitment to Karen…a loving, supportive, attractive, nice girl? Doesn’t this clichéd plotline apply to a nasty shrewish woman? Jason, please, don’t do another stupid movie like this! Do you want to be Freddie Prinze Jr.? If you make another movie like A Guy Thing, you are in serious danger of that happening. The couple of chuckles and valiant effort given by Lee warrants a half a peg, a little more than it would normally deserve. Thank
goodness Kevin Smith is still around to save you from the dreck of movies like this! Ratings System:
SEE THIS MOVIE!
Catch this movie at the theater if you can...
Wait until it comes out on video...
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Demand your money back, even if you saw it for free!
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