Movie Review: ALONG CAME POLLY (2003)
Along Came Polly (2003)–**1/2
Along Came Polly shouldn’t have the cast that it does have. The comedy is trite and predictable, more suited for the likes of Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider than Alec Baldwin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jennifer Aniston. It’s formulaic and would be a disposable comedy were it not for the concentration of surprising comedic performances.
Polly is not destined to be a classic, nor is it close to being on par with writer John Hamburg’s previous Ben Stiller vehicle Meet the Parents. The only reason this comedy almost works is its stars are so in need of a mainstream cinema boost they play their characters with exuberant jubilation.
The only cast member who’s too at home is Stiller, playing the neurotic risk analyst. He’s that every man character whose uphill struggle to find love is obstructed by the supporting cast of lunatics, who again outshine him, and his own issues, the least of which is his volatile irritable bowel syndrome. Stiller plays Rueben Feffer, a newlywed whose cautious lifestyle is disrupted when his wife (Debra Messing) sleeps with a scuba instructor named Claude (Hank Azaria) on the honeymoon.
Rueben is heartbroken and returns to New York without his wife. His lifelong pal Sandy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tells him the only way to get over her is to get out of his apartment and go to an art exhibit for Sandy’s former drug dealer. At the party Rueben reunites with Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston), a friend from middle school who just moved to the city. They chat for a bit until Sandy “sharts” (when you fart and a little sh*t comes out), forcing Rueben to leave, but he can’t get Polly out of his head.
Eventually, Polly and Rueben go out on a date that ends disastrously when Rueben’s IBS acts up. But spicy food isn’t the only problem. Polly is indecisive, flighty, and spontaneous, everything a risk analyst isn’t. The two begin to work it out, until Rueben’s wife returns home and Rueben has to choose between the safe bet and the high-risk gamble.
Yeah, Along Came Polly does seem pretty mediocre, and it’s not much more than that. The “shart” joke is only a variation of the numerous fart jokes in the film and writer John Hamburg, who also directs this film, doesn’t offer anything new. Hamburg relies on the talent of the various stars to make this film funnier than expected.
Hoffman, for example, stands-out because his borderline obnoxious portrayal of a former child star is overacting as it’s finest. His Waiting for Guffman moments in the Hell’s Kitchen Community Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar are absurd, as are most of his moments on screen, but Hoffman, the serious dramatist, is replaced with an irreverent, comedic star that I’ve never seen before and would love to see again in more intelligent farce.
Baldwin also makes the most of his short screen time adding gruffness to the silly, cringe-worthy humor. The man is on the verge of a major comeback (Oscar nomination pending) and Along Came Polly is the studio moneymaker that could get him recognized again.
The only real surprise in this hackneyed film is Aniston’s performance as the scatter brained Polly. I knew Aniston could do drama after The Good Girl, but her run-of-the-mill performance inBruce Almighty made me think she would be a one-note comedic actress. She’s surprisingly refreshing in a film that is loaded miserable with moments. Though she’s tad bit more reserved than Hoffman or Baldwin, it works for her as she is able to atone for Stiller’s humdrum performance.
I enjoyed this film more than I may be letting on. I laughed. I laughed a lot, in fact, but that’s no reason to ignore that the film’s narrative has the underlying message of to kind of give in a bit if you want, but not too much, though you should still maybe take a chance, but not a big chance just a fling chance that may or may not end up good or bad, but let’s kiss anyway. The dubious progression is a product of the hodgepodge of plot elements that happens Hamburg forces together like the mismatched pieces of jigsaw puzzle. There’s a reason Along Came Polly seems like a launching pad for its star; it’s so close to the bottom, they can only go up.
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