I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

Posted by Chris Beaumont (chrisbeaumont@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 26, 2007

The high concept of a fake gay marriage to save pension benefits sounds like it would be the perfect fit for another low brow Adam Sandler comedy. Why is it, then, that most of the jokes fall flat in this movie? I sat there in the darkened theater waiting for the story to take off, but it never left the realm of the sitcom, stretched nearly to the breaking point to reach feature length.

I wanted to like I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Sandler is usually dependable in this type of comedy, but his performance in this movie left me feeling like this was a different Adam Sandler, one that wasn’t completely comfortable in his new role as an adult character. Alternatively, Kevin James’ character felt truly conflicted, and brought a great deal more heart to the portrayal of Larry Valentine. In the end, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry has its laughs, but it fails to make much of an impact overall.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry centers on a pair of New York City firefighters–more specifically on one, Larry. Larry Valentine (Kevin James) is a widower who, following a close call, worries about the welfare of his two kids should something happen to him, since he never had changed the beneficiary of his pension from his deceased wife to his kids. Because he waited so long following the death he cannot change the beneficiary name without getting remarried. Larry is a man who loved his wife, still loves his wife, and has not been able to move on. The undying devotion to his dead wife’s memory displayed by James’ character reminds me of Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub’s character on the USA television series Monk) and the way his love for his deceased wife persists, even death cannot part them. It is his perpetual state of mourning and love for his kids that he requests to fake a domestic partnership, willing to do anything to make sure they will always be provided for in the future.

Chuck (played by Adam Sandler) is Larry’s “partner,” the fireman calendar’s Mr. February, a confirmed bachelor and ladies man. A man who, as a staunch heterosexual, has no initial desire to take any part in this ruse. However, Larry had saved his life, and as such, he owes it to him to do anything, anytime. The time has come, but signing domestic partner papers winds up being much more than just a paper trick.

The majority of the movie’s plot revolves around Chuck and Larrys’ union being challenged, as there is the possibility of (gasp) fraud. Chuck and Larry head to Canada to get married in an effort to fend off any possible investigation by the state, and things get more complicated when Chuck gets an eyeful of their gorgeous lawyer (Jessica Biel), and a weasely investigator (Steve Buscemi) shows up rummaging through their trash.

I am not sure exactly what I expected. Obviously the majority of the humor in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry was going to derive from homophobic comments, stereotypes of the gay lifestyle, and illustrations of the typical “man’s man” reaction. I will not lie and say it wasn’t funny, but so much was what you would expect that this movie failed to deliver any surprises. It also failed to raise above the subject matter and offer any substantive commentary on the subject of gay marriage and alternative lifestyle acceptance. Rather, the plot centers on deceiving the system, subverting the reality of gay rights, and only comes around to being somewhat pro-gay when Chuck and Larry’s faux union is challenged and they are exposed to their friends and family as a “gay” couple. When their story makes headline news, the two are forced to go deeper undercover as a legitimate couple, which only results in more gay jokes. The final act is an act of apology to the gay community, one that expresses a “We know you are gay and that’s OK” kind of sentiment. However, the fact that they were masquerading as a gay couple in an effort to cheat the system is forgotten as they somehow stop being criminals and become gay heroes.

Kevin James is the star of the show, he may not be the movie star yet, but he has good comic timing and he carries the heart of the movie all by himself. Sure, Larry’s methods may not be very good, indeed even downright criminal, but he has a sweetness to him that rings true. He is the one true character in the movie. Sandler, on the other hand, seems to be off throughout the movie. The fireman ladies man seems to be just outside of his grasp, I cannot quite put my finger on it, but it really felt off.

Jessica Biel, as the lawyer investigating Chuck and Larry’s domestic partnership, looks great, but doesn’t seem like a terribly good lawyer… what is it with the idea that it is permissible to strip down in front of a client (gay or not) and let him play with your breasts? I know about those who say women feel safe around gay men, that they aren’t threatened, but give me a break. I doubt there are many that would feel this secure, not to mention she doesn’t really know him, and he is a client! Much of the supporting cast is composed of the usual Sandler regulars and a number of cameos are made by former SNL stars like David Spade, Rachel Dratch, Rob Schneider, and Dan Akroyd, as well as cameos by the likes of Richard Chamberlain, Lance Bass, Dave Matthews, and Rob Corddry.

Bottomline. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry could have been so much funnier, so much smarter, and just flat out better. The laughs are few and far between. I wanted to like it, I was expecting a better script with Alexander Payne involved, but this movie just failed to become anything more than a low brow comedy. I know it was meant as a low brow comedy, but even low brow comedies can sometimes rise above their peers and stand out in a crowd. This is yet another movie that is destined to be forgotten. Still, it did have a good deal of Mets gear, and that is always a good thing.

Grade: C-

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