YOU, ME AND DUPREE A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
Forget the title -- it's really DUPREE, DUPREE AND WAY TOO MUCH DUPREE. Owen Wilson doesn't just star in the movie, he sucks the oxygen out of the room in an over-the-top performance that quickly wears thin.
The immensely charming Kate Hudson is given almost nothing to do in the picture. Matt Dillon gets an only slightly meatier role. At least they both try. A badly miscast Michael Douglas is as stiff as a board, delivering the worst performance in the film. But ignore their names on the marquee. The movie is all Owen Wilson and nothing but Owen Wilson. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, except that his performance in YOU, ME AND DUPREE becomes more and more insufferable as the movie drags on.
The setup for the plot is that Carl Peterson (Dillon) is about to marry Molly Thompson (Hudson), the daughter of a mega-developer, played by Douglas. Into this little trio -- Carl's new dad and new boss already hates him -- comes a loveable loser named Randy Dupree (Wilson). Well, he's a loser but he rapidly loses his lovableness.
With his syrupy politeness partially masking his slobbish behavior, the gregarious and grating Dupree makes for the world's worst long-term house guest, but that is what he becomes to the newlyweds. Trashing their house, stinking up their bathrooms and clogging all their toilets, Dupree is absolutely unbearable. In a chemistry-free film, the lack of chemistry is most noticeable between Carl and Dupree, who are supposed to be lifelong best buds.
The slapstick ranges from pratfalls to bathroom humor, and lots of clichés such as the new husband who tries unsuccessfully to hide his cheesy porn collection from his prudish wife.
Dupree looks like a beach bum who has never had a job longer than a week in his entire life. This appears to be literally true, as Dupree actively attempts to sabotage any chance that he could be hired for even the most menial jobs. On one interview, he brags that he lives his life to play, not to work, and inquires about their policy on holiday time for Columbus Day and Victory over Japan Day. He makes a career out of having none. That there is a scene in which he burns down the house he is staying in -- or almost -- is no surprise.
Late in the movie, after the obligatory switch in tone in the last act, Carl finally realizes what we figured out an hour earlier. "I've got news for you Dupree," Carl yells at him. "You're not lovable." No kidding.
YOU, ME AND DUPREE runs too long at 1:48. It is rated PG-13 for "sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, language and a drug reference" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, July 14, 2006. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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