J.B. Smoove, Richard Jenkins
- Rated R
- Comedy
- 2011
- Buy the BD
All photos © Warner Bros.
Reviewed by Jason Newman
n the 1922 novel "Babbitt," George Babbitt is a 46-year-old family man disheartened at the drudgery of his standard, suburban wife/kids/mortgage life. There must be more, he thinks, and begins to carouse with the "jazz crowd" of various Bohemians, flappers and loose women. After realizing that what he thought was his true desire was actually a desperate attempt to reclaim his youth, Babbitt accepts the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" paradox of middle-aged living. Or to paraphrase Louis CK, "After 40, every day is worse than the last."
The Farrelly brothers explore similar ground with "Hall Pass," asking husbands the nation over, "What would you do if your wife gave you a week of unbridled freedom to do anything – or more to the point, anyone?" Like "The Dilemma," in which Vince Vaughn catches his best friend's wife kissing another man, "Hall Pass" will surely inspire those "What if?" conversations on the ride home. It's an amusing film that unfortunately falls apart, though, in the final third.
Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are slightly happier versions of George Babbitt who, like most guys, have wandering eyes despite being married to loving and attractive women (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate). On the advice of friend and pop psychologist Dr. Lucy (Joy Behar) and spurred by at least one police incident involving a car, soft rock and public masturbation, the wives give Rick and Fred a week-long "hall pass" to do whatever they want.
But like threesomes and all-you-can-eat buffets, the idea is better in theory than execution. Naturally confusing the freedom to get laid with the ability to actually snag a woman – "I can't bring a bunch of models back to my place," says Rick, justifying a hotel room – the only orgy Rick and Fred indulge in at first is the rib platter at Applebee's. But as the week progresses and the pair are offered actual romantic possibilities – okay, it's the Farrelly brothers, maybe "romantic" isn't the best word – the inevitable moral conundrums arise.
Wilson, usually playing the smooth-talking, charismatic character, puts on the dad shirts, hikes up the pants and genially goes against type. Everyone knows a Rick; the guy who tries too hard to be cool by using inappropriate slang and cross-generational reference points, only to look even more clueless than his normal self. Along with Sudeikis, who earnestly drops phrases like "reel in the babes" without a hint of shame, the duo's obliviousness borders on endearing, with the pair exuding a relatable charm that anchors the film.
Directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly ("Dumb and Dumber," "Kingpin," "There's Something About Mary") deftly build one awkward, uncomfortable scenario after another – woe to the man who tries to subtly procure the services of an Asian massage parlor after this – making their constant use of scatological humor that much more disheartening. Why come up with a clever situation when you can just show some shit, get your cheap applause and move on to the next scene? Knowing what the brothers are capable of when actual thought is applied to certain scenes, the overuse of gross-out humor and a lazy final third destroy any goodwill the film had previously built up.
Like so many of the pair's films, a strong beginning runs out of steam well before the credits roll, and you're left with a final 45 minutes that flounders and flops as if screenwriters Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett, along with the Farrelly brothers, ran out of ideas and had to submit their final drafts the next day. "Hall Pass" is not a bad film; you just wish the four screenwriters were given a week or more away from their wives to come up with an ending that hits as much as the rest of the movie.
Enlarged Edition Blu-ray Review:
Warner Bros. really dropped the ball with the two-disc release of “Hall Pass,” but considering its tepid box office performance, can you really blame them? The only bonus material you’ll find here – other than the standard DVD and digital copies – is an extended cut of the film that runs about six minutes longer, a single deleted scene featuring Richard Jenkins that is actually quite amusing, and an all-too-brief gag reel.
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