The Heartbreak Kid

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Ben Stiller and the writing/directing team of the Farrelly brothers last teamed on 1998's There's Something About Mary, a raucous smash hit that's rarely been equaled—until now. These guys have done it again with this remake of a smart, well-regarded 1972 comedy that starred Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd. Although we don't normally advocate redoing stuff that worked in the first place, this reinvention of the same basic material is a complete revelation, actually much more intensely funny than the original could possibly be when it was made 35 years ago. This Kid hits the comic bull's-eye. Scene for scene, it is the most explosively funny movie Stiller and the Farrelly's have made since Mary. This is such an outrageously hilarious and raunchy comedy that creates so many humungous laughs that you will probably have to see it more than once just to catch all the dialogue. Stiller is Eddie, a guy who has been to one too many weddings where he sits alone at the kids' table. Longing to have a more serious relationship, he meets and marries a gorgeous, seemingly normal girl, Lila (Swedish-born knockout Malin Akerman), in just a matter of weeks. On their honeymoon, however, he discovers she's a wack job in every way. When he meets the relatively sane and attractive Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), who is vacationing with her family, he falls hard for her and decides to dump his nightmare bride. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments it would be impossible to list them all here, but the sex scenes between Eddie and Lila are instant classics. Akerman, who will remind you of Cameron Diaz, is a real find—a stunning beauty and a great comedienne. She and Stiller make this a honeymoon you won't soon forget.

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