Couples Retreat (2009)

A comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort's therapy sessions is not optional.

Director:

Peter Billingsley

Writers:

Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn,

Stars:

Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vince Vaughn	...	Dave
Jason Bateman	...	Jason Smith
Faizon Love	...	Shane
Jon Favreau	...	Joey
Malin Akerman	...	Ronnie
Kristen Bell	...	Cynthia
Kristin Davis	...	Lucy
Kali Hawk	...	Trudy
Tasha Smith	...	Jennifer
Carlos Ponce	...	Salvadore
Peter Serafinowicz	...	Sctanley
Jean Reno	...	Marcel
Temuera Morrison	...	Briggs
Jonna Walsh	...	Lacey
Gattlin Griffith	...	Robert

Storyline

Dave and Ronnie, Jason and Cynthia, and Joey and Lucy are close. The group used to include Shane and Jennifer, but they divorced and she's gone. Jason and Cynthia announce that their marriage is in trouble, and they beg their friends (and Shane's young girlfriend) to join them on a couples' retreat, at the package rate, on a tropical island. The others reluctantly agree, planning to play while Jason and Cynthia work on their marriage with an island psychologist. To everyone's surprise, the package is inflexible: each couple must participate in the couples' exercises. Soon fault lines appear in all four relationships. What's in store for each couple?

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Plot Keywords:

couple | marriage | island | tropical | gray panties | 

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Taglines:

A comedy about a vacation in paradise they'll never forget

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Spain]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sólo para parejas

Filming Locations:

Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,825,142 (UK) (16 October 2009)

Gross:

$109,176,215 (USA) (29 January 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Wild West Picture Show Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vince Vaughn's character's father in this film, Grandpa Jim Jim, is played by his real life father, Vernon Vaughn.

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Goofs

When we first see Jason sitting behind the desk talking on the telephone, the time on his wristwatch alternates between 11:35 and 12:10 several times.

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Quotes

Dave: Take the French out of your mouth and tell me what to do.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits there is another scene featuring Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau and Faizon Love.

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Connections

Featured in Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #17.23 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Playmates
Written by Saxie Dowell

User Reviews

Couple of Laughs

Went by myself. Ironic, neh? It wasn't Wedding Crashers or Dodgeball, but a mildly funny, watchable movie nonetheless. Don't go expecting Shakespeare.

Its take on modern romance is mostly positive: people have good and bad parts of them, but we can all learn to love our spouses better. Though the actors did fairly well with the material, the jokes needed more polish. A few of the best performances were from the couples' counselors and other members of the resort staff, including my favorite, "Chewbacca." The most ludicrous moment for me was the gifting of the animal spirits by Jean Reno. They were all rather unfunny until Vince Vaughan received his. He made a comment to his wife before he kisses her that was typical classic Vince.

However, the movie is a bit too lagging between its laughs to really be a great comedy, and lacked a true heart of pathos for you to really connect with any of the characters. It ends up a caricature of the couples getaway industry and our modern society.

In the film, one of the wives jumps out of her canoe to get away from her annoying husband. Ticked off, she swims to shore alone. Perhaps some fans might be tempted to do the same, and bail out of the movie.

This could easily have been a better movie. Better writing. Better cinematography. Better delivery by the cast. But as it was, I'd say it was marginally worth a matinée and the price of popcorn.

Scale of 1 to 10: 5.