"I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" is not likely to make anybody's list of top ten movies, but neither is it a candidate for the worst movie of the year, as Peter Sobczynski claims in his review. No movie featuring Jessica Biel in an extended scene wearing only a skimpy lingerie ensemble can be entirely bad.
The premise is sound, a fish out of water story about two homophobic guys who pretend to be gay and learn to understand and respect gays. The premise is similar to "Tootsie," although the execution is not as strong. Sandler is poorly self-cast as a Lothario who learns to love, while James plays a heartbroken single father who is unable to move on after the death of his wife.
The structure is also reasonably strong. The McGuffin is a bit weak, but once the story begins, the two learn that being gay is not simply enacting a lot of stereotypical clichés, but also involves contending with a lot of prejudices and discrimination. They also learn that many of their acquaintances are homosexuals who do not fit their preconceived stereotypes. And they progress from being embarrassed by their charade to becoming vocal and active proponents of gay rights.
The film offers solid performances in unexpected roles by Jessica Biel, Dan Aykroyd, Ving Rhames, Richard Chamberlain and others. Production values are more than adequate.
The major flaw is in the writing, which limits the caliber of some of the performances. On one hand, the writing is hackneyed, derivative, obvious and in your face with scenes and situations that lack originality. On the other hand, it lacks focus, with scenes that don't propel the story, such as the justice of the peace played as a caricature of Japanese stereotypes. Sometimes this works, as with a character who has unexpected talents as a dancer, but at other times it seems to detract from the noble ambitions of the film with crude humor. One expects a homophobic character to make insulting remarks and jokes about gays, but that doesn't automatically carry license to also mock other groups.
The characters have a series of encounters with homophobic associates, gays, closet homosexuals, gay rights activists and supportive individuals that serve as impetus for their maturation and acceptance of gays, but the encounters are presented so clumsily that they seem ineffective on either dramatic or a comedic grounds. The scenes and characters are also drawn very conservatively. Nobody is so homophobic as to seem vile, contemptible or despicable, so none of the characters has much room for growth and the attitude reversals that are seen don't seem entirely justified, based on the experiences seen by the audience.
Sandler's character is particularly problematic. Sandler is a capable comedic actor who seems best suited to unjustly maligned Everyman roles. Most would probably consider him of better than average looks and physique; however, he's not likely to make anybody's list of hottest male actors. He plays a character with superhuman sexual prowess and effortless appeal to women, which comes off as more of a caricature of a womanizing playboy who belongs in a different film. Since his character is not believable, his emotional growth also seems unbelievable.
There are bits that are humorous as isolated gags, although some are raunchy and politically incorrect, but they are integrated into a cohesive whole and distract from the central theme and throughline.
The film's treatment of gays is a bit uneven. While a few characters are treated sympathetically as complex individuals, many are treated as stereotypes, particularly at a fundraiser party. The general message conveyed and learned is that gays are not as bad as you thought, but never suggests that gays are a positive force in society or that they make society stronger or that heterosexuals can learn something from them. Nothing balances out the jokes, jibes and caricatures.
Parts of the film are subpar, but performances by Biel, Rhames and Aykroyd elevate it considerably.
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