You Again, a family affair by director Andy Fickman, is what some moviegoers would call “cute.” But I’d call it ridiculous, predictable and cheesy—everything you might expect from a PG comedy about letting go of the past. But with a cast featuring veterans like Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and Betty White, Fickman’s latest could have actually been funny had it made use of its talent. Instead, its script, written by first-timer Moe Jelline, relies on hackneyed themes and plot devices that make it sometimes entertaining but utterly forgettable.
The protagonist is Marni (Kristen Bell), a Los Angeles PR executive who used to be the laughingstock of her high school, when she had pimples, braces, and a bad haircut. Schoolmates called her “Moo” and made cow noises when she walked down the hall, because her initials just so happened to be M.O.O. But now that’s all changed. Marni is a new person. She’s pretty, confident, and making headway in corporate America—and not looking back.
That is, until she gets a phone call from her mother, Gail (Curtis), with what could very well be the worst news of her life: In a few days, her brother Will is marrying Joanna (Odette Yustman), who turns out to be J.J., the former cheerleading captain who single-handedly ruined her teenage life. In flashbacks, Joanna is shown locking Marni out of the school in one scene, and shoving her into Will during a basketball game in another, causing him to miss the game-winning shot.
In the present day, Marni tries her best to be an adult, hoping for an apology or to talk things over. But when Joanna puts on a front and pretends they’ve never met, Marni is outraged and declares war on her future sister-in-law, and even makes plans to stop the wedding. Gail, “coincidentally,” finds herself in the same scenario with Joanna’s aunt, Ramona (Weaver), the twice-divorced owner of 14 hotels who was her best friend as a child, until jealousy tore them apart. Before long, the four women find themselves in all-out bedlam over the past, making way for banal slapstick that quickly sends the movie south.
There’s the classic bathroom scene in which a routine visit turns disastrous, the pool scene in which two people quarrel too closely to the water, the wedding scene in which the bride’s ex gives a pathetic toast, and the dance scene in which the aging get hurt on the dance floor. In other words, everything that’s already been done before.
Still, there are a few funny moments. Once they realize they were both captains of their cheering squads, Gail and Joanna stand up in front of the family and perform a series of cheers together. Gail gets overly enthusiastic and makes quite the fool of herself. As Marni’s grandmother, Bunny, Betty White evokes a few laughs. During dance lessons for the wedding, she is seen swaying back and forth on a giant swing. But her funniest line is spoiled in the trailer: While hitting on a young man, she says she’s on Facebook and “the Twitter.”
Which brings us to the Problem: Fickman fails to get the most out of this excellent cast. White is funny, but only shows up in a few scenes. The director squanders most of the rest of the talented cast as well. To be fair, part of the blame goes to the script. The characters never feel like real people; they’re simply stereotypes depicted by job titles, so there’s only so much the performers can do. White, Weaver, and Curtis seem to be mostly just going through the motions, instead of working to make their characters convincing. Bell plays the most developed character; but she simply isn’t good enough to carry the movie alone.
As artless, unaccomplished, and contrived as it may be, You Again nevertheless has its heart in the right place. There’s a biblical message about loving your enemies and forgiving those who have wronged you. But there are plenty of other, better films that explore the same themes in a more watchable format.
Talk About It
Discussion starters- You Again deals with the idea of letting go of the past. How do we let go of the past?
- Have you, like Marni, ever been bullied or hurt? If so, how did you deal with it? Have you gotten over it? Have you forgiven the person who hurt you? Does forgiveness mean forgetting?
- What does You Again say about the result of forgiveness? How did it make Marni feel in the end?
The Family Corner
For parents to considerYou Again is rated PG for brief mild language and rude behavior. Joanna wears provocative clothing in two dance scenes, and some of the dancing is suggestive. Joanna and Marni call each other rude names and get in a fight with food and dishes.
Photos © Touchstone
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