“Along Came Polly” is the most recent project of screenwriter and director John Hamburg, who also directed “Zoolander” and “Meet the Parents.” After the huge success of “Meet the Parents,” John Hamburg and Ben Stiller tried to the recreate their success, and came up a little bit short.
Ben Stiller plays the risk-adverse Reuben Feffer, who has his whole life planned out to a T. As a risk analyst by profession, he has made sure his life includes little room for disaster. His plan is to marry his real-estate-agent fiancée, the willowy Debra Messing (TV’s “Will and Grace”) and move to the suburbs to start a family. That is until he goes on his honeymoon. On their first day in St. Bart’s, his new wife leaves him for the beefy, speedo-clad scuba instructor played by an unrecognizable Hank Azaria (“America’s Sweethearts”). Sad and distraught, Reuben returns alone to New York City to wallow in his misery and the company of his best friend Sandy, played by the hilarious Philip Seymour Hoffman (“25th Hour”).
Refusing to let Reuben be consumed by self-pity, Sandy drags him to an art gallery party, where he has a chance encounter with junior-high classmate Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston, TV’s “Friends”). Reuben is instantly infatuated with Polly and wants nothing more than to date her. As soon as she enters his life again, his controlled and risk-free existence spins out of control. He knows he wants to be with her, and in order to do so he must learn to live on the edge. Reuben’s desire for Polly leads him into the unfamiliar territory of salsa dancing, blind ferrets and severe cases of indigestion.
Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston have nice on-screen chemistry, although it’s hard to understand why wild Polly falls so hard for straight-edged Reuben. They seem so mismatched it’s hard to believe that they would have ever made it past the first date. Nonetheless, Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston act their roles well, so it doesn’t matter how unlikely their characters’ pairing seems. Ben Stiller plays the same role as in “Meet the Parents” and “Something About Mary,” but he’s so good at it you don’t care. He is always convincing as the “normal man” character that falls for out-of-his-league girls but still manages to win them over. Jennifer Aniston also falls comfortably into her role as the free-spirited Polly, who bears a striking resemblance to her best-known role as Rachel Green on “Friends.”
In addition to the movie’s headliners, the supporting cast is full of great actors. Alec Baldwin (“State and Main”) plays Reuben’s eccentric boss who has a penchant for bad bathroom etiquette and taking conversations into the restroom. Bryan Brown (“Dirty Deeds”) plays Leland Van Lew, an adventure-loving millionaire who Reuben is trying to insure. Lastly, there is scene-stealer Philip Seymour Hoffman. He plays an ex-childhood actor and best bud of Reuben who has the ability to make you laugh just by appearing on screen. From his outbursts at being cast in the supporting role of the community theater’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” to his interesting way of shooting hoops, Philip Seymour Hoffman is an effortless comedian.
Although this movie is no “Meet the Parents,” it’s still full of cheap laughs, many of which are seen in the trailer for the movie. The film has some of the ingredients of a successful romantic comedy, such as the cast and director, but unfortunately the story is a bit unrealistic and not very strong. “Along Came Polly” is a fun movie to watch for some light entertainment and the always-reliable performances of Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller. Although this is an enjoyable movie that is worth seeing, it will always be in the shadow of Hamburg’s more successful films.
Grade: B