For the film, “You’re Cordially Invited”, I was excited to see what the combination of Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell would bring comedically. I did laugh at quite a bit of the ridiculous stunts in the movie, so it was definitely entertaining and fun. But even the antics of the two leads didn’t quite salvage the very predictable nature of the movie.

“You’re Cordially Invited” is a romantic comedy film written and directed by Nicholas Stoller. In the film, an overprotective father Jim (Will Ferrell) is shocked to find out his daughter Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan) has gotten engaged to her boyfriend Oliver (Stony Blyden). But he books her wedding at Palmetto Island for June 1st.  Meanwhile, television producer Margot (Reese Witherspoon) is delighted that her sister Neve (Meredith Hagner) is getting married to her boyfriend Dixon (Jimmy Tatro) but neither wants their mother(Celia Weston) to plan it so she also books Palmetto Island for June 1st. Since the island only books one wedding per weekend, clearly there is a mixup. They agree to share but antics occur as misunderstandings take place and each family has their own share of miscommunication and issues to resolve. And even as they fight, Jim and Margot come together, connecting over their loneliness and their family drama. The film also stars Jack McBrayer as Leslie, the owner of the Palmetto, and Fortune Feimster as Captain Barry, the ferry boat driver. 

One of the best aspects of this film is the entertaining and fun antics that Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell enact with their characters. Will Ferrell is a super overprotective dad because his wife and mother of Jenni died when she was young. Reese Witherspoon as Margot loves her sister but feels estranged from the rest of her family. Each is willing to fight tooth and nail for their loved ones. The film does a great job of creating empathy for the characters but also hilarious scenes where each gets to one up the other. Even when they are connecting as characters, it is the sharp sugar-coated tones of Reese’s humor vying with the silliness of Will Ferrell as each sets out to make their weddings the best ever. 

Even though this is at times the Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon show, there are some moments by the secondary characters that are hilarious. Jenni’s friends are equally protective of her and when she and her father fight, they ice him out in the funniest scene. Dixon and Neve get their moment when their vows get interrupted by a catastrophe on the dock creating an emotional scene between the pair. Margot’s siblings add humor when they end up helping her get revenge on Jim. Jack McBrayer as Leslie is great at dealing with the mixup as both Margot and Jim dismiss him and fight with each other. And Fortune Feimster is riotously funny as Captain Barry as she adds to the disaster on the docks. The situational humor between the various characters is incredible but the romantic elements are predictable. I did laugh out loud over the alligator in a bed and the scene where Margot is drinking. 

Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell are completely the stars of this film. Their comedic chemistry is off the charts and the times where they are connecting as friends, those moments add empathy and emotion to the film. Will Ferrell also has a fantastic dynamic with Geraldine Viswanathan. They both are comedy gold together but also there is a beautiful warmth between their characters, especially when they have authentic moments together. The fights only make their relationship more believable. Reese Witherspoon is sharply funny but emotionally real while Will Ferrell is both goofy but also darker in tone than normal. It adds up to fantastic humor. And really the entire cast is great, both in acting and adding to the comedy. Celia Weston is a highlight of Southern charm and sharp comedy. 

What does not work as well is the romantic aspects in particular. While Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell have fantastic comedic chemistry, the romantic elements don’t feel as viable between them. They feel very solid as friends and I think this film would have been better off without the romance between them. I think the relationship was very predictable and that a friendship would have led the film to a more unpredictable and funnier ending. So while it was entertaining and fun, the ending was predictable and forced in my opinion.

In the end, if you love Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, you will still enjoy this film. It has some ridiculously funny scenes and antics with some emotional and warm family moments. While the spotlight is on the two main leads, the rest of the cast is fantastic and funny. I particularly enjoyed Geraldine Viswanathan and Celia Weston as Jenni and Flora respectively. Everyone has a moment to be funny. If you like comedies, especially with crazy antics, this film is worth checking out. Just don’t expect it to do anything terribly different.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 alligators

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