Hall Pass (2011)

A fat, hairy guy squatting, pants down, taking a crap in a golf course sand trap in broad daylight, is NOT, surprisingly, the most disgusting gross-out moment in Hall Pass, the latest comedy from Peter and Bobby Farrelly. Of course, the Farrelly brothers are no strangers to literally milking bodily functions for laughs, as evidenced by previous movies like Kingpin and There’s Something About Mary. This time, however, in addition to the sight described above, they deliver a moment that’s guaranteed to trigger an explosive audience reaction of simultaneous hysterics and revulsion. I won’t spoil it for you, but you’ll know what I’m talking about if and when you see it. And maybe I’m reveling a bit in my juvenile side, but of the rating I’m giving this movie, one full star is earned just for the sick brilliance of this single moment.

One can’t help but think on a juvenile level considering that Hall Pass is all about reflecting on the past and attempting to relive one’s youth. Rick (Owen Wilson) and his wife Maggie (Jenna Fischer) have been married for 20 years and have three children. Rick obviously loves his wife and children right from the start–even turning down an inappropriate offer from their 20-year-old babysitter (Alexandra Daddario) when he drives her home. Yet Maggie is ticked off at her husband because he occasionally gawks at other women, even when he’s with her. And his buddy Fred (Jason Sudeikis) also has wandering eyes, to the chagrin of Fred’s wife and Maggie’s friend, Grace (Christina Applegate).

The two wives consult their friend, self-help guru Dr. Lucy (Joy Behar) (and if one annoying redhead from TV isn’t enough, Kathy Griffin shows up too), who suggests they each give their husbands a “hall pass,” i.e., a week off from the marriage, no questions asked. Her reasoning is that the husbands want what they cannot have and resent their wives for the constraint, but by giving them a free pass to revisit their single years and attempt to resow their wild oats, they’ll be disappointed by the results and return to strengthen their marriages and be better partners. Maggie is first to act on the advice, taking herself and the kids to her parents’ house in Cape Cod for a week. One day and one police incident later, Grace does the same with Fred. Let the hijinks begin!

Released at the height of the Academy Awards season, Hall Pass will never be mistaken for an Oscar contender and should not be considered as such. It’s rather formulaic and quite predictable, but it does have a sprinkling of humorous lines and reactions delivered by the somewhat talented main cast members. I would have been tempted to ignore the film’s weaknesses and simply endorse the movie as a funny little diversion especially for 30 and 40-something couples looking to have a few laughs. And that’s what the film delivers–a FEW laughs.

As the film progresses, it becomes obvious that many of its theoretically comedic elements fall flat or overstay their welcome. For instance, the inclusion of the famous “clung-clung” sound from TV’s Law & Order is funny and brings a big laugh the first time it’s heard, but the laughter diminishes upon the realization that it will be repeatedly used throughout the movie, wearing out the joke. There’s also way too much screen time given to a sneering coffee-shop barista and his randomly Australian hot-babe coworker–she’s nice eye candy and serves her function as Owen Wilson’s temptress, but the sneering guy goes from what should have been two scenes and done to a full-blown, over-the-top antagonist.

A reference to the film A Beautiful Mind lands with a thud while the audiences scramble to recall that movie, although the reference was probably fresh back when the script was a first draft. And a scene in a health club steam room becomes an awkwardly staged opportunity for the Farrellys to show male genitalia on screen for a cheap, racially stereotypical sight gag. The laughter at the shock of the display quickly dissipates as it becomes clear that this moment is only there to guarantee the film an R rating and maintain the Farrellys’ comedy street cred.

The scattershot approach of Hall Pass makes it choppy, uneven, and downright weird. Rick and Fred’s circle of friends are an odd ethnic sampler, including a slick black dude (J.B. Smoove) who cruises for women at Chili’s; the aforementioned sand trap defiler, Hoghead (Larry Joe Campbell), a low-rent wannabe mixture of Zach Galifianakis and Larry the Cable Guy; and a twitty Brit played by Stephen Merchant, who seems like a fish out of water here, not because of the absence of his usual comedy partner Ricky Gervais, but because he’s in a role he didn’t write himself.

Add to this mix 63-year-old character actor Richard Jenkins as a creepy, leathery-skinned pussy-hound and mentor to the other guys. These all get thrown against the wall, but not much sticks except for lingering curiosities like, why are so many of these characters fake-tanned? Honestly, Jenkins and at least one other guy look like they’ve been in a roaster. Why does Alyssa Milano vanish from this movie after only a brief appearance? She, and a few other loose ends, seem to have been lost due to the movie’s reliance on overzealous editing and off-camera contrivances.

Hall Pass is humorous enough, but it’s too hit-or-miss to be a memorable comedy. However, that one particular scene, once watched, will never be forgotten, as it’s a true classic moment of crude hilarity.