(Review originally written at 9 August 2006)
Why didn't anyone ever told me this movie was THAT GOOD. It came as a real pleasant surprise. I have always wanted to see this movie, ever since I had first seen its posters hanging around town here in 1996 and after watching its hilarious trailer multiple times. But you know how these things go, I never watched the movie until now, 10 years later. I'm certainly glad I finally did, for the movie really surpassed my expectations.
The movie its premise sounds like a cheap comedy with formulaic gay and drag queen jokes. Well let me tell you, it's filled with the stereotypes and the stereotypical jokes that come with it. It however is done in such a good and hilarious way that the movie becomes original on its own, despite its formulaic premise. Main reason why everything works out so well is due to its wonderful and perfectly cast cast-members.
It's about a controversial subject but the movie itself is not controversial at all. Of course it still does have a message in it and it tries to make a statement but it does this in a 'non-forcing' way. While watching this movie you don't have the feeling that this movie is preaching for homosexuality acceptance or anything of that kind. It does make fun of gay persons and drag queens but it does this in such an over-the-top way that nobody should be offended or bothered by the movie its stereotypical homosexual comical moments. The fact that this movie is not about an every day subject we often see in movie, it makes the movie all the more refreshing and comical original to watch.
Basically the movie is one big funny build up to the hilarious ending were the right-wing in-laws meet the gay Jewish father-father/mother. It's like a predecessor of "Meet the Parants", instead this time with right-wing politician as the father in-law and a gay couple as the parents of the groom-to-be. They try to conceal their sexuality the best as they can but of course everything that can go wrong goes wrong, only about an hundred times worse than you would expect. It makes the ending absolutely great and very hilarious to watch. It's filled with the one hilarious and unlikely event after the other.
But of course not just the ending of this movie is hilarious. It's an hilarious movie with basically all the stereotypical jokes and ideas about homosexuals present in the movie. All the jokes work so well thanks to its wonderful cast. Robin Williams is great and above all really believable in his role. It's not the sort of movie in which he acts crazy and starts jumping and screaming around, it instead is a sincere and real performance that still is also perfectly comical thanks to Williams his great comical timing. But absolute show-stealer was Nathan Lane as the drag queen. He is absolute hilarious and although he goes over-the-top, the character is saved and made believe throughout his acting. It's also great to see Gene Hackman in a comedy for a change and I must admit that he certainly didn't do a bad job. Not a bad job at all. Also really great was Dianne Wiest, whose comical timing was absolute spot-on. Hank Azaria also plays a fun role, as the extreme gay-housekeeper/butler. Dan Futterman and Calista Flockhart were somewhat distracting from the movie and kept out the pace a little, mainly due to the fact that their roles aren't comical one's and the fact that they play young in love teenager, while at the time they were both already close in their thirties and they had no chemistry at all on screen. Such a shame since the movie and its premise is set mostly around them
If you want to see a comedy that will make you laugh-out-loud, this movie is perfect for you. All gay stereotypes are present but done in a very refreshing and hilarious way, not in the least thanks to the wonderful cast.
9/10
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