Stuck on You

I was worried with the 5.6 rating this was going to be average at best but it's so well acted and delivered I can't understand who didn't like it. It avoids cheap jokes at the expense of the brother's conjoined condition yet delivers laugh after laugh in a good-natured and fun way. Damon and Kinnear deliver high quality character depth with warmth and charm, well above midnight double feature level and the star cast nods are icing on the cake. The film is just good fun all the way through. Well worth the time to watch it and it seems it is a somewhat overlooked classy film.

To be honest, I am still a little amazed at how much I liked this film. I resisted seeing it for a long time because the concept sounded so offensive. But offensive is the last word I would use to describe this movie. Hilarious would be more accurate. The conjoined twin thing never feels like fodder for cheap jokes. Yes, it plays prominently in the plot, but it just never feels like you are laughing at them, only with them. There is genuine affection for the two main characters, played expertly by Damon and Kinnear, that really shines thru. To be absolutely honest, a lot of what makes this film so incredible is hard (for me, at least) to describe. All I can say is that it's funny, it's touching, it's a bit of Farrelly brothers magic. See it, you won't regret it.

This turned out to be a surprisingly effective comedy. Okay, sure, you can say that a movie that pokes fun at conjoined twins is in poor taste, but there's nothing malicious about it -- it feels, if you can believe it, genuine.

You really get a sense of the tenderness and the bond that has developed between the two brothers. Of course, as you'd expect from the Farrelly brothers, it's laugh-out-loud funny. As you might not expect, there's not really any gross-out humor: it's more "Hal" than "Mary". If you can't tell, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.

Some gag highlights: Cher with her boyfriends, Matt Damon's stage fright, Greg Kinnear in a animal costume.

The Farrelly Brothers' "Stuck On You" is sincere drama with lots of heart -- of course, along with their smart quips and earnest observations not diminishing. I even gone teary-eyed towards the end. Bobby and Peter Farrelly brothers wrote, directed and produced this movie and they are never sloppy. There is much attention to detail and exudes empathy and earnestness. (I'd say their 2001 production of "Shallow Hal," with Jack Black and Gwenyth Paltrow, contained moments of poignancy also.)

Watching Matt Damon (as Bob) and Greg Kinnear (as Walt) single-handedly flipping burgers and buns in syncopated rhythm -- 'tis an acrobatic act in itself! (The art of 'Quickie Burgers in less than 30 seconds' is such a theme!) The pairing is godsend. Both Damon and Kinnear are talented actors who had many fascinating roles. Kinnear's portrayal of Bob Crane ("Hogan's Heroes") in Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus" 2002 has pretty much established him -- since his debut role in Sydney Pollack's remake of "Sabrina" 1995 and coming through acting opposite Jack Nicholson in Albert Brooks' "As Good As It Gets" 1997 -- as one who can handle roles in depth. Damon, besides his writing quality, has shown his versatile capability in Ed Zwick's "Courage Under Fire" 1996 (psychological/military), John Dahl's "Rounders" 1998 (intense/suspense), Kevin Smith's "Dogma" 1999 (fun/satire), Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" 1999 (multiple personality/mystery), Billy Bob Thornton's "All the Pretty Horses" 2000 (romance/western), Doug Liman's "The Bourne Identity" 2002 (action/thriller), Steven Soderbergh's remake of "Ocean Eleven" (ensemble cast/heist), and Gus Van Sant's "Gerry" 2002 (mystical/hypnotic) which Damon scripted and acted with Casey Affleck -- yes, he can handle any role, indeed.

The story introduces, matter of factly, the things these two stuck together brothers do in their everyday life -- it's down to earth and comes across downright normal. The plot evolves when Walt wants to pursue his acting career, just like any Hollywood dreams and Bob wants his brother to succeed. The Farrelly brothers can sure weave a heartwarming story, and here they follow through the emotional curve and happenings (cause and consequences) between these two brothers, and their friends and neighbors along the way. It's a thoughtful and creative script, and the brothers (almost a pun here) manage to include a musical, too. Cher is in a supporting role playing her fun self. The two corresponding girl friend roles are played delightfully by Eva Mendes as April, and tenderly by Wen Yann Shih as May. Veteran actor Seymour Cassel has a riotous time with his wig. There's a heartfelt cameo by Meryl Streep -- it's beyond being brief. The use of songs and lyrics was complementary to the various moods at hand. (Gilbert O'Sullivan's 1970 hit "Alone Again, Naturally" included.) From the production notes, we learned that the conjoint-ness was made possible by a makeup team led by Tony Gardner, special makeup designer, who collaborated with the Farrelly's before -- he enabled Gwenyth Paltrow's 300-lbs physique in "Shallow Hal". Damon and Kinnear were 'stuck together' 14 hours a day for 3 months. It is amazing how Farrelly brothers and their capable filmmaking friends and collaborators realized this genuinely caring human drama-comedy. It's guaranteed enjoyable movie experience for everyone.

There's something about this `Stuck on You' that sticks to me after my initial impression that the Farrelly Brothers have created another inane comedy to compete with their equally dubious `Dumb and Dumber' franchise, `Shallow Hal, ' and `There's Something about Mary,' among others. That something is taking a story about goofy conjoined twins (Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear), tossing in bathroom and masturbation jokes, and then seeing a basic metaphor about the loss people feel when separated from another human being with whom they have spent their lives.

I commend the Farrellys because `Stuck on You' does not play for the broadest laughs but gently lampoons pretentious Hollywood and overtly praises the sincere emotions of two linked humans and the New England town that loves them regardless of their disability. I liked the connection of two innocent, loving brothers, who miss each other after separation. I liked botoxed Cher's presence to emphasize the decayed humanity of L.A., which sees clearly the business profit in deformity.

On another allegorical level, the twins could be the projection of the Farrellys themselves, going to Hollywood to exploit its penchant for seizing on the flavor of the month, regardless of its incorrectness or inhumanity and facing their own eventual split (Bobby is considering cutting back on their productions). The Farrellys are not the Coens, whose satire is more Kaufmans' `Adaptation' (Even if the brother is only imagined) than Zuckers' `Airplane.' But the Farrellys' five major motion pictures make them as bankable as any other successful brothers in the business.

Seeing diva Cher make fun of herself and Meryl Streep cutup as co-star with Kinnear in a musical stage production of `Bonnie and Clyde'(Think `Springtime for Hitler') are a couple of reasons to see this film. The best reason, however, is to enjoy the lighthearted interaction of two brothers who learn that nature's cruel marriage of their bodies gave them the best emotional marriage of their lives. The Farrellys have confirmed the Karl Menninger belief that `to know one another well enough should not be to hate one another the more but to love one another the more.'

Even those of us not conjoined could learn about brotherly love from `Stuck on You.'