The Six Wives of Henry Lefay

They don't make screwball comedies like they used to, but this one was pretty good. In my opinion, "The Six Wives of Henry Lefay" rates a solid 6 1/2 stars. While I wasn't doubling over with laughter through the entire movie, the time I spent watching this crazy family go nuts and enjoying my bowl of ice-cream was thoroughly entertaining.

Yes, Henry is an unconstrained libertine with the social IQ of a 13 year old boy. He races through relationships so fast that he doesn't even take time to glance back at the trails of tears for which he is responsible. In fact, his little boy affect is probably what keeps the women in his wake from killing him. Once connected to him, they stay connected, even burdened with their pain and anger. His daughter, Barbie, has been dealt with by him in a very similar vein. Yet, she, along with his suite of sweets, his collection of coquettes, has his back in time of need. WHY!?

Another reviewer questions why any woman would fall in love with Henry. My response to that is, "Why did Laura Bush fall in love with George? Hillary with Bill? Me with my first husband? We don't need a reason. We just do it! Maybe we are looking for our father-figure, who, by-the-way, we had no part in choosing in the first place. Since we don't have any part in picking them, our father can be the last man on earth we would ever think of dating, and yet there we go, marrying them! What is there to say? Either d-i-v-o-r-c-e or long-suffering, pretty well says it all!

This movie has been widely panned, criticized for lack of depth(?) as well as character development. After seeing some of the very popular movies in the 'comedy' genre currently, I am surprised that these are even requirements. In my opinion, many of us watch certain films simply for entertainment value. Furthermore, are there not endless numbers of variables in our lives that bring humorous connections to various story lines? "The Six Wives of Henry Lefay" was funny, relevant (believe it or not), sweet, and a bit odd. I found myself thinking, were I in this the same situation, I might have shot the guy! But this is not the first movie of its kind.

"The Six Wives of Henry Lefay" is a contemporary screwball comedy reminiscent of the fun and warm films of early 20th century such as "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" with Carey Grant and Claudette Colbert. A man with faults, people who stick by him, lots of laughs, redemption and a moral delivered at the end is the recipe for a very nice movie night at home for the right audience.

The movie fallows Barbie, Henry Lafay's daughter. You watch as she endures the chaos of her fathers life and what he puts her through.

Surprisingly enough the movie is actually funny. Its light hearted with nothing serious about it. Just six ex-wives and a fiancee all fighting over the same man. A man who cant seem to just choose one woman. There's no deep message to the movie or much of a plot. But it doesn't need one. It's just about the laughs.

The cast was great. Good variety of actors and actresses. Elisha Cuthbert who isn't the most known actress was the lead in the movie. She was fantastic, very likeable and well rounded. Tim Allan was his usual self. I really enjoyed the wild Jenna Elfman. She made me laugh a lot and brought a great balance of craziness to the show. As always Andie MacDowell was the rock. Solid down to earth great mom who just wanted peace. It was fun with all the different characteristics of the wives. Everyone was very different from the last.

The late 2000's weren't a great time for Tim Allen professionally. Toy Story aside he didn't make many great films (if any) with perhaps him trying to pop up in quirky fare that would lead him in a new career direction.

None of them really worked, and this is a fine example.

It's likeable, it's got some good people around along the way to lighten his load (always lovely to see Lindsay Sloane), but much like his other darker comedy 'Big Trouble' all the moving pieces and well-known people can't save a weak script, or elevate this above being a middling affair at best.

It's not hard to see why Allen then looked to return to TV via 'Last Man Standing', as his time as a film leading man looked to be ending.

Weekend at Bernie's. Death at a Funeral. Grand Theft Parsons. Call me sick, but there's something hilarious about dead people. And if you feel the same way, you'll enjoy this movie even if it isn't exactly Citizen Kane.

In the opening scene, our titular character Henry, while bragging about his 6 ex-wives, dies. In the second scene we learn that his estranged daughter "Barbie" (wonderfully played by Elisha Cuthbert in a role that may remind you of the adorably neurotic Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally") must organize his funeral which is to be attended by, you guessed it, his 6 ex-wives.

From there you can probably guess how things turn disastrous, and that's the fun of this movie. It's so delightfully predictable that you needn't stretch your brain cell too far to have a good time. Presented in an interesting collage of flashbacks of Henry's life and vignettes of the days leading up to the actual funeral, the movie gives us some funny, over-the-top characters. My favorite was probably Wife #2 "Ophelia" (hilariously played by Jenna Elfman), a vodka tonic swilling socialite who always seems to be just 1 Xanax away from being a serial killer. Tim Allen himself plays a memorable role as Henry Lefay, not exactly a likable guy, but very fun to watch as he makes a total arse of himself.

There's a serious undertone in a subplot about the daughter Barbie and her inability to commit to romance herself, despite the fact that she's dating an absolute dreamboat "Lloyd" (Eric Christian Olsen) who will likely have all the ladies in the audience swooning and all the gents nervously checking around their seats to see where they dropped their sensitive side.

In all, this is a fun romcom driven not so much by its plot as it is by the absolutely insane characters in the story. Don't miss small but memorable performances by Barbara Barrie ("Grandma Mae") and Edward Herrmann ("Mr. Goodenough" the funeral director) who are both respected veterans of the 1960s Alfred Hitchcock hour as well as more TV credits than you can shake a remote at. "The Six Wives of Henry Lefay" is an adult yet family friendly film without any gratuitous nudity (well OK, we do see Tim Allen's bum as he runs naked from a knife-wielding psycho) and without any profanity (well OK, there is one F-bomb but it is perfectly placed and thoroughly hilarious). Safe to watch with your kids or your parents... but definitely not your ex-wife.

As in any Tim Allen comedy you know you're in for a treat of fun and laughter w this lighthearted take on a man who can't figure out which woman he wants. There seem to be all kinds of laughs from the varied assortment of wives Lefay has chosen over the years and that just adds to the humor of this light film perfect for any day you just need a chuckle.