WANDERLUST – The Review

Sometimes film makers can unknowingly tap into a certain public movement or trend when making a piece of entertainment. This can be even more surprizing considering the long gestation period of movies ( usually scripts can collect dust on a desk or shelf before the cameras roll ). The trend I’m referring to with this flick is the recent occupy movement that took root in many cities across the country this past Fall and Summer ( the expanded trailer for this coming Summer’s THE DARK KNIGHT RISES seem to be picking up on those protests, too ). Well, before Batman leaps into the economic battlefield, here comes the new comedy from David Wain ( WET, HOT AMERICAN SUMMER and ROLE MODELS ) called WANDERLUST. In this, a young married couple decide to stop their quest for the ” almighty dollar ” and return to a simpler time of communes ( when hippies walked the Earth! ). Of course they’re not the only movie big city duo to get back to basics ( THE EGG AND I  and LOST IN AMERICA are great examples ), but this film taps into that 60’s spirit that was floating through those make-shift tents and towns that sprung up in city parks late last year. And this film shows the lighter, flip-side to last year’s commune flick, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. So it’s riding a recent a wave of sentiment, but does it deliver the big laughs with the relevancy?

Linda ( Jennifer Aniston ) and George ( Paul Rudd ) are upwardly mobile young marrieds in Manhattan. Suddenly their city life crumbles ( their jobs go down the drain ) and George hatches a plan to work with his brother Rick ( Ken Marino ) down in Atlanta until they can regroup and return to the Big Apple. Desperate to pull off the highway for the night, they encounter a bed and breakfast deep off the trail, in the wilds of Georgia run by the odd, mature flower child Kathy ( Kerri Kenney ). Soon the couple find that the place is part of a sixties-style commune started by Carvin ( Alan Alda ), but really run by the group’s enigmatic guru Seth ( Justin Theroux ). After a wild, but restful night George and Linda resume their journey and arrive at the sprawling suburban home of brother Rick and his family. Quickly George clashes with his obnoxious sibling and he decides that a return to nature at Carvin’s may be just the thing for himself and Linda. Can they really change their lifestyle and fit in with the commune’s free spirits ( and wild eccentrics )? And what about the plans of an evil developer to turn the Carvin’s land into a big, ugly casino ( pave paradise, put up some slot machines )?

Once again Wain has assembled a group of terrific comic actors, many from his previous films and his superb TV work ( from ” The State” to ” Childrens Hospital ” ). Co-writer Marino scores big laughs as the insensitive idiot Rick while SNL vet Michaela Watkins is funny ( and a bit sad ) as Rick’s frustrated, numb wife Marissa. Besides Kinney the commune is filled with terrific talent like Lauren Ambrose ( ” Six Feet Under” ) as Earth-mother Almond, ” MADTV” vet Jordan Peele as her old man Rodney, and Kathryn Hahn ( OUR IDIOT BROTHER ) as annoyed feminist Karen. Malin Akerman is the ultimate sexy hippie chick Eva, while Alda is his usual sly, delightful self riffing on his left-leaning rep. Many readers of the tabloids and gossip site may flock to this flick to get a better look at the new Anniston beau, Mr. Theroux. Well Mr. T scores many big laughs as the pretentious, blowhard leader, whose tech knowledge ended a decade or so ago. He and Aniston work well in their few scenes together, but newstand mag fans don’t get a chance to see the new ” it ” couple sizzling up the screen. Most of Aniston’s romantic scenes are with her movie hubby and they crackle with energy ( as does an early scene with some TV execs ). With this film, and the recent HORRIBLE BOSSES, she solidifies her status as one of our top comic actresses. They’re all superb, but the film really belongs to the endlessly charming Mr. Rudd. Whether he’s doing slapstick farming schtick or delivering a very R-rated pep talk to himself at a mirror, Rudd effortlessly brings home the same kind of big laughs he did as OUR IDIOT BROTHER. He’s a great, goofy leading ( every ) man for our times. The movie itself goes on a bit too long and its ending can be seen all the way up Highway 75, but it’s a pleasure to see this talented group tweak the noses of the 1% and the 99% ( I’ll raise my hands and rub my fingers together, since clapping is too aggressive, man ).

Overall rating: Four Out of Five Stars