A husband loses his job, his wife sticks by his side, and both turn to extreme measures to maintain some sort of stable living environment. What first comes to mind is 2005’s “Fun With Dick and Jane,” but this is the same premise for the new movie “Wanderlust.”
Though not as original as hoped, the film at least commits to providing nonstop laughs.
John (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) are the average, stressed-out New York couple fed up with their Blackberry-and-latte lifestyle. John is another working stiff supporting his wife and her lackluster filmmaking job.
When Linda's documentary is rejected and John is canned, the two quickly find themselves at a crossroads, no pun intended. John’s brother offers the two a place to stay in Atlanta.
On the way they encounter a bed and breakfast, Elyseum. What they didn’t know was the residents belonging to this establishment actually belong to a free-love, share-all “intentional community.”
After a tremendous night of unmentionable hospitality, John and Linda bid their adieus and head on to Georgia. But after one night of his brother’s dry, obnoxious humor, the two wonder whether they made the right decision.
Linda is a trendy city girl turned giddy hippie. Her metamorphosis is enjoyable to watch as every corner of her comfort zone is invaded with the new lifestyle she struggles to acclimate to.
Along the way Linda grows a soft spot for the community members and soon finds her niche. John is just as amusing as the high-strung, caffeine addict who grapples with the concepts of door-less bathrooms and sharing his car with the others.
John must decide if this alternative lifestyle is what he really wants. His vulnerability is exposed and defense mechanisms unveiled. In their struggle to adapt, the once uptight John and Linda learn about friendship, love and acceptance.
The humor plays the fine line between completely awkward to appreciatively humorous — just enough to maintain a steady laughs from the audience. Altogether, John and Linda keep the banter within the range of acceptable. Rudd’s monologue scene is over-the-top, but still downright funny.
Supporting cast Kathryn Hahn and Joe Lo Truglio add to the overall success of the film. Hahn plays the outspoken and unnerving commune member much like her role as the erratic, sex-crazed Alice from “Step Brothers.”
Truglio returns as a nudist winemaker and novelist — as if he wasn't weird enough as the creepy passerby who hits Jonah Hill with his car in “Superbad.” Nevertheless, it is exactly this collection of odd characters that plays on the viewers’ curiosity and want for more.
Sharing and loving are the two widely held philosophies of the communal settlement. The nonconformist mannerisms and verbiage alone get the laughs going. “People movers” replace the term “car” and rubbing fingers together replaces clapping because it is “less aggressive.”
The quirkiness proves to be creative and entertaining. “Wanderlust” is the ticket for some good laughs and eccentric dialogue this weekend.
Reach the reporter at cstarboa@asu.edu
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