"The Farrellys Get 'Stuck' in a Rut"
by Scott Mantz

"Stuck on You"
Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear
Directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly

Beached boys! Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear hang 20 in "Stuck on You"

It can be hard for certain filmmakers to think outside the box and try something different, but directing brothers Peter and Bobby Farrelly, whose films have taken in more than $1 billion worldwide, certainly deserve credit for trying. Their 1994 directorial debut "Dumb and Dumber" may have put them on the map, but they solidified their status as the kings of gross-out comedy with 1998's enormously successful "There's Something About Mary."

By the time "Me, Myself & Irene" rolled around in 2000, it was clear that the Farrellys were stuck in a rut. Realizing that they needed to put a spin on their routine, they went the sentimental route with 2001's under-rated love story "Shallow Hal." But rather than broaden their fan base, the film's message about inner beauty was lost on critics, who proceeded to slam it as a mean-spirited romp that made fun of obesity.

Now the Farrellys try to take their sentimentality to a more obvious level, but this time around, the results are decidedly mixed. There's no doubt that "Stuck on You" has its funny, laugh-out-loud moments, but for the most part, it's an uneven, one-joke movie that goes on far too long, and despite a likable performance by Greg Kinnear, the film is marred by an awkward performance by a miscast Matt Damon.

Conjoined twins Bob (Matt Damon) and Walt Tenor (Greg Kinnear) are proud owners of a popular burger joint on Martha's Vineyard, but when the acting bug bites Walt, he tries to convince Bob to move to Hollywood so he can pursue his dream of becoming a star. The notoriously shy Bob won't budge, but when Walt points out that this will give him the chance to find romance with his long-time cyber-pal (Wen Yann Shih), he gives in. Upon their arrival, they make fast friends with an aspiring actress (Eva Mendes) and a frazzled agent (Seymour Cassel), but when their new goals threaten to take them in different directions, Bob and Walt are forced to make a decision that will change their lives forever.

It would take the Farrellys, filmmaking brothers who are seemingly joined at the hip, to make a film about brothers who are quite literally joined at the hip. In a sense, that makes "Stuck on You" their most personal project yet, but despite being marketed by 20th Century Fox as another low-brow comedy, the film is uneven and devoid of their trademark brand of pottie humor. Sure, it has its charming moments, but for the most part, the film can't decide if it wants to be a comedy or a sentimental drama.

Unfortunately, the performers are also unsure of how to play their parts. Matt Damon tries to broaden his range into slapstick comedy, but his uncomfortable delivery shows with too many jokes that fall flat. Greg Kinnear seems more at home as Damon's confident brother, while Cher (playing herself) pretty much walks through her role as the Hollywood diva who gives Kinnear his shot at the big time. Eva Mendes is a sight for sore eyes as the sexy neighbor to Damon and Kinnear, but Seymour Cassel steals the movie as Kinnear's out-of-touch agent who hasn't renewed his subscription to Daily Variety in over 30 years.

By trying to broaden their horizons, "Stuck on You" proves that the Farrellys are even more stuck in a rut than they were before. The prospect of two dim-witted, but likable friends who set across the country to follow their dreams harkens back to "Dumb and Dumber," while the premise of looking past a person's physical appearance to appreciate their inner beauty was just done -- much better, I might add -- in "Shallow Hal." To that extent, it would seem that the Farrellys still have quite a way to go before that box starts to open.

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