You, Me and Dupree

Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

BY Mike SauvePublished Jul 1, 2006

Owen Wilson has come a long way. After the phenomenal success of last year’s The Wedding Crashers, Hansel is now a bonafied, bankable star. A Wilson summer slapstick vehicle like You, Me and Dupree can now afford to cast the likes of Michael Douglas, Kate Hudson and a resurgent Matt Dillon in supporting roles.

Wilson is at his best yet as a charming slacker who intrudes on his newlywed pals. While there are plenty of broad jokes, it is the nuances in Wilson’s line delivery and the ever-present inside joke of his lovable face that make the flick so watchable. Dillon and Hudson play off Wilson well, and Seth Rogen (The 40-year-old Virgin, Undeclared) once again plays the beer drinking, pot smoking other friend.

For the most part, the comedy is realistic — many can relate to the idea of an unwanted houseguest — but a couple sequences (like a long, ridiculous battle between Dupree and a security guard) infringe on truthiness. It does, however, motor along at a good pace, avoiding the pitfalls of predictable plot development.

To shake things up, Dupree initially irritates wife Kate Hudson but the tables turn as she warms to the unlikely Mensa member and Dillon’s character becomes the patsy. All things considered, Kate Hudson’s perfect ass is the star of the picture; folks it’s terrific. (Universal)

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