Stuck on You (2003)

I'm actually a big Farrelly Brothers fan (and not just because they're from Rhode Island). So, it's with great reluctance that I write a less than stellar review of "Stuck On You".

It's not a horrible film, but like many recent Farrelly releases it's muddled and illustrates a tug of war between the movies the Farrellys want to make the and movies the Farrelly's fans want them to make.

"Stuck On You" tells the tale of Bob and Walt Tenor, conjoined twins who live a good, peaceful life on Nantucket Island. That is until Walt (played by Greg Kinnear) catches the acting bug and wants to move to LA. The story and gags from there mostly revolve around a fish-out-of-water story (but two fish joined at the side) and the brothers' ongoing ignorance of their own condition.

At one point, Bob (played by Matt Damon) tells Walt that he'll never make it in acting. Why? Because he needs a better tan. Though these aren't the idiot gags that we all enjoyed in "Dumb & Dumber". In fact, both of the brothers are very bright. Their ignorance is more a function of their being so close (physically and emotionally) for such a long period of time and because back home everyone accepted them completely. They've become blind to their own handicap.

It's a nice message and it is delivered poignantly at times. More often, though, we're hammered with it over and over again while the Farrellys do their best to make the movie look more like one of their more celebrated, more tasteless, and funnier movies like "Dumb & Dumber", "Something About Mary", or "Me, Myself and Irene".

In all of the latter movies, there was no illusion that we were there primarily there for the gutter chuckles, but each movie also had characters we really liked. Let's face it. We were all rooting for Lloyd and Harry in "Dumb and Dumber" even if they were morons.

In "Stuck On You", the main characters are all a lot flatter than what we've seen before. Plus, one of the most disappointing aspects in "Stuck On You" is the poor use of the minor characters. In previous movies we got some of our biggest laughs from the sideline characters, while in "Stuck On You" they're used mostly as window dressing. Eva Mendes is primarily a cleavage delivery device in "Stuck On You", which is a shame because she's not a bad actress and she could have some comedic chops.

How are Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon in this film? They both do as good as can be expected. We're not used to seeing Damon in comedic films (his last was "Dogma"), and I think he does comedy very well. I'm reluctant to comment directly on their performances because it's not fair. The characters are flat and that's not their fault.

Sadly, this isn't a fluke for the Farrellys. It's part of an ongoing trend. Their animated movie, "Osmosis Joe", more closely resembled a feature-length public health announcement starring Chris Rock and Bill Murray. "Shallow Hal" dealt with superficiality in much heavier, dramatic tones than we were led to believe in the movie's trailers.*

In "Stuck On You", the Farrellys try to swerve back to their poop-and-fart-joke roots, but deep down you can tell they want to make more serious, thematic movies.

I would have no problem if the Farrellys decided to do a more serious, dramatic film. I wou

Fmovies: In Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, the conjoined twins Bob (Matt Damon) and Walt (Greg Kinnear) have a successful fast food place and are beloved by the local citizens. The shy Bob has a crush on May (Wen Yann Shih), who corresponds with him through Internet, but does not know that he has a Siamese twin brother. Walt decides to move to Los Angeles and become an actor in Hollywood. Once in Hollywood, they meet April (Eva Mendes), an aspirant actress who lives in the same hotel and becomes their closest friend. Walt finds a spot in a TV series with Cher, an arrogant actress, who wants to break her contract with the network using Walt. However, they are not happy in Hollywood and miss their small town. 'Stuck On You' is a cult-movie, directed by the Farrelly brothers and having the participation of famous persons, such as Meryl Streep (uncredited), Cher and Griffin Dunne. The story is hilarious and it is grateful to see Cher making jokes with her behavior. Greg Kinnear has an excellent performance in the role of the Siamese brother of Matt Damon's character. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'Ligado em Você' ( 'Connected to You')

Going into this movie i expected another typical Farrelly movie, fearing i might hate it because the past years i haven't been such a big fan of dumb comedies, but this is actually very different, it is definitely a comedy, and it has a lot of small sketches that can crack you up, but underneath all the comedy they really managed to create a film with personal meaning, moral, and most important in this movie is the warm feeling you get off it.

What saves this movie really is the slight seriousity below the comedy, the movie does never try to be stupid and it works all the way through, you get really personal with the two main characters, who btw does an outstanding job, both of them are great in their roles, and i think it's good to see Matt Damon showing his potential, once again, in a very different genre than his former work.

The strength of the movie really is all these small sketches, there are so many, and they are just funny, every single one of them, how they work together, it's just so well made, small jokes that you may forget fast, but at the time they work, and the fight in the disco was just so great hehe, i couldn't help it, i loved it, the movie made me laugh, just as i thought i would never find a movie again that could make me laugh, i think it's nice to see that there are still comedies that are based on the comedy, that are funny without being dumb. The problem the later years i think have been the mass flood of stupid comedy shows where the fun part is based on disgusting crap, this movie really proofs that there is still a market for loose laid back comedies that are based on good humour rather than dumb humour, The farrely brothers truly rock!

8/10

Stuck on You fmovies. The Farrelly Brothers' "Stuck On You" is sincere drama with lots of heart -- of course, along with their smart quips and earnest observations not diminishing. I even gone teary-eyed towards the end. Bobby and Peter Farrelly brothers wrote, directed and produced this movie and they are never sloppy. There is much attention to detail and exudes empathy and earnestness. (I'd say their 2001 production of "Shallow Hal," with Jack Black and Gwenyth Paltrow, contained moments of poignancy also.)

Watching Matt Damon (as Bob) and Greg Kinnear (as Walt) single-handedly flipping burgers and buns in syncopated rhythm -- 'tis an acrobatic act in itself! (The art of 'Quickie Burgers in less than 30 seconds' is such a theme!) The pairing is godsend. Both Damon and Kinnear are talented actors who had many fascinating roles. Kinnear's portrayal of Bob Crane ("Hogan's Heroes") in Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus" 2002 has pretty much established him -- since his debut role in Sydney Pollack's remake of "Sabrina" 1995 and coming through acting opposite Jack Nicholson in Albert Brooks' "As Good As It Gets" 1997 -- as one who can handle roles in depth. Damon, besides his writing quality, has shown his versatile capability in Ed Zwick's "Courage Under Fire" 1996 (psychological/military), John Dahl's "Rounders" 1998 (intense/suspense), Kevin Smith's "Dogma" 1999 (fun/satire), Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" 1999 (multiple personality/mystery), Billy Bob Thornton's "All the Pretty Horses" 2000 (romance/western), Doug Liman's "The Bourne Identity" 2002 (action/thriller), Steven Soderbergh's remake of "Ocean Eleven" (ensemble cast/heist), and Gus Van Sant's "Gerry" 2002 (mystical/hypnotic) which Damon scripted and acted with Casey Affleck -- yes, he can handle any role, indeed.

The story introduces, matter of factly, the things these two stuck together brothers do in their everyday life -- it's down to earth and comes across downright normal. The plot evolves when Walt wants to pursue his acting career, just like any Hollywood dreams and Bob wants his brother to succeed. The Farrelly brothers can sure weave a heartwarming story, and here they follow through the emotional curve and happenings (cause and consequences) between these two brothers, and their friends and neighbors along the way. It's a thoughtful and creative script, and the brothers (almost a pun here) manage to include a musical, too. Cher is in a supporting role playing her fun self. The two corresponding girl friend roles are played delightfully by Eva Mendes as April, and tenderly by Wen Yann Shih as May. Veteran actor Seymour Cassel has a riotous time with his wig. There's a heartfelt cameo by Meryl Streep -- it's beyond being brief. The use of songs and lyrics was complementary to the various moods at hand. (Gilbert O'Sullivan's 1970 hit "Alone Again, Naturally" included.) From the production notes, we learned that the conjoint-ness was made possible by a makeup team led by Tony Gardner, special makeup designer, who collaborated with the Farrelly's before -- he enabled Gwenyth Paltrow's 300-lbs physique in "Shallow Hal". Damon and Kinnear were 'stuck together' 14 hours a day for 3 months. It is amazing how Farrelly brothers and their capable filmmaking friends and collaborators realized this g

*** out of ****

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. The Farrelly Brothers had to mature (somewhat) at some point and make a film that didn't rely on sex or gross-out jokes. That is apparently the case with Stuck On You, the Farrellys latest and tamest, but it's also one of their sweetest and funniest films to date.

Bob and Walt Tenor (Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear) are conjoined twins who've spent their whole lives in Martha's Vineyard. Bob is the owner of a burger restaurant and Walt is an actor who performs plays for the town's audience, but he has bigger ambitions; he wants to be a Hollywood actor, much to the chagrin of Bob, who suffers from a distinct case of stagefright. But after some discussion and compromise, they agree to move to L.A. and start a new life for themselves.

Upon arrival, Bob and Walt meet the friendly but ditzy April (Eva Mendes), one of their neighbors in the apartment they've just moved into. Bob even meets his internet pen-pal May (Wen Yann Shih), but because he's never told her he has a conjoined twin, he has to "bring" along Walt on their first date together. As for Walt's Hollywood dreams, after some initial lack of success, he's chosen by Cher herself to co-star with her on her new show, "Honey and the Beaze," in an attempt by Cher to sabotage her own series. But the show is an unexpected success thanks to Walt's burgeoning popularity, which puts a crimp in his relationship with Bob.

Reviewing comedies has always been a bit difficult for me, which is why I usually stick to the stuff that I find easier to write about (action/adventure, horror, drama, anything but comedy), but given all the knocks this film has taken (particularly the fact that barely anybody saw it in theaters) I felt a slight sense of obligation to mention that Stuck On You is the funniest and most touching comedy I've seen in recent memory.

This is not to say that the film always had me choking with laughter (though a scene involving a guy in front of his typewriter did get the biggest laugh out of me all year), but rather that it consistently delivered smiles, chuckles, and solid laughs without ever bogging down, no easy feat for a movie that runs for just under two hours.

Aside from the lack of sexual humor, there's a major difference between the style of comedy the Farrellys employ here than in some of their prior films. Whereas many their previous works have often made fun of the people that suffer from certain "disorders," Stuck On You presents us with two friendly, easy-going guys who've grown accustomed to their situation and choose not to see their conjoined liver as a handicap. Rather, the film derives its humor from the way "outsiders" view their condition.

In the film's two lead roles, Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear boast the kind of comic chemistry that most actors can only dream of. Damon, in particular, excels by taking the more "straight man" role, where he's not actually aiming for any laughs but still gets them anyway, maybe even more than the typically hilarious Kinnear. Watching these two guys stuck together reminds me why I find them two of the most likable actors in Hollywood, even when most of Kinnear's characters are generally abrasive losers (but not in this case). It is, in fact, Damon and Kinnear that make the film as wonderfully entertaining as it is. Had not even half of the jokes worked as well as they did, their performances would sti

This was one of my top films for 2003. In general I am not a fan of the Farelly brothers, but I had enjoyed Shallow Hal, and Stuck on You got good reviews from our local paper, which is rare. One thing that had impressed me about Shallow Hal is that the things that you would think were completely illogical were addressed reasonably. The most obvious thought with the casting was that Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear are not even that close in age. Sure enough, early in the film they explain that Matt's character has most of the liver, so Greg's character is aging faster. I don't know if it is scientifically sound, but it works in the context of the film. That is one thing that is nice about the movie. The film has plenty of sight gags and easy humor, but there are also obscure references and delightful surprises that remind you that the film has a brain. It also has a heart, and Damon and Kinnear have a nice brotherly rapport.

Of the supporting cast, Eva Mendes is easily the most fun, and gets the best lines. There are also enjoyable turns with Meryl Streep, Griffin Dunne, and Cher starts out as her own worst caricature, but ends up showing a heart as well. Many other familiar faces pop up, including people you have seen as bit parts in the directors' other films.

Finally, I have to say I was really impressed with the connection between the two bodies. Very realistic looking make-up job.