Convinced that the answer to Richard’s most serious problem – 500 days of celibacy, or “D.O.C.” – is a good roll in the hay, the other guys spend much of the time trying to get him laid, or talking about sex. In that respect, the dialogue can feel a bit juvenile, though pretty realistic (what else are college buddies going to talk about?). It’s pretty clear that most of these guys are on the road to mature adulthood, they just use getting back together as a detour, enabling them to revert to their old patterns and relive the “good old days,” especially since the present can feel so scary. “Shut Up!,” the group’s little catch-phrase (often delivered as “Shuuutt Uuupp!) is the vehicle they can always use to remind them of more melodious times, and the camaraderie they once shared.
Things do get tense when Ted, who has been hiding the fact that he was recently fired from his well-paying job, decides he’s had enough of his wife Trish’s (Molly Shannon) crazy antics, and just about everything else, as well. In the end, Ted and the guys realize how much they love their wives, and their lives, and that what’s important in life is universal: friends, love, and happiness, in whatever form that takes.
The group’s lip-synched performances throughout the film (by a cappella groups such as The Shutmen, the Tufts Beelzebubs and UVA Academical Village) not only provide a great soundtrack for the film but also provide the fuel to move the film along – rehearsing to perform at Greg’s wedding reception. “We suck,” they admit, but in reality they seem to have maintained their edge after 15 years. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all did.
Rating: 3 out of 4 beats
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