The Farelly brothers are back with another unconventional comedy, this time about conjoint twins (otherwise known as Siamese twins). When I first saw the ads for this movie, I thought, “Yikes, what jokes in bad taste are the Farelly’s going to poke at the conjoined community?” I watched this move with some trepidation, but was surprised to find Stuck On You the least offensive and most accessible of all of the Farrelly’s pictures.
The movie follows the lives of Bob (Matt Damon) and Walt (Greg Kinnea…) as they transition from their comfortable lives in New England as burger joint owners and chefs, where they are accepted for who they are. Walt has the acting bug and has starred in a number of local productions but wants more. He wants to ply his trade in Hollywood.
The brothers face numerous rejections before their path mistakenly brings them into contact with Cher, who does a wonderful job of playing a truly nasty version of herself. Cher is unhappy with a television show that she is contracted for and to try and get out of it she helps Walt land the leading role on the show – hoping that the producers would cancel the show and release her from her contract. Unfortunately, the producers want to teach Cher a lesson and proceed with the show. The hilarity ensues as Walt is filmed in such a way to hide Bob. Bob’s vocal disagreement with the poor dialogue then lands him the role of writer. Bob has his own story – or pursuing his attractive pen pal of 3 years who lives in California. It sounds great, except Bob has neglected the little detail that he is a conjoint twin. Their “date” is unlike any other date in movie history. Some very funny stuff here.
There is a lot more genuine warmth in this movie than in previous Farrelly brother movies. This is helped along with some great performances by Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. This is particularly well done after the brothers are surgically separated. The sense of loss is masterfully translated through some great comedic sequences.
Video
Stuck On You is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen. The picture is fairly sharp, although there are a few scenes in which the detail softens but is not a major detraction from the movie. The colors are bright and do not bleed. The skin tones are adequate and the black level is well set. There were no noticeable compression artifacts.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix is well used. The dialogue is crisp and clearly produced from the centre speaker. The music is well used with the varying of the volume set such that the dialogue is never lost and when it needs to be loud (such as in the bar scene) it takes centre stage. Not a lot of work for the surround speakers here but they are used for ambient environmental effects. As well there is not much for the bass to do here either.
Special Features
The traditionally entertaining Farrelly commentaries continue with this disc. They add some insight into the making of the movie as well as identifying various family and friends that they always add as extras. There are three featurettes. The first looks at what is involved in the making of a Farrelly brother’s movie – from concept to production to finished product. There are some great interviews here from stars from all of their movies. The second focuses solely on the making of Stuck On You. There are interviews with the Farrellys, the cast and producers, etc. The last feature describes the make-up effects used in sticking Damon and Kinnear together. The extras are rounded out with 8 deleted and extended scenes, a 7 minute blooper reel, theatrical teaser, and theatrical trailer.
Final Thoughts
Stuck On You is not the funniest Farrelly brothers movie out there but it may be the most accessible. It is likely the least offensive and most heartwarming – that’s not to say that it is free of sexual humor and some bathroom humor, it’s just that there’s a lot less of it, but even without it there is enough physical humor here to even make the most casual moviegoer identify this as a Farrelly special. Definitely recommended as a rental.
Special Features List
- Commentary by directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly
- Theatrical trailer(s), TV spot(s)
- Eight deleted scenes
- Behind the scene: dodgeball
- Featurettes: “It’s Funny: The Farrelly Formula,” “Bringing Stuck on You to the Screen,” “The Makeup Effects”
- Blooper reel
Screenshots
