Under fire

I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James
Directed by: Dennis Dugan

I have to say this is the best Adam Sandler comedy since Happy Gilmore. It seems that with this new comedy duo that Sandler got his magic back. This story is about two firefighters in Brooklyn who have been best friends for what seems like forever. Larry Valentine (James) is a single dad trying to raise two kids on his own and Chuck Levine (Sandler) is a notorious playboy who has a new girl(s) every night.

When Larry tries to change his beneficiary from his late wife to his children he finds out that the process would take a long time. Since he's a firefighter, and worries that he could go at anytime, he wants to make sure his kids will be fine in the case of an accident. After a traumatic incident he feels even more pressure. When he finds a loophole in the system, he asks Chuck to be his domestic partner. Throughout the movie their relationship is under fire and it's up to their attorney, Alex (Jessica Beal), who believes they're gay, to save them from criminal charges.

They try to keep their relationship a secret but it eventually gets out that they're a couple. Everyone they know starts treating them differently and they are witness to the discrimination homosexuals face on a regular basis. Little do they know, when they defend themselves, they defend gay people in general.

Dan Aykroyd plays their Captain at the fire house and is also their voice of reason. Steve Buscemi plays an inspector who is sent to their house to catch them at their game. There are numerous cameos, by some of everyone's favorites, and they show up at some of the most random times making their appearance in the movie that much funnier. It didn't drag, and it didn't get overly sappy, at any point. Some of the jokes are stereotypical, but it's the first time most of them have been on the big screen so it was fresh humour.

Gay jokes have always been staple of Adam Sandler comedies. It goes with Sandler's juvenile, boyish sense of humor. As far back as his Saturday Night Live days, Sandler has been serving up gay jokes left and right. It was only a matter of time until Sandler decided to extend his love of gay humor to feature length. What's surprising is how well I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry actually works.

When millions are being spent, there should be a reason. Most of Sandler's pictures have had a message, however small they be. Billy Madison made it clear to its young audience to stay in school. Click made it painfully obvious that family is important. Now Chuck and Larry comes with a message about tolerance and acceptance. I wasn't going to write a comment about 'Chuck and Larry', but after reading the critics' extremely venomous reaction to the flick, I think that they miss the point. Many have labeled it hypocritical for wanting to laugh at gays while standing up for them. Honestly I think the critics who say that had their minds made up about the film before they viewed it. The characters making homophobic remarks and jokes are seen as ignorant and unaware. True, there are stereotypes present, though most of them are stereotypes that the characters believe to be true. I found Brokeback Mountain to have just as many if not more stereotypes than are present here yet that was intended to be a serious drama.

He said/she said – Now place the ring on his hand. A ring is like a circle, it goes on forever. It's not like a triangle, triangle have corners. It's like a circle.
Watch it if you liked – Adam and Steve
Movie Hall of Fame – No
Tagline – They're as straight as can be, but don't tell anyone.