“Along Came Polly” opened in theatres in mid-January, and since then has been the talk of many adults, high schoolers and college students alike. Still raking in millions of dollars each weekend at the movie theatres around the country, “Along Came Polly” continues to hold a spot in the Top 10 at the box office.Director John Hamburg (“Zoolander,” “Meet the Parents”) scores again with Ben Stiller and an outstanding cast. This romantic comedy about Reuben Feffer, his new wife Lisa Kramer, and his seventh grade classmate Polly Prince, makes us laugh for almost the entire movie. What’s more is that all the funny scenes were, thankfully, not played in the previews (I hate when they do that, don’t you?). There were new things to laugh about at every turn in this movie.
Reuben is a man who takes every precaution to be safe. From hand sanitizer to a risk analysis program he created, aptly titled “Riskmaster 3000,” Reuben is a safe bet. His marriage to Lisa Kramer seemed safe and risk-free, until the honeymoon. Reuben finds Lisa and Claude, the hot scuba diving instructor, in bed together on Claude’s boat.
Polly, on the other hand, is a free-moving spirit who hates to be in the same place for very long, and who thinks she’ll never get married. The two meet at an art gallery in New York City soon after Reuben’s return from his honeymoon disaster. The rest of the movie centers on the start of a relationship between Reuben and Polly.
Although this movie provided a typical comedy role for Stiller, “Along Came Polly” boasts a stellar supporting cast in roles that are not the standard. Jennifer Aniston plays Polly, who is far from the character of Rachel on “Friends” and Grace in “Bruce Almighty.” Her flighty attitude mirrors her funky clothes, nomadic existence, and pet ferret. Polly comes across as having it all together in her own special way.
Debra Messing shows her versatility as an actress as well. Messing plays Lisa, Reuben’s new wife and shines in a character role that is completely opposite of her character Grace Adler on “Will & Grace.”
Hank Azaria is fabulous as Claude and has the ladies ogling his mostly-naked body and everyone laughing at his thick French accent. Philip Seymour Hoffman does a great job in the role of Sandy Lyle, Reuben’s best friend. Other cast members include Alec Baldwin as Reuben’s boss Stan Indursky, and Bryan Brown as Reuben’s adventurous client Leland Van Lew.
Hot salsa dance scenes and the hysterical blind ferret give this movie even more flair and excitement. Overall, this upbeat, comical flick is one to see. Even if it’s gone from the theatres by the time you have a free weekend, it wont be long before “Along Came Polly” will be out on video and DVD. The only thing not very realistic about this PG-13 comedy is the fact that Reuben and Polly could not be more opposite. I know that some say “opposites attract,” but at the end of the movie, we wonder how long these opposites will stay connected.