The Hangover

Women, I have a secret to reveal about your man that you may not be aware of: You are well aware that we can behave respectfully - even pious - at church, with your parents, and in most professional contexts. However, when men congregate together, we have the tendency to resort to being crass with each other.

Very crass.

Not about you - we would never do that. We are angels about you. But about each other - non stop. We are as enamored with our male anatomy today as we were when we first discovered what existed between our legs in the infant era. We have come to accept one of the sacred truths in life: Penises are funny, and we must make many jokes about them.

Go ahead men - grab that stone on the dirt floor, pick it up over your head and hold it in a raised, ready to throw posture. But before you do - whom of you when in very specific contexts hasn't let loose about all manner of prudish things? What about that certain roommate in college who paraded around in specifically selected "clothing" while the rest of us were on the floor bursting with laughter? Very recently, I visited with a couple folks whom I respect as men of deep faith (who shall remain anonymous) and the jokes were in constant throw all night. It was fun, and we bonded deeper as a result.

This of course justifies everything.

Which leads me to "The Hangover" a movie directed by the guy who brought you "Old School." "The Hangover" is about a group of guys who decide to drink the night away in Vegas for a bachelor party. Problem is, they wake up the next morning with a baby, several animals, a missing groom, and no recollection of the preceding "fun" from the night before. The movie then has the guys piecing together what happened for the next 90 minutes.

To the movies credit, the premise is actually really clever. The idea of a gradually unfolding mystery added in with the raunchy humor actually gave more reason to watch than other films of this ilk. If nothing else, I wanted to know what happened next. It also had more than one funny scene.

The problems though added up for me pretty fast. I guess it's hard for me to care about the characters because they are all so care-less. Seriously, who ever thought it was a good idea to have their bachelor party 2 days before their wedding, especially if the plan is to get as trashed as possible? While some of the guys are genuinely endearing, I can't feel too much love for a group of guys who don't care in the first place.

Second, while the premise is clever, I wanted the writers to do more with it. I don't want to reveal spoilers, but certain characters magically re-appear at the mid point of the movie. It was too convenient. The writing got soft and lazy as the movie played out. You can accuse me of over thinking, but I have been accused of worse.

Third, while many of the jokes were funny, not all of them registered with me. Before you call me a prude, I think "Role Models" (along with "Wedding Crashers") is one of the funniest films I have seen in the last 4 or 5 years. That movie worked for me through and through. "The Hangover" wasn't nearly as consistent, and it left me disappointed.

So yes, I think raunchy jokes can be funny (and "The Hangover" has a healthy supply), and I knew what I would be getting myself into by seeing this movie. I don't fault the film for that. I fault the film for its characters. There still has to be a sense of groundedness or sensibility at some level. These guys aren't heroes to me, they are ultimately fools. The film also makes limited application of its great premise. And the fact is - next year, when the next movie comes along that relies not simply on a good premise but straight raunch, "The Hangover" won't be as funny. That's why certain movies are products of their era that aren't as funny to new viewers (Anyone still re-watching Porky's on a regular basis?). The movies that last are the ones that have solid characters who we care about, and a great story (regardless of genre).

It's not to say that "The Hangover" is by any stretch a strictly bad movie, it's that I think they could have done more with what is there. I know that millions in cash at the box office disagrees with me, but hey, plenty of commercially winsome movies have never done anything for me. In the range of its context, "The Hangover" for me is slightly below Judd Apatow's directed movies, if only because in those films there is a big heart beneath the raunchy jokes. I liked Steve Carrell in "40 Year Old Virgin" and wanted him to find the right woman. Seth Rogen's character had to grow up in "Knocked Up" and move from being a child to be a responsible adult. In "The Hangover," 4 guys just needed to get home before it was too late.

As a result, it may not be easy for the viewer to remember much of what happened the next morning.