Take 1 part milk-toast neurotic (Ben Stiller’s signature on screen character trait, AKA the schlemiel)
and mix well with 1 manic-pixie dream girl played by Jennifer Aniston.
The result?
In the end, you get a movie that managed to achieve a level of popularity rarely seen in offbeat romantic comedies. In the early “aughts” (2001-2009) this formula was still fairly fresh, and the way in which John Hamburg directs ‘Along Came Polly’ highlights the importance of character driven comedy over laugh-a-minute antics.
The plot is a traditional one for the genre; a suburban introvert is lovesick and meets a new woman – one that is opposite him in every way; there’s a chance for our main character to grow, and hilarity ensues.
Simple, yet effective.
But what ‘Along Came Polly’ does differently than most rom-coms — rather than inserting jokes into the script meant to cause outright laughter, instead the film focuses almost solely on providing a palette cleanser for relationship troubles; delivering a sort of catharsis for lovelorn viewers. I heartily enjoyed the movie ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’, and there are some tangential similarities between it and ‘Along Came Polly’ – allowing for useful comparison.
Although the plots differ in a substantial way, both films feature a lead that loses their respective romantic partner’s affection and must contend with being “back on the market” but they’re poorly equipped to do so. Jason Segal plays a much more quirkier version of Ben Stiller’s character in ‘Along Came Polly’ but both possess the uncanny power of social awkwardness. Ben Stiller plays this role more often than not – Segal on the other hand, is often cast as an aloof and debonair type. But that’s a little beside the point, as far as the character arc goes in both these films, it’s similar in theory but handled entirely differently when it comes to the minutiae.
‘Along Came Polly’ chooses to steer away from the easy jokes and works on developing the characters so that the humour arises from everyday drama that most folks are all too familiar with. Sure, there aren’t as many knee-slappers from Jonah Hill and Russel Brand, yet Phillip Seymour Hoffman offers a Jack Black-esque performance (more constrained, due to the film) that will leave you feeling like you are his close personal friend. It’s excellently achieved immersion, that’s for sure.
The romance between Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller comes off as highly authentic and they have a tremendous amount of chemistry on-screen.
This was Aniston’s big ticket film post her run on ‘Friends’ — NBC’s flagship series for a decade straight. Mind you, the actress received her start in film; appearing in such movies as ‘Leprechaun’, ‘Bruce Almighty’, and ‘Office Space’, so it’s unsurprising that her first big role after her time on cable television would be such a success. Aniston plays Polly with a zest for life coupled with total and utter detachment. There are some early moments in the picture that paint Aniston’s character as a bit ignorant or uncaring; as the film proceeds it becomes clear that she just uses aloofness as a defense mechanism, never allowing herself to become truly intimate with someone.
This is highlighted by the fact that she doesn’t generally date men for a long time, choosing to avoid commitment at all costs.
After the second act, we start to get a fuller picture of why Polly is so emotionally distant, but it isn’t until the climax that we are treated to the following exchange:
-
Reuben Feffer: You don’t know what it was like for me growing up. I had a mother who made me afraid of everything!
-
Polly Prince: Well, big deal, Reuben, my dad had a whole second family!
-
Reuben Feffer: What?
-
Polly Prince: Yeah, on Long Island. He had a wife, and kids, and a golden retriever!
Quotes taken from: IMDb.com [1]
Perhaps, this is an opportune time to segue to Ben Stiller’s character, the protagonist of the story.
Reuben Feffer is a man that has lived his whole life in apprehension.
He avoids most risky situations; worries constantly about contracting a deadly pathogen from bar-room mixed nuts and tries his best to adhere to societal pressures. He has an especially bad case of IBS, and his wife has recently ran off with a scuba instructor who is more well endowed than he.
This character could be played for cheap laughs, however, Ben Stiller’s expert ability to embody a “one-note” character and fully flesh out emotional tendencies for the viewer, allows Reuben to become a living breathing person in ‘Along Came Polly’ one that you feel for, are annoyed with at times, and ultimately empathize with fully and completely.
And that’s important.
We need more comedies with depth.
Okay, go read another article on welldonemovies.com or feel free to give ‘Along Came Polly’ a watch – what an early-2000s gem of a rom-com!
8.5 / 10
Some type of “ethnic” food obviously… (movie quote)
Nowadays it’s a bit more polite to say “international cuisine”.
Sources:
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343135/quotes/
