Pop Commentary

Two of America’s top comedic actors have joined forces for a rom-com that just hit Amazon Prime Video. Unfortunately, I think the film should have leaned more into the comedy and less into the romance.

“You’re Cordially Invited” follows two families who accidentally book weddings on the same day at the same venue. Will Ferrell plays the father of one of the brides and Reese Witherspoon plays the sister of the other. They chaotically go head-to-head as they each fight to preserve their loved one’s special day.

I didn’t have extremely high expectations for this film. Afterall, it’s a direct to streaming movie that I barely saw being promoted until the week it was released. Still, I had a good time watching it. Most of the hijinks between Ferrell and Witherspoon’s characters were pretty funny and there actually were some heartwarming moments with the family members.

Acting-wise, Ferrel does what he does best – he hams it up for the camera and utilizes his physical comedy as the father works to sabotage the other’s family’s wedding. Witherspoon is also in her element. She dusted off her comedic chops that we haven’t really seen for a few years. If you like either of these actors, I think you’ll enjoy watching them together on screen. They were certainly a draw for me.

Where the film loses me is when the “rom” is introduced to the “com.” In the third act, the plot slows down a bit as Ferrell and Witherspoon’s characters start falling for each other, which doesn’t seem authentic to the characters. There were no real signs of romantic chemistry in the beginning of the film, so it was a bit jarring when they started making googly eyes at each other. The filmmakers should have dropped that romantic relationship from the film or developed a subplot where Ferrell’s character fell for another member of the opposing family.

There were plenty of funny scenes to make up for that plot pitfall, though. Most of the comedic beats hit. I especially liked the storyline with the mother of Witherspoon’s character, played by Celia Weston. Their family dynamic is a little contentious, which made for great sarcastic dialogue.

Overall, the movie wasn’t groundbreaking and I wouldn’t say you have to rush to watch it, but I’d suggest adding it to your watchlist for a rainy day. It would be a good movie to put on if you’re looking to lighten your mood!