Wanderlust

Wanderlust
February 24, 2012
Apatow Productions etc.
Comedy
DVD
C+

More than a decade after Wet Hot American Summer, David Wain co-wrote and directed this story about a bunch of weirdos living in the woods.  There are definite differences.  For one thing, instead of looking back about twenty years to the '80s, this is about a 40-year-old commune in present-day.  For another, this time there are two outsiders, a married couple, George and Linda Gergenblatt, played by Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston.  Unfortunately, this movie never quite, well, comes together.  (You see what I did there.)  The combination of Wain and Apatow doesn't really work.  I don't think the movie is as bad as its reputation is, although it's not as good as WHAS, or for that matter Object of My Affection.  (Interestingly, Alan Alda, who was Aniston's brother-in-law there, here plays commune founder Carvin.)  If you set your expectations really low, you might laugh a few times, as I did.  Still, the best thing about the movie is the Baby song "Get Your Body."

Jessica St. Clair was Whitney in Bridesmaids and is Deena Schuster here.  Carryovers from Wet Hot American Summer include Michael Ian Black (McKinley,  himself, also Trevor in Wain's They Came Together), Nina Hellman (Nancy, Protester), Peter Salett (Guitar Dude, Manfreddie), and Michael Showalter (Gerald Cooperberg and Alan Shemper, himself).

Zandy Hartig, who plays Marcy, would be Katherine in They CT.  Keegan-Michael Key is Marcy's Flunkie here and would do the voice of Foreman Jim in The Lego Movie.