A Hilarious Comedy With a Great Ensemble

Rating: 8/10 (30 July 2013)

It's amazing to think that nine years ago, director Rawson Marshall Thurber surprised everyone with making a hit film about the sport of dodgeball with the Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller vehicle Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Since then, he hasn't done much worth writing home about until now with the hilarious comedy We're the Millers.
David (Jason Sudeikis) is a drug dealer who sells little bits to anyone and uses that as his source of income. Rose (Jennifer Aniston) is a stripper who isn't living an ideal life. They know each other from living in the same apartment building. David and Rose are checking their mail at the same time and as David tries to make conversation, Rose rudely pushes him away. David is later talking to another neighbor, Kenny (Will Poulter), as they notice a young girl (Emma Roberts) being harassed by three older guys who refuse to return her phone. David and Kenny find themselves in a compromising situation where their lives are threatened. As they make a run for it, the bullies chase them down and steal David's backpack that had some important possessions. The next day, David is called by his boss Brad (Ed Helms), who forces him into a job that involves David going to Mexico to retrieve some drugs and bringing them back by Sunday night for $100,000. While talking to Kenny, a dorky family in an RV pulls up to ask directions to the zoo. Even though David is rude to the family, he gets the idea to have a pretend family so they are not suspected. Kenny think of himself as David's friend and is on board. They see Casey (Roberts) around and David hires her to pretend to be his daughter. David then tries to hire Rose to be his pretend wife during the job, who rejects his offer. In order to pull of the look, David shaves his face and gets a token white father hair cut and gives Casey money to pull off looking like a regular daughter and thinks Kenny already looks right for the part. After being evicted from her home, Rose agrees to David's offer. For the remainder of the film, David, Rose, Kenny, and Casey have to act like a family so nobody is suspicious, and through it all, start to be a real family to each other.
The film is hilarious and doesn't stop having good jokes, thanks to a script written by Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders, and John Morris. They do a great job of keeping the script funny and raunchy. Yet there are parts in the film where the script is a sense of too many cooks in the kitchen. There are a couple of scenes that are over the top. However, the writers all do great at giving the actors their chance to show what they can do with the parts that were written.
From an acting standpoint, this is mostly Jason Sudeikis's show. Sudeikis gives a great character arc of David as a drug dealer who lives for only himself but turns into a guy who proves that he cares about others. Jennifer Aniston is a riot as Rose, a stripper with a heart of gold who learns from others about how to care for other people. Will Poulter is hilarious as Kenny, who is a good kid that needs guidance. Emma Roberts is also fun as the runaway teen who also needs guidance from others and is quick to say the right thing to make the "Miller" situation work in their favor. Ed Helms had played jerks before and shows why he is good at here as the blackmailing boss. Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn are also fun and a bit over the top in their roles as a couple who the Millers run into on the way back home.
Rawson Marshall Thurber does a good job as director and keeps the film running smooth. He does great with handling his cast ensemble and guides them to having their moments at acting and being funny. He also does great with making the over the top moments funny and work with the film.