Citizen Kane, The Graduate, and Wedding Crashers.

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2005)

For each of us who appreciate the AFI's 100 greatest films, there are those of us, myself included, that aren't afraid to show our love for the good 'ol character-driven, fish out of water, situational, buddy-buddy, flash a boob, sometimes-sophomoric, sometimes not, yet always flawless timing modern COMEDIES. That said, Wedding Crashers is a must... Not only to see, twice, but to get your friends to see, so that you can start doing what every Vince Vaughn and company vessel promises... The everlasting, Fletch-like "when I can use this quote" time of every day for the next six weeks. (Or if you hang out with my friends, six decades).
The film is full of them. But it's not just a bunch of jokes. This film holds up a pretty solid storyline yet doesn't make the same mistake most comedies do when most lose the laughs after the first act. This one had people rolling so hard in the second and third that sometimes we actually missed large chunks of dialogue that was probably even funnier than the ones we were still laughing about. The writing steered away (literally in the case of Owen's character NOT wrecking the yacht)from the "easy" joke choices and instead found the nooks and crannies to hide some of the best tricks in the book.
Delivery. Owen Wilson makes it looks effortless and fun. He always does. Same with Vince Vaughn.... Although always funny when he is the cocky fun-loving party guy, he is at his best when his character is frustrated, and his delivery of simple dialogue is so creative that I don't know who was going to blow a gasket, him or me. I honestly busted out laughing in the theater more than once. And that's a rarity these days. And Rachel? Rachel has a quality about her that makes you love her before she even said her first line. It's tough to stand out around this cast and she does so, very brightly. And what's not to love about Walken. He's the king of delivery. And the rest of the cast is right along with them every step of the way to round out the funniest movie I've seen this year.
I love the great dramatic pieces like everybody does. But let's not mix apples with grenades here. This movie may not win an Oscar for best picture, but it definitely earns respect as a solid, fun experience with a moral that doesn't beat you over the head. I believe it was GQ who tagged these comics (and the revolving crew of guys) as the modern-day Rat Pack... So enjoy it while it lasts. These guys are something special.