It was Groucho Marx who once said, Some people claim that marriage interferes with romance; anytime you have a romance, your wife is bound to interfere."" That quote may never have been more appropriate than in ""The Heartbreak Kid,"" where a man finds love on his honeymoon... with another woman. Though directed by the Farrelly Brothers, most noted for ""There's Something About Mary"" and ""Kingpin,"" the film moderates gross-out humor with a surprising amount of emotion to be one of the pair's best in years.
Ben Stiller plays Eddie, a 40-something bachelor who (rightfully so) views his friends' married lives as matrimonial hell. When he meets Lila, played by Malin Akerman, they fall in love and, due to uncontrollable circumstances, get married in a matter of weeks. On their honeymoon, Eddie discovers his new wife isn't the woman he thought he married (think of a deranged cheerleader on speed). He also discovers another woman, played by Michelle Monaghan, who may actually be his true love.
The strength of the film lies in the actors who comprise its love-triangle. Stiller, seemingly rejuvenated after some forgettable recent roles, makes the most of his screen time as the same kind of good-hearted-but-unlucky dope he played the last time he worked with the Farrellys in ""Mary.""
Eddie's a relatable victim of his (and his family and friends') eagerness for him to find Miss Right, and he doesn't quite understand what he has gotten himself into until it is too late. Akerman and Monaghan both click with Eddie in different ways - we see why Eddie could love both of the women in his life and why he could run toward the hills screaming from his bride.
Ex-""Daily Show"" correspondent Rob Corddry steals a couple scenes as Eddie's best friend who repeats his motto, ""happy wife, happy life,"" believing that if he says it enough, it will come true.
The Farrelly Brothers won acclaim as the kings of crude humor, and though other filmmakers have tried to steal the throne, the Farrellys refuse to give it up. The secret to their success may be their unwillingness to devote themselves entirely to vulgarity. There are some filthy (and funny) jokes in ""Kid,"" but they don't become repugnant, and they never overtake what is, at times, a sweet movie.
""The Heartbreak Kid"" is not an indictment of marriage, but an indictment of getting married for the wrong reasons. It's a film that, despite some toilet humor, seems to really believe true love exists, but also argues that not every marriage is composed of romantically compatible people in love.
The film itself is not entirely flawless - there are a few easy jokes, Monaghan's character isn't fully developed and the comedy seems to stop when she's in the frame, and Carlos Mencia makes an unfunny appearance as a Mexican horndog hotel employee. Nonetheless, it's a funny movie that marks the return of Stiller and Bobby and Peter Farrelly to adult-only comedy.
""The Heartbreak Kid"" is a movie about being in love and discovering that sometimes love isn't as true as you'd hoped. Sometimes, as Groucho said best; ""Marriage is a wonderful institution. But who wants to live in an institution?
