Aug 22, 2008,
Cole Haddon
Can someone please explain to me how August became the funniest month of 2008? First we got Pineapple Express, then Tropic Thunder, and next week, Hamlet 2, which is probably smarter than these other two movies combined. Because of this deluge of funny, I can't help but wonder how The House Bunny, starring Anna Faris of the Scary Movie franchise, will fair next to so much pot, testosterone, and brains. Any other month of the year, it would in fact be the comedic highlight of the release calendar, but up against these odds, does a sweet-hearted movie about an aspiring Playboy bunny who winds up as the sorority mother of the geekiest house on campus stand much of a chance of, you know, standing out? My analysis: probably not.
That's too bad, especially for ticket buyers who have had to contend with dumber-than-dumb comedies all summer long, from You Don't Mess with the Zohan to Step Brothers to even The Love Guru -- which, yes, I defended, but now accept as considerably sub-par compared to what, because of August's releases, I realize Hollywood is still capable of producing regularly. (Are you happy now, Dre?) The House Bunny deserves your attention, as does the performance of leading lady Faris, who for too long has been dismissed by the industry as a supporting player in movies like Just Friends and Waiting.... The House Bunny, or rather her role as spacey Shelley Darlington, proves conclusively she is her generation's strongest comedic actress and should be gracing a lot more movie posters than dull-to-watch Kate Hudson (The House Bunny is one of my favorites this summer thanks to the confused, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look in Faris's eyes). Hudson, by the way, is the daughter of one of Faris's idols, Goldie Hawn, to whom Faris could be best compared -- both share a knack for physical comedy and adding substantive depth to their flighty characters. If Private Benjamin were remade today, Faris would be my first and only choice for the role.
Shelley, in case you're one of those people who likes details (and good on you for that), lives as one of Hugh Hefner's "girls next door" at the Playboy Mansion, where life is the stuff mimosa dreams are made of. That is, until a rival tricks Shelley out of the mansion while Hef is away. With nowhere to turn and not a penny to her name, she applies for a job at a similar type of house -- a sorority. A sorority of losers, in fact. One wears a back brace. Another is pregnant. One won't even speak. A whole host of hotties play these students, including Katharine McPhee, Emma Stone, and Bruce and Demi's kid, Rumer Willis. Before long, Shelley has turned their lives around by showing them how to be "hot" according to Playboy standards. The students, in turn, realize they've become everything they hate -- namely the cool, snobby girls who choose friends for superficial reasons -- and ask Shelley to leave. In the end, Shelley has managed to reintroduce her sorority to the world and shown them the value of good old fashioned social fun, but she's also learned the value of a brain and education from them. When that happens, Playboy loses its luster for her and all Shelley wants are her girls back. The House Bunny isn't going to cure any diseases, but it's got heart, a lot of laughs, and a message a lot of the teenage girls I used to substitute teach should take to heart.
If you want to read more about Faris and why I'm so in love with her, check out my recent interview with her by clicking here. You might even fall in love with her yourself, but just remember -- I saw her first!
