“Love Blows”
A Farrelly brothers movie that features Ben and Jerry Stiller together? Yes please. Ben Stiller plays Eddie, a 40-year-old single owner of a sporting goods store. Jerry plays his (per usual) inappropriate dad, Doc. Eddie attends the wedding of his ex-fiancée and is seated at what appears to be the kids’ table but it is, in fact, the single’s table. You know, to make the point that it’s odd that he’s still single at his age. It’s so absurd to be single that rather than just own it, he winds up spinning some yarn that he was married but she was killed by an axe murderer. Anyway, later while he’s walking down the street, he attempts to stop a purse snatching for a beautiful blonde named Lila. They wind up dating and she seems perfect. She’s an environmental researcher, is active, fun, etc. etc. etc. Alas, it looks like Lila might have to move because of her work, since she’s single and they don’t tend to have married people move. With that, despite Eddie’s hesitance, his dad and best friend pressure him to pull the trigger and tie the knot with Lila after only six weeks of making out (no sex, of course, because she’s a lady).
After the quick wedding, they head off to Cabo San Lucas (from San Francisco) for their honeymoon. This is where the real fun begins. Almost immediately, Lila begins to change (or reveal her true self?). She’s actually not a lady (shocker) and may not actually even have the job Eddie was led to believe she had. It’s not necessarily that she had nefarious intentions but rather it would seem that Eddie and Lila perhaps should have tried some marital counseling and a little more swapping stories rather than swapping spit. But, too bad. A series of unfortunate events occur that result in Eddie spending a fair amount of time separate from his new bride, which is fortuitous not only because she’s not as wonderful as he once thought but also because it allows him to meet Miranda, a lacrosse coach from Minnesota who is on a family vacation. The longer they hang out, the more they like each other. But what is Eddie to do? How will Lila and Miranda react to, well, everything? Will Jerry Stiller’s character yell? You only know definitively the answer to one of those questions, but it is worth watching the movie to know the other answers.
In terms of location, most of the filming took place in San Francisco. However, the honeymoon shots are in Cabo San Lucas. The couple stay at the Esperanza Resort, which of course is an actual resort that lies along the Tourist Corridor, a 20-mile stretch of beaches linking Cabo San Lucas with San José del Cabo . The resort features incredible ocean views and private villas. The various shots showcase the pools and bars as well as the onsite restaurant, the Cocina del Mar. Really, that’s about it. We don’t do a ton of touring around, and while there are scenes where Eddie and Miranda head away from the resort for some fun in nearby villages, they are pretty nondescript. I’m not going to pretend like this was the best movie in the world. I won’t even pretend like it was close. It’s not a movie I would watch many times, nor is it one that requires one’s full attention. Many jokes missed the mark and those that landed were more eye-roll grunts than full-bodied laughter. Do with that what you will. With that, I’ll end this with a few fun trivia bits about the movie itself and an awesome quote. Trivia-wise: one of the names originally pitched for the movie was Damned if I Don’t, which I actually like more than Heartbreak Kid. Jason Bateman was originally cast for Eddie’s role, and while I love Bateman a ton (it’s okay, John knows and accepts this fact) I love that Ben is in the role – though mostly because Jerry is the dad. If that weren’t the case, Jason would have been magical. And now the quote – some words of wisdom from Eddie’s best friend, Mac: Look, you want to know the secret to a happy marriage? Do what I do. Plaster on a fake smile, plow through the next half century, sit back, relax, and wait for the sweet embrace of death!