Deborah Chan
Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American romantic comedy film starring Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Christopher Walken, with supporting roles played by Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, and Jane Seymour. Will Ferrell also makes an appearance as Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Jeremy Grey (Vaughn). Ferrell's cameo received mixed reviews, with some critics calling it lazy and his routine awful. The film, directed by David Dobkin, follows two divorce mediators, John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey, who crash weddings under false identities to meet and seduce women. With a worldwide gross of $288.5 million, the film was a commercial success and helped revive the popularity of adult-oriented, R-rated comedies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the actor | Will Ferrell |
| Name of the movie | Wedding Crashers |
| Year of release | 2005 |
| Genre | Romantic comedy |
| Role | Chazz Reinhold |
| Uncredited | Yes |
| Nature of the role | Wedding and funeral crasher and mentor of Jeremy Grey |
| Performance | Criticized by Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times |
| Called "lazy" by Scott Meslow of GQ |
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What You'll Learn
Will Ferrell's cameo
Ferrell's character has been described as a mentor to Jeremy, who is one half of the pair of divorce mediators who crash weddings to meet and seduce women. Chazz is a minor character, but his role is significant in that he sets the plot in motion by introducing Jeremy to the world of wedding crashing. Ferrell's casting in the film was notable, as Nicolas Cage was originally considered for the role of Chazz.
The film Wedding Crashers was a critical and commercial success, grossing $288.5 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. It was the sixth highest-grossing film of 2005 in the United States and helped revive the popularity of adult-oriented, R-rated comedies. Despite the overall positive reception of the film, Ferrell's cameo has been singled out as a low point by some critics.
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Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson's performances
Vaughn and Wilson's chemistry as the irrepressible duo of Jeremy Grey and John Beckwith, respectively, was a highlight for many viewers. Their rapid-fire dialogue and sincere affection for each other's characters shone through, with Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times calling Vaughn's performance "the soul of the movie". Chocano praised Vaughn's deadpan eyes and sublimated, misdirected intelligence, drawing comparisons to Bill Murray in 'Caddyshack'.
Wilson's performance as the nervous yet determined John Beckwith also garnered praise. Director David Dobkin shared that Wilson was hesitant about a scene where he had to grab his co-star Jane Seymour's breast, but eventually did it, making the scene funnier than expected. Wilson's natural charm and comedic timing added to the film's appeal, with one IMDb reviewer commenting that he "scores a good second place" after Vaughn.
The success of Wedding Crashers is largely attributed to the comedic timing and chemistry between Vaughn and Wilson, who were the first actors cast in the film. Their performances elevated the film, making it a commercial success and contributing to the revival of adult-oriented, R-rated comedies.
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Casting choices
Director David Dobkin cast Bradley Cooper without watching his audition tape, as he was impressed by the actor's test reading. Isla Fisher, a relatively unknown actress in the United States at the time, was cast as Gloria over Shannon Elizabeth and Anna Paquin. The casting of Secretary Cleary was a contentious issue, with Dobkin wanting to cast Christopher Walken, while New Line Cinema wanted a more comedic actor such as Burt Reynolds. Nicolas Cage was considered for the role of Chazz Reinhold, which ultimately went to Will Ferrell. Rachel McAdams was cast as Claire, the final role to be filled, after Dobkin auditioned over 200 actresses.
The film also features cameos from Arizona Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, and Democratic strategist and CNN contributor James Carville.
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Critical reception
Will Ferrell's cameo in Wedding Crashers was kept a secret until the film's release. Ferrell played an uncredited mentor to Vince Vaughn's character, teaching him how to crash weddings to meet women. The director, David Dobkin, was worried about the film and how it would be received, and he begged the studio not to use Ferrell's cameo in the marketing, believing that maintaining the surprise appearance would make the reveal better.
The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $288.5 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 75% based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 6.72/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Wedding Crashers is both raunchy and sweet, and features top-notch comic performances from Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson." Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times wrote a favourable review, praising Vaughn's performance and calling him "the soul of the movie".
However, Chocano was critical of Ferrell's "hyper-active bonehead routine", deeming the interlude "awful". Other critics have also noted that the film has not aged well due to its treatment of gender and sexual dynamics, including a date-rape joke in the opening minutes, the use of the "sassy racist grandmother" trope, and the "inexcusably unfunny" predatory gay man trope. Ferrell's cameo has also been described as lazy.
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The film's success
The 2005 American romantic comedy film Wedding Crashers, starring Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Christopher Walken, was both a critical and commercial success. The film, which follows two divorce mediators who crash weddings to meet and seduce women, grossed $288.5 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. It was the sixth highest-grossing film of 2005 in the United States and became the first R-rated comedy to make $200 million at the domestic box office.
However, the film has also received some criticism, particularly for its portrayal of gender and sexual dynamics, which some reviewers have argued have aged poorly. Scott Meslow of GQ noted a date-rape joke in the opening minutes and the use of the "predatory gay man" trope, which he described as "inexcusably unfunny". Despite these criticisms, Meslow acknowledged that the film "does have an extremely strong pair of leads".
The success of Wedding Crashers can also be attributed to the strong performances of its lead actors, Vaughn and Wilson, who were described as "enormously funny" by J.R. Jones of Rotten Tomatoes. The film's supporting cast, including Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, and Jane Seymour, also contributed to its success. McAdams, in particular, was praised by Brian Lowry of Variety for filling in "narrative gaps and actually creat [ing] a real character".
Overall, the success of Wedding Crashers can be attributed to its strong comedic performances, its revival of adult-oriented, R-rated comedies, and its ability to balance raunchy and sweet elements, despite some criticisms of its portrayal of certain tropes and dynamics.
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Frequently asked questions
Will Ferrell plays Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentors Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn).
No, Will Ferrell has a cameo in Wedding Crashers.
Wedding Crashers is a romantic comedy about two divorce mediators, John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn), who crash weddings under false identities to meet and seduce women.
