Lyla Dejesus
Will Ferrell's performance in Wedding Crashers has been the subject of some debate. Ferrell played Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn). While the film received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for Vaughn's performance, Ferrell's cameo was described by Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times as lazy and his hyper-active bonehead routine as awful. Scott Meslow of GQ also criticised Ferrell's performance, calling it unfunny. However, others have argued that Ferrell's appearance in the film was a strong point, with the movie receiving several nominations and wins at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the movie | Wedding Crashers |
| Year of release | 2005 |
| Genre | Romantic comedy |
| Will Ferrell's character name | Chazz Reinhold |
| Will Ferrell's character description | A wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Jeremy Grey |
| Other notable actors in the film | Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Christopher Walken, Bradley Cooper, Jane Seymour |
| Director | David Dobkin |
| Writers | Steve Faber and Bob Fisher |
| Box office performance | Grossed $288.5 million worldwide on a $40 million budget |
| Critical reception | Generally favorable reviews, with an approval rating of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 64/100 on Metacritic |
| Awards and nominations | Won Best Movie, On-Screen Team, and Breakthrough Performance at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Will Ferrell's cameo as Chazz Reinhold
Chazz, who is frequently mentioned but unseen throughout the first half of the film, is revealed to be played by Ferrell. Ferrell's character is a total loser who lives with his mother and has resorted to crashing funerals to meet women. When John meets Chazz, it serves as a wake-up call that he no longer wants to crash weddings anymore and instead wants to be with Claire.
Ferrell's cameo was a huge challenge to pull off, and director David Dobkin had to beg the studio not to include it in the marketing to maintain the element of surprise. Test audiences went wild for Ferrell's surprise appearance, laughing hysterically even before they knew it was him. Dobkin recalled that when Ferrell first appears on screen, there was an audible reaction from the audience, who seemed to know that something funny was about to happen.
Ferrell's small part was considered a "rocket boost" for the movie, and critics remained silent about his super-secret appearance, which led to an awesome surprise for viewers. Ferrell's involvement was successfully kept under wraps until the film's release.
Friends' Absence at Your Wedding: What It Means
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson's performances
Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times wrote a favourable review, praising Vaughn's performance: "Jeremy is the soul of the movie. There's something about Vaughn—the deadpan eyes; the sublimated, misdirected intelligence—that recalls Bill Murray in his 'Caddyshack' years."
In 2018, Scott Meslow of GQ reassessed the film, noting its problematic gender and sexual dynamics. However, he acknowledged that the film "does have an extremely strong pair of leads".
Director David Dobkin noted that Owen Wilson was nervous about a scene in which he had to grab his co-star Jane Seymour's breast. Dobkin recalled, "He didn't really want to squeeze her breast when she was telling him to. And I was like, 'Dude, you gotta do it, it doesn't look right, your hands look like crab claws.' And then he did it eventually, and that scene ended up being way funnier than I thought it was going to be."
The success of the film has been attributed to the on-screen chemistry between Vaughn and Wilson, who became close friends during filming. Wilson noted in an interview that he and Vaughn had discussed crashing real weddings after the pandemic to draw inspiration for a potential sequel.
Paris and Juliet: When Will They Wed?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The film's critical reception
The 2005 film Wedding Crashers, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, was both a critical and commercial success. It grossed $288.5 million worldwide on a $40 million budget and received an approval rating of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.72/10.
The film has been described as "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: "There's something about Vaughn—the deadpan eyes; the sublimated, misdirected intelligence—that recalls Bill Murray in his 'Caddyshack' years."
However, some critics have noted that the film's treatment of gender and sexual dynamics has aged poorly, with one critic identifying the use of the "predatory gay man" trope as "inexcusably unfunny" and arguing that the film trivializes rape. This critic also called out the underdeveloped female characters and the inclusion of a date-rape joke in the film's opening minutes.
Will Ferrell's cameo as Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher, has been described as "insane" and "hilariously ridiculous". Ferrell's involvement in the film was kept secret, with director David Dobkin insisting that no promotional material include him, so as not to spoil the surprise for viewers. Ferrell's appearance in the film was nearly derailed due to concerns over his busy schedule and the potential for his involvement to be leaked.
Wedding Cars: How Many Will You Need?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Casting decisions
The casting of Isla Fisher, who played Gloria Cleary, was also notable. At the time, Fisher was a relatively unknown actress in the United States but had a significant profile in the United Kingdom and Australia due to her work in the soap opera Home and Away. She was chosen over other actresses, including Shannon Elizabeth and Anna Paquin.
Another contentious casting decision was that of Secretary Cleary. Dobkin wanted to cast Christopher Walken, while New Line Cinema preferred a more comedic actor such as Burt Reynolds. Ultimately, Walken was cast, known for his more serious character roles.
The role of Chazz Reinhold was initially considered for Nicolas Cage, but ultimately went to Will Ferrell, who played the part in an uncredited cameo. Ferrell's performance received mixed reviews, with some critics describing his routine as "hyper-active" and "lazy".
The final role to be cast was that of Claire Cleary, which went to Rachel McAdams after Dobkin auditioned over 200 actresses for the part.
I Will Always Love You": Perfect Wedding Song
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The film's plot
Wedding Crashers is an American romantic comedy film released in 2005. The film stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn as John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey, divorce mediators from Washington, D.C. who crash weddings under false identities to meet and seduce women.
The film begins with John and Jeremy crashing a wedding and successfully seducing women. They then learn of the Cleary family and decide to crash the upcoming wedding of the Cleary daughter, hoping to seduce her sisters, Gloria and Claire. Jeremy becomes attached to Gloria, while John pursues Claire.
At the wedding, they encounter Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Jeremy, played by Will Ferrell in an uncredited cameo appearance. John and Jeremy compete with Chazz for the attention of the Cleary sisters, with Chazz pursuing Claire, while Jeremy continues to pursue Gloria.
The film follows the comedic exploits and romantic entanglements of the wedding crashers as they navigate the Cleary family dynamics, including interactions with the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Cleary and his wife, Kathleen. The cast also includes Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, and Jane Seymour in supporting roles.
Despite receiving generally positive reviews for its comedic performances and sweet and raunchy tone, *Wedding Crashers* has also been criticized for its use of outdated tropes and insensitive humour involving gender, sexual dynamics, and racism.
Will and Tess's Wedding: A Short Story Collection by Cassandra Clare
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Will Ferrell plays Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Jeremy.
Will Ferrell's character, Chazz Reinhold, is Jeremy's mentor in wedding and funeral crashing.
Critics were divided on Will Ferrell's performance in Wedding Crashers. While Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times called his performance "lazy" and criticised his "hyper-active bonehead routine", Scott Meslow of GQ acknowledged that the film had "an extremely strong pair of leads".
The main characters in Wedding Crashers are John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey, played by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn respectively.
Nicolas Cage was considered for the role of Chazz Reinhold before Will Ferrell was cast.
