You're Cordially Invited Movie Review: Remember when Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson played brides who went to war with each other over their weddings in Bride Wars? Well, now it’s the in-laws’ turn to clash in Prime Video’s new comedy, You’re Cordially Invited. Sure, there are a dime a dozen wedding comedies dropped on streaming platforms every season. But what makes You’re Cordially Invited stand out - albeit just a little - is the fantastic casting of Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon as the warring leads. Their spot-on comic timing makes the movie pretty watchable. Shotgun Wedding Movie Review: Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel’s Destination Wedding Gone Wrong is Wrapped Up in a Dull Action Affair.
Directed by Nicholas Stoller, You’re Cordially Invited is reminiscent of the comedies he’s known for, like Get Him to the Greek and Neighbors, albeit a bit more tempered a much less raunchier. The movie revolves around two weddings accidentally booked at the same destination on the same date. One wedding is planned by Jim (Will Ferrell), a widower, for his daughter Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan).
The other is organised by Margot (Reese Witherspoon), a reality show producer and self-proclaimed spinster, for her younger sister Neve (Meredith Hagner). It’s only when they arrive at the venue that Jim and Margot realise the double-booking error. After some initial resentment, the duo agrees to work together to accommodate both weddings at different times. However, it doesn’t take long for them to start sabotaging each other’s spotlight and turning into horrible people, and their clash begins to affect the weddings and their families.
Watch the Trailer of 'You're Cordially Invited':
As I mentioned earlier, we’ve seen plenty of comedies on streaming platforms centred around weddings that go horribly wrong before eventually settling into happy endings. You’re Cordially Invited is no exception. What works here, though, is the perfect pairing of Will Ferrell, who can crank up any scene with a simple snort, and Reese Witherspoon, who reminds us why her cameo in Friends is still so hilarious - and why her leading turn in Legally Blonde was iconic.
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The first hour of You’re Cordially Invited is decent, with a few moments that might elicit half-smiles here and there. For instance, there’s Jim and Jenni’s father-daughter rendition of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ inappropriately lyrical Islands in the Stream at the pre-wedding get-together. We also get to understand Jim and Margot better - two decent people driven a little crazy by the pressure of organising weddings for their loved ones and what it means for their own lives.
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The movie truly hits its stride, though, when the protagonists lean into their darker sides. This is where the humour shines brightest (though it still doesn’t reach the heights of some of the actors’ previous films). Jim, in particular, goes full-on chaotic after overhearing Margot (who’s jealous of him stealing her spotlight) badmouthing him and his daughter to her family. This allows Will Ferrell to go full Will Ferrell, and for some reason, it works. Whether he’s rising from a lake like Willard from Apocalypse Now, wrestling a live alligator in bed, or manipulating Margot at the wedding party while smelling like fish, it’s all absurdly entertaining. Luv Ki Arrange Marriage Movie Review: Sunny Singh and Avneet Kaur's Romcom Has No Business of Being This Unfunny!
Even the quieter, more dramatic moments—like Margot bonding with her siblings and later with her mother (a delightful Celia Weston)—work well. And yeah, there is also a Nick Jonas cameo thrown in as well.
Maybe it's the oldie millennial in me, but the movie's attempts to make Tiktok jokes fell flat, but that one joke about the USA's job economy landed nicely.
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What didn’t work as well for me was the movie’s insistence on selling every possible happy ending, some of which felt predictable from a distance. This includes some weak dramatic conflicts like Margot sparring with her family for being self-centred (at least Jenni’s fight with her father felt believable) just so that we can be around their happy reconciliation.
I also wasn’t a fan of the movie trying to push Jim and Margot as a potential couple. Admittedly, there was a point where I rooted for them to fall in love, but that was before Will Ferrell’s batshit craziness evaporated any romantic tension. Instead of forcing a love story, You’re Cordially Invited should have taken a more subtle approach. That said, it’s hard to complain too much when Ferrell and Witherspoon look so good together.
'You're Cordially Invited' Movie Review - Final Thoughts
You’re Cordially Invited isn’t groundbreaking what's with an ordinary storyline and convenient end-pieces - but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a light, breezy comedy that delivers exactly what it promises: a few laughs, some absurd Will Ferrell antics, and the undeniable charm of its leads. Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon elevate the material with their chemistry and comedic chops, even when the plot veers into predictable territory. You’re Cordially Invited is streaming on Prime Video.
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2025 12:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).