Finally, something that makes the trauma, humiliation, and embarrassment of high school seem lesser by comparison. Directed by Andy Fickman, You Again is a clichéd collection of old grudges that fails to produce any new laughs. Returning home for her brother’s wedding, Marni (Kristen Bell) is horrified to learn that the bride-to-be is her high school tormentor Joanna (Odette Yustman). As if this weren’t enough to produce hijinks, the mother of the groom (Jamie Lee Curtis) and the aunt of the bride (Sigourney Weaver) were also teenage rivals. Novice screenwriter Moe Jelline’s script is bloated with scenes and situations that don’t make the grade. And Fickman’s direction can’t make the average punch lines into a passable final product. A cameo by Kristin Chenoweth seems almost refreshing compared to the near exploitative grandmother role played by Betty White. Poor White is carted out for a couple inane lines and then wheeled away again. It’s only the younger brother, played by Billy Unger, who really gets a laugh — especially when he asks for the number of a suicide prevention hotline. Please share. ONE STAR. In theaters today. Visit fandango.com.
Reviewed by Tim Plant
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!