Universal Studios Home Video presents

You, Me and Dupree (2006)

"The doctor said most of my injuries are emotional."- Randy Dupree (Owen Wilson)

Stars: Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon
Other Stars: Seth Rogen, Amanda Detmer, Michael Douglas
Director: Anthony & Joe Russo

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for (sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, language, and a drug reference)
Run Time: 01h:49m:18s
Release Date: 2006-11-21
Genre: comedy

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B	D	A	B	B

 

DVD Review

Owen Wilson first gained notoriety for starring in and co-writing the indie hit, Bottle Rocket, then got his break teaming with Jackie Chan for the box office hits Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights. Wilson continues to team with friend and writing partner Wes Anderson, turning out a series of phenomenal projects like The Royal Tenenbaums. Riding the huge success of 2005's Wedding Crashers, Wilson teamed with a pair of superstar actors for this summer comedy You, Me and Dupree. Despite a critical drubbing, it made respectable money at the box office, but a dud is a dud, and I guess Wilson was due to make one at some point.

Carl (Matt Dillon) and Molly (Kate Hudson) have just been married, but don't have much time to enjoy the newlywed life. Not only is Carl constantly demeaned by Molly's father (Michael Douglas), but he's also just learned that his longtime friend, Randy Dupree (Owen Wilson), is both jobless and homeless. Molly agrees to open her home to Dupree, but it doesn't take long for the newlyweds to realize they've made a mistake. Dupree takes bachelor stereotypes to another level, throwing parties at the house, and bringing out Carl's inner frat boy, meaning that it isn't long before Carl must decide between this longtime friendship and his bride.

The truth is, there are literally no laughs to be had. With the talent involved and a potentially interesting story idea, I'm not entirely sure why this didn't work, but it all starts with the Dupree character. This is the type of person that requires more of a back story, as we immediately see him as an obnoxious loser. There has to be some sort of connection between the audience and Dupree (more footage of him and Carl as kids, perhaps), or, as is the case with the current state of the film, we can only dislike him, not to mention foresee his every move.

Wilson's detractors will have a field day here, as this is far and away his worst performance to date. I'm a pretty big fan, making this especially painful to endure as he exhibits none of his usual charm and wit. The script doesn't give the actor much to work with, and he appears far too disinterested to save such a weak story. There's much more life in Dupree's wardrobe, actually; this is especially evident during Carl and Molly's wedding, although no woman in her right mind would authorize such attire for anyone in the bridal party.

Dillon, who shows his decent if limited comedic skills in There's Something About Mary, is far too restrained here. Playing the straight (and annoyed) man to Wilson's goofy Dupree doesn't suit him at all; his delivery is wooden, with no flair or pizzazz whatsoever. It becomes painful to watch him struggle through this material; it's clear he's not having a whole lot of fun with it. Hudson's work is by-the-numbers, but she isn't asked to do much beyond look annoyed by Dupree.

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: D

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.85:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	yes

Image Transfer Review: The anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer offers sharp, detailed images throughout. The color rendering is the transfer's most impressive aspect, with bright, vivid hues continuously covering the screen. It's always nice to see a flawless transfer, as far as dirt and grain go, which is the case here.

Image Transfer Grade: A
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
Dolby Digital 5.1	English, Spanish, French	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Dolby Digital 5.1 is the audio mix featured, and, while nothing spectacular, it suits the lighthearted comedic material just fine. The surrounds are used sparingly, but do bring some of the pop music to life. There's little to no bass, but the dialogue is always clear and easy to decipher.

Audio Transfer Grade: B 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 20 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, Spanish, French with remote access
5 Other Trailer(s) featuring American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, Balls of Fury, Hot Fuzz, Accepted, The Break-Up
8 Deleted Scenes
1 Alternate Endings
2 Feature/Episode commentaries by 1. Directors Anthony & Joe Russo.2. Writer Michael Le Sieur and producer Scott Stuber.
Packaging: Keep Case
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. "Dupree's Memoirs" - Video-filled scrapbook.
2. Outtakes
3. "Spoof Trailer"

Extras Review: This is a decent collection of extras, highlighted by its pair of audio commentaries. The first features directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who have recorded a loose, fun track, as these guys spend most of their time telling on-set stories. Writer Michael Le Sieur and producer Scott Stuber participate in the second, more technical track, talking about the writing process and why some sequences were cut from the theatrical release.

We get an alternate ending (with optional commentary by the Russos) that shows another possible profession for Dupree. Dupree's Memoirs is a rather pointless scrapbook of various things from the character's life. It includes quite a few video clips, though, and these give us more interview and behind-the-scenes footage.

Eight deleted scenes run just over six minutes and don't add many more laughs, but the four minutes of outtakes are very funny. A two-minute Spoof Trailer makes the movie seem much more serious than it is.

Extras Grade: B
 

Final Comments

You, Me and Dupree wants to be as successful as Wedding Crashers, but it doesn't even come close. Extremely limited laughs and shoddy acting are the direct byproduct of a poorly-written script, but that hasn't stopped Universal Home Video from giving this a proper DVD release. Above average audio and video and a nice extras collection make the disc worthy if you enjoyed the movie more than I did.

Chuck Aliaga 2006-12-12