The Heartbreak Kid Synopsis: A newlywed falls for another woman while on his honeymoon.
After Eddie (Ben Stiller) believes he’s found the woman of his dreams, he proposes after a whirlwind romance. Unfortunately, he discovers her bad habits and behaviors on their honeymoon, which annoys and angers him. Eddie begins to regret his marriage when he meets another woman at the resort.
The Heartbreak Kid is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name starring Charles Grodin. I haven’t seen that version yet, so I can’t properly compare the two. However, I wasn’t too fond of this one. The Farrelly Bros. are pretty hit or miss for me, and The Heartbreak Kid was a miss.
There are no likable characters to root for. Lila (Malin Akerman), Eddie’s wife, is obnoxious. Eddie himself is terrible. The only person remotely tolerable is Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), the woman Eddie falls in love with at the resort.
It’s a shame because I enjoyed Ben Stiller and the Farrelly Bros. when they came together to make There’s Something About Mary. The Heartbreak Kid feels as though it’s trying hard to match the former’s energy. Instead, it just comes across as rather tame, settling for some unnecessary nudity and mean-spiritedness.
I honestly don’t know what else to say about this movie. There were a few funny moments, but overall, it was a massive disappointment. Miranda and Eddie’s connection wasn’t strong enough to forgive his awful behavior.
The only right ending would have been for Eddie and Lila to remain married so they could both be miserable for the rest of their lives. I think I’ll eventually watch the Charles Grodin version of The Heartbreak Kid, but I don’t have many high hopes that it will be superior to this mess. All I can hope for is something slightly more tolerable.
Watched: 03/12/2023
Notable Song: The First Cut is the Deepest by Cat Stevens
