Grade: B
Bottom Line: Immature, ridiculous and outrageous — not exactly high brow, but thoroughly enjoyable if you’re a fan of this genre.
It was only a few years back that the Whitest Kids U’ Know debuted quietly on Fuse TV. The show, a half-hour sketch comedy starring the group of the same name, had evolved from Sunday night routines at clubs in New York City. They gained notoriety for their live act and for their online shorts, ultimately becoming one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch in 2006. If the group’s name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve almost certainly seen them on YouTube at some point. Now, two group members, Trevor Moore and Zach Cregger, have made the inevitable transition to the silver screen with the March 13 release of their new film Miss March.
The two stars have been tirelessly promoting the movie this year. They have been touring with the rest of the Whitest Kids U’ Know and prepared a third season of their self-titled show to be aired on IFC TV. More explicitly, they have released a handful of hilarious videos on FunnyOrDie.com that relate to the movie.
It is important to note that the writers “[don't] want this to be seen as a Whitest Kids movie,” which is why only two members were involved. Moore and Cregger are, however, currently planning a Whitest Kids movie in which they and other members will play themselves. They were given the script by Fox but found it to be too much of a cliché road-trip movie. They set out to rewrite it from page one and their personal touch and penchant for the outrageous certainly comes through in the film.
Try and follow me here: There are two friends, Eugene (Cregger) and Tucker (Moore) who have known each other since childhood. Tucker is an incomprehensibly out-of-touch sex addict and Eugene is an adamant supporter of abstinence ever since his brother lost his sanity over one fateful intercourse. On prom night, however, Eugene’s girlfriend makes him promise they will finally have sex. Tucker coaxes a nervous Eugene into taking several shots of whiskey to ease the pressure, resulting in his friend to falling drunkenly down the stairs and into a four-year coma. When Eugene finally wakes up, he discovers that his once-chaste girlfriend is now a Playboy model and vows to find her. The two go on the run sooner than expected after Tucker “accidentally” stabs his epileptic girlfriend with a fork. The boys then go on a quest to find the Playboy Mansion while avoiding vengeful firefighters along the way.
From the outset, it is clear that this movie suits a narrow demographic. Critics will undoubtedly write it off as “sophomoric,” perhaps because of all the excrement involved. Despite such warranted claims, the movie may still earn the appreciation of a true connoisseur of the outrageous and unexpected. Where the target audience is concerned, the younger (at heart) the better.
Not without its fair share of genuine laugh-out-loud moments, the film does have an abundance of over-the-top jokes and performances that merit a quiet sigh. The traditional straight man/crazy sidekick pair of Eugene and Tucker lacks any real cutting edge. Furthermore, Moore is very one-dimensional and experiences almost no real moments of depth or understanding from start to finish. Moore’s cluelessness is certainly funny and well performed, but doesn’t leave the kind of lasting impression that similar characters like James Franco in Pineapple Express, for example, have accomplished in the past. His character, previously vigorously tested in 3-minute sketches on the TV show, does not translate gracefully to a long-form film.
Nevertheless, the disjointed and surprising nature of the plot line keeps the movie exciting and interesting. Moore notes that the movie “wrote itself.” He says of his approach to the script: “It’s like we gotta get from here to here, some funny shit needs to happen, okay, good.” Moore and Cregger’s sketch-writing past does come through in the script and will certainly hit home for fans of their previous work.
Craig Robinson (Darryl from The Office) plays one of the more memorable characters in the film, stealing the show with his supporting role. Robinson portrays Moore’s friend-turned-rap star Phil, known better by his rap name, Horsedick.MPEG. Phil helps the boys reach the mansion, offering plenty of absurdity along the way. Given his recent body of work, Robinson truly deserves to be acknowledged as a fantastic addition to any movie.
All in all, the movie was good fun, but at times it was too immature and ridiculous for even the most immature and ridiculous of us. While the writers worked hard to make something unique, the film can be too alienating at times and, due to its uncouth subject matter, will probably not garner the replay value of a cult classic teen/road trip/adventure/buddy/sex comedy. In spite of this, it certainly is a welcome sign of life and great exposure for some of the funniest young comedians out there.