We're the Millers (2013) - 6/10

I remember there being a lot of buzz around this film when it was released, but I wasn't particularly enamored by it. As I revisit it for the first time, I do find my opinion to be somewhat softened, but I largely still feel that it's a bit over-hyped. Let's head into the rubric. 

1. Acting 

As the title suggests, the film mainly revolves around its main cast. Leading the charge is Jason Sudeikis as David Clark. Clark gets to follow a somewhat classic arc - an arrested development type character who is starting to notice a void in their life. For his part, Sudeikis bring his usual dry but playful wit to David, but is also capable of hitting some more serious notes when the script calls for it. It's not nearly hitting his full range but also the movie isn't asking for that either. His romantic counterpart is played by Jennifer Anniston as Rose/Sarah. She is another veteran comedic actor and exceeds Sudeikis in terms of range/authenticity displayed. The rest of the 'family' is filled out by Emma Roberts who has an okay performance as Casey and Will Poulter who has some great flashes of his future success. 

Outside the main actors, Kathryn Hahn and Nick Offerman are the scene stealers of the supporting cast and help keep the film from getting to stale at times. Hahn in particular has a great feel of making wacky characters feel grounded, then throwing in some off the wall line reading that is just perfect. Offerman brings a similar sensibility that he became known for in Parks & Rec - a 'straight man' type character who in reality is very odd and silly. 

Overall, the cast here is okay. There were flashes of great moments, but things are mostly are generic amongst the core four. The supporting characters are really the ones that seem to get the most fun and recognition. With that said, one thing I did appreciate was how the main four progressively began playing more and more into their roles within the fake family - rebellious teen girl, dopey younger brother, goofy and annoying father, and stern but loving mother.  

2. Cinematography 

A fairly straightforward effort. I didn't have anything noted here.  

3. Production/Costume Design 

Again, a fairly straightforward production.  

4. Writing 

The script for the film is decent. There's plenty of cliches and tropes being used here, but it has enough originality and creativity to keep it relatively fresh. 

The characters also all follow simple but approachable arcs. David's is the arc that gets the most attention and follows a pretty standard path of lonely nobody to fulfilled somebody. Rose/Sarah probably deserves a better arc. She mostly acts as motivation to David and doesn't really get much other than escaping her job and financial burdens. Casey probably could've had the most interesting arc as a runaway in search of a chosen family, but her scenes are too muted and unexplored. Kenny comes probably second to David in term of focus. His arc mostly centers around a 'coming into his own' type of narrative. 

Plot wise, I like the spin on finding an excuse to create a 'found family film'. Each character is search of family or belonging in one way or another. And the plot mostly serves as an excuse for them to explore their own arc while also coming together as a family. It's a straight forward affair, but can also suffer in its own simplicity in the end since it's just road block after road block during their trip home. 

Comedy wise, the film is a bit of a weird mix of raunchy, quipy, and then sometimes wholesome humor. None of it is bad - in fact at times it is quite good. However, the tone shifts wildly to silly bits like Kenny flawlessly singing Waterfalls, to Kenny getting bit on the balls by a giant spider and it swelling to the size of a softball. Or Rose and David going full parent mode and berating Casey for staying out too long with her date, to Rose and Casey teaching Kenny how to kiss only for his love interest to walk in. I'm not saying these bits don't work - rather they are just so tonally different that its like American Pie meets a family comedy like Shrek or something. 

5. Sound Design 

Didn't note anything in particular.  

6. Editing 

The editing is decent. There is nothing fancy going on, but the pace and timing for the comedy is pretty good. Outside of that, the film does limp a bit over the finish line as the crew gets closer to their end goal while still wanting to eat up some more runtime.  

7. Visual Effects

Not a huge amount of VFX on this one, but some minor practical effect to sell the comedy. For instance, it was really some prop or makeup artists job to figure out how to bring Kenny's gigantic swollen balls to life.  

What they did set aside for VFX mostly went to bringing David's employer's gigantic aquarium to life - including a full blown Orca. The whole thing is played as a bit, so I won't knock them for the lack of photorealism on this one.  

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation 

As far as a comedy goes, this film borrows from a lot of other films in small ways. The totality means the film may not be super original, but its arraignment within the narrative is still fresher than most. 

9. Stunt Coordination 

The bulk of creativity seems to have been dedicated to choreographing Jennifer Anniston stripteasing to get away from drug dealers for some reason (you know, how that tends to happen). But, the rest is fine for what it was going for.  

10. Direction 

Rawson Marshall Thurber has a few of these types of comedies underneath his belt. However, compared to his other films like Dodgeball and Central Intelligence, this one is a bit more disjointed and less funny. Nevertheless, the heart at the core of the comedy is still there and there is certainly fun to be had watching it. 

Legacy/Final Thoughts

The 2010's wasn't completely devoid of comedy by any means. However, it did represent a post-Apatow era that couldn't quite find a level of success or consistency that the previous decade did. We're the Millers may not be the cream of the crop, but it is a serviceable film that brings some solid comedic antics while showcasing a talented cast.