Life of the Party * (2018, Melissa McCarthy, Debby Ryan, Gillian Jacobs, Jessie Ennis) – Movie Review

Melissa McCarthy stars in Life of the Party (2018) as hearty middle-aged mother Deanna, whose husband (Matt Walsh) suddenly calmly announces he’s got a newer model, the attractive realtor (Julie Bower), and is divorcing Deanna on the very day they have left their daughter (Molly Gordon) to start college. Deanna calls her crazy, sex-mad best friend (Maya Rudolph) for aid and assistance.

Deanna decides there is only one thing to do –  return to college to complete her degree, joining her daughter and her surprisingly tolerant and approving friends (Gillian Jacobs, Jessie Ennis, Adri Arjona) in their frat. Deanna has a very peculiar dorm buddy (Heidi Gardner), who shuns the light and the world, but finally of course comes round to Deanna’s peculiar but lovely way of thinking.

They’re all girls together in the larger fraternity of women. That is apart from a couple of nasty girls (Debby Ryan, Yani Simone), who spend most of the movie dissing Deanna, but finally of course come round to her lovely way of thinking. A frat boy/ bus boy/ waiter called Jack (Luke Benward) with tall hair fancies Deanna, even though she’s more than twice his age, and, after they spend a naughty night together, keeps fancying her, though she keeps brushing him off. A likely story, is this, and far from an easy role for Benward to play. But then some of the women’s roles are not easy to play either.

An old idea (Rodney Dangerfield did it in his 1986 Back to School) is recycled to very moderate success in Life of the Party. There are giggles along the way, especially of the pratfalls kind, but the laughs are as sparse as any fresh ideas. The comedy could do with a reality check perhaps.

Life of the Party is written by McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone, and directed by Ben Falcone. It all feels a bit stale and flat, though you get the feeling that everybody is trying hard, but with the effort often showing. If it is lame, it is also quite tame, with a 12 certificate, and a notable lack of gross-out or strong language, in contrast to McCarthy’s popular R-rated comedies.

Deanna is the life and soul of the party, a jolly, indomitable mother earth, with a sense of humour, as well as a sense of the ridiculous in Life of the Party, a movie with positive views and large roles for women, and a poor view of menfolk, who are either duplicitous, pathetic or dependent. Hey guys, McCarthy is here to sort you out!

It is the fourth film from Falcone and McCarthy, after Bridesmaids, Tammy and The Boss.

A puzzled-looking Christina Aguilera makes a cameo appearance and sings a song at the film’s climax.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

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