'Along Came Polly'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey threw up 19 times in 48 days after revisiting the 2004 romantic comedy 'Along Came Polly,' starring Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Cast
Ben Stiller as Reuben Feffer
Jennifer Aniston as Polly Prince
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Sandy Lyle
Hank Azaria as Claude
Alec Baldwin as Stan Indursky
Debra Messing as Lisa Kramer
Bryan Brown as Leland Van Lew
Missy Pyle as Polly's friend
Directed by: John Hamburg
Written by: John Hamburg
Notes
- Budget of $42 million, grossed $178 million worldwide.
- This is Hoffman's 7th Rewatchable (after 'Scent of a Woman', 'Boogie Nights', Talented Mr. Ripley, 'Magnolia', '25th Hour', and 'Moneyball').
- Bill categorizes this as a 'Slow Burner' – made money when it came out but wasn't critically respected, then grew in stature over time through cable TV reruns.
- Ben Stiller was in 5-6 movies in 2004: 'Along Came Polly', Starsky & Hutch, Envy, Dodgeball, Meet the Fockers, plus a bit part in Anchorman.
- Original title was 'Sorry About Your Wife' – changed because it was too much of a downer.
- The basketball scene's sweaty guy had his chest lathered with a glycerin solution; he jumped on a trampoline to land on Stiller's face, and they did 12 takes.
- Hamburg said he auditioned for the movie 'The Champ' as a kid and didn't get it – that inspired the Sandy Lyle washed-up child actor backstory.
- Alec Baldwin helped Hoffman figure out the boardroom scene after Hoffman struggled with a rewritten script over lunch.
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“I'll tell you what I did like about this movie: Philip Seymour Hoffman.”
Ebert also questioned whether you buy Stiller and Aniston as a couple.
- The art gallery 'I just sharded' sequence combined with the basketball scene – approximately 7 consecutive minutes. Sean calls it 'a comedy Mount Rushmore sequence.'
- Other contenders: the opening wedding scene with Hoffman, the urinal scene with Baldwin, the Moroccan dinner date, Sandy eating greasy pizza, the bathroom disaster at Polly's apartment, the salsa confrontation.
- Alec Baldwin's accent and character (Stan Indursky).
- Aniston's movie career arc – looks much better in retrospect.
- Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance overall.
- The concept of a child actor who peaked at age 10 (Sandy Lyle's backstory).
- Reuben's theory on bar food (don't eat the communal nuts/snacks).
- Racquetball – Bill asks if it's been replaced by pickleball.
- E! True Hollywood Story – the show doesn't exist anymore.
- Ben Stiller running – Bill rates it 3.5 on a 'scale of 1 to Cruise.'
- Sean's pick: the overhead shot of Hoffman saying 'I'm so horny' at the art gallery.
- Winner: the Sasquatch slow-mo shot of the sweaty guy's stomach hitting Stiller's face during the basketball scene (Bill).
- Winner: 'Lost Cause' by Beck – plays during the breakup/sad montage.
- Other notable music: Black Eyed Peas song at the gallery, 'Let's Do It Again' by The Staple Singers.
The risk assessment list (Polly vs. Lisa pros/cons) – Bill says it's directly ripped from the Friends Season 2 episode where Ross makes a list comparing Rachel and Julie, with the same actress (Aniston) finding it.
- Sean: maybe Debra Messing over Jennifer Aniston – 'she's pretty appealing in Saint Barts.'
- Craig: Paul Rudd is not that handsome (Sean calls this 'the hottest take right there').
Ben Stiller's salsa dance confrontation scene – Bill: 'He's dialed it up way too high.' Sean: 'I'm not a huge fan of this.'
- Winner: Missy Pyle (Polly's best friend) – gets at least 2 funny scenes.
- Also noted: Kevin Hart, Cheryl Hines, Judah Friedlander.
- Tough competition. Candidates: Hank Azaria's accent, Baldwin's accent, Bryan Brown, Reuben's mom.
- Winner: Alec Baldwin as Stan Indursky.
- For the Aniston/Polly role: discussed Gwyneth Paltrow, 1992 Meg Ryan, Winona Ryder, Katie Holmes, Heather Graham, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Bill's winner: Michelle Williams.
- For the Stiller/Reuben role: Paul Rudd (too early), Jason Bateman. Bill's winner: Mike Myers ('this is the 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' Mike Myers').
- The ferret bit Ben Stiller multiple times during production.
- The Leland Van Lew building was actually the AT&T Tower at 611 W 6th St in LA, not in New York.
- Hamburg originally wanted to call the movie 'Sorry About Your Wife.'
- Debate on the internet: did this movie invent the word 'sharding'? Consensus: the word existed but this movie popularized it.
- Ben Stiller: no (it's 'Meet the Parents').
- Aniston: no.
- Hoffman: no (getting close; arguably MI:3 or Capote).
- Debra Messing: probably yes (though Will and Grace is competition).
- White Chocolate (Jason Williams): yes.
- Ben Stiller bathroom mishaps: yes.
Hanks wins, but it's very close. Bill argues Cruise would never play this role (he doesn't want to be the loser) but it would be funnier with Cruise. Hanks would happily do it and could have made this in 1995.
- Nobody lets their wife go scuba diving with a French guy in a leopard-print Speedo on their honeymoon.
- No way Reuben goes up to Polly's tiny NYC apartment on the first date with diarrhea in the works.
- Sean says he never fully buys why Polly is into Reuben.
- Bill's biggest nitpick: no Knicks game scene! Both Stiller and Hoffman are famous Knicks fans in real life.
- Craig: Polly is a waitress who bought a $200 loofah.
Sean's pick (winner): The original 'The Heartbreak Kid' (1972) with Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd, directed by Elaine May – similar setup, also about discomfort and anxiety.
- Bill's pick: the game-used basketball from Hoffman's 'rain dance' basketball scene.
- Craig's pick: the $200 loofah.
The father's speech: 'It's about the ride. There's no point in going through all this crap if you're not going to enjoy the ride.'
Philip Seymour Hoffman. Bill notes that at the time (2004), the winner was probably considered Aniston for having a hit movie. But now it's clearly Hoffman.
Craig says it lives in clips now (especially Hoffman). Doesn't think it's on the level of Anchorman, 40-Year-Old Virgin, or 'Old School' – it's 'a B comedy.' But really enjoyable as a 'background comedy.' Notes the cable TV era (2004-2014) built its legacy.