LIFE OF THE PARTY – A Review by Cynthia Flores
The husband and wife team Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy have done it again with their newest hit comedy Life Of The Party. They managed to take an absurd premise of a husband (Dan, played by Matt Walsh) who abruptly asks for a divorce from his wife (Deanna, played by Melissa McCarthy) on the day they drop off their daughter (Maddie, played by Molly Gordon) for her senior year of college. Of course, Deanna decides to return to that same college in order to complete the degree she gave up when she got married and got pregnant twenty-three years before.
McCarthy does great physical comedy and she’s at the top of her game on this one. Also, instead of just centering the comedy on her weight as they have done in the past with such films as 2014s Tammy, the main joke running through the film is the fact that she is a mom with a capital bedazzled “M” surrounded by young people that want to party. Once her daughter Maddie gets on board with having mom at school with her she gives Deanna a much needed makeover which results in her hooking up with a hot guy at a party. I won’t give the whole movie away but rest assured there are a lot of laughs with Deanna's fish out of water situation and there’s even a guest appearance by a music icon.
Life of the Party did a great job with its casting. The young women that Maddie is friends with in her sorority are evenly balanced stereotypes and funny in their own right. Helen (Gillian Jacobs) is a stand out as “coma girl” and one of Deanna's staunchest supporters. Also, Deanna's best friend is Christine (Maya Rudolph) and together they are hilarious. I would love to see a film with just those two women in it. There's no telling what trouble they would get into.
Life of the Party will make you laugh even when you see the punch line coming a mile away. I give this fun film a strong B+ rating and hope you go see it with your girlfriends at a theater that serves booze so you can let your hair down and just have some fun.
Directed by Ben Falcone
Written By Ben Falcone, Melissa McCarthy
Rated PG-13
Selig Rating B+
Running Time 1hr 45min
Comedy
Wide Release May 11th
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs, Debby Ryan, Maya Rudolph
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
