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entertaining u newspaper: your monthly guide to entertainment
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When Fried Eggs Fly
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by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
B+ Rated PG-13 140 min
Filmmaker Dennis Dugan’s comedy is based on a grand deception–that is, two macho firemen agree on paper to masquerade as a gay couple for the benefit of one of the guys. But a pesky bureaucrat investigates their “union,” so then they have to follow through and actually move in together, pretending to be gay. Dugan cleverly expands on the narrow perimeters of the premise with skillful direction and by allowing his cast to improvise.
The humor is hightened throughout because the script doesn’t make a mockery of homosexual lifestyles. In fact, the story, while delivering its laughs, has a respectful message about tolerance and the benefits of an open mind.
Adam Sandler portrays Chuck Levine and Kevin James plays Larry Valentine. They are typically homophobic firemen buddies, but they would do anything for each other. When the widower, Larry, wants to make his kids the beneficiary of his life insurance, he concocts the idea of the gay union to qualify him for the benefit. Chuck owes Larry his life, so when Larry proposes the scam, he reluctantly agrees.
At first, it just involves signing a piece of paper and the favor will be done. However, the faux union escalates into a big news story, and the two are ”outed” to their fellow firemen. He’s trapped in a gay marriage and now all his friends and colleagues treat him like he has the plague. But Chuck has to go along with the masquerade to help his pal Larry. What’s worse, a potential girlfriend and hottie, Alex (Jessica Biel), now treats Chuck like a gay gal pal.
Chuck and Larry’s dilemma generates awkward moments that glean guffaws without bashing homosexuals. While pretending to be living in wedded bliss, they discover some truths about each other as friends. How Chuck and Larry get out of their big lie and save face is the premise of this film. How can they convince their colleagues that they are not really gay after they put on such a convincing show? Thus the comedy is built on damage control. However, once they have cast their lot as a gay couple, it’s not easy to convince people that it was just a con to help Larry’s family.
Interestingly, Kevin James upstages Adam Sandler by portraying Larry with more subtleties and finesse. Sandler, however, gets his fair share of laughs in his brash droll style. What may have been offensive actually comes off as hilarious comedy.
Including homosexuals in the party scene helped to play down Chuck and Larry’s gay jokes. When Chuck defends homosexuals after the party, he makes big news and is outed to everyone. But he had walked a mile in their shoes and understood the pains of prejudice and ignorance.
The lineup of strategically placed guest stars adds greatly to the fun. Ving Rhames portrays a closeted gay fireman, who is inspired by Chuck and Larry to come out of the closet. In a classic shower scene, Rhames intimidates the other guys with his physique and dance moves.
Dan Aykroyd steals his scenes with his funny analogies as a fast-talking Fireman Captain who is wise to Chuck and Larry’s scam. Nicholas Turturro is also a standout as Renaldo Pinera–another closeted homosexual in the firehouse. But the crowning glory of this comedy is Richard Chamberlain as Councilman Banks.
Chuck’s dilemma involves his love for Alex, who also happens to be their attorney. The fact that she has accepted his homosexuality enables him to get close to her in ways that any heterosexual man would die for. So if he confides in her that he is not gay, she would take that as a betrayal. Yes, Chuck is sorry he got into this ridiculous charade. How Chuck and Larry work out this impasse creates some funny and endearing moments. It turns out that two guys can love each other and be close without having sex. The story explores many taboos and uses Chuck and Larry’s situation with sensitivity while simultaneously delivering great comedy.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
