WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
US, 2008, 97 minutes, Colour.
Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Rob Corddry, Lake Bell, Treat Williams, Queen Latifah, Dennis Moore.
Directed by Tom Vaughan.
What happens in Vegas is a lot of idiotic behaviour, letting loose, drowning one’s sorrows, not only flirtation but instant weddings – and then the hangover and the awful truth. When irresponsible Ashton Kutcher’s Jack (who has been fired from the family firm by his father) and Cameron Diaz’s uptight Joy (who has been ditched by her boyfriend before he realises that the room is full of guests for a surprise party) seem to click on a visit to Las Vegas, they marry and then wake up! After he pulls the lever on
a slot machine with one of Joy’s coins, they decide that the $3.000.000 jackpot has to be shared between husband and wife.
When they appeal for a divorce and division of property, the judge sentences them to six months ‘hard marriage’. Well, we all know what is going to happen. There will be a continuation of the battle of the sexes, especially as she has to stay at his sloppy apartment. They pretend to the marriage counsellor (Queen Latifah) that all is well so that she will give a good report to the judge. There will be a ‘nice’ turning point and they will fall in love… So, that’s not giving away anything of the plot. It’s just that we want to know how the screenplay will get them to this point.
Kutcher has an energetic laid-back style. Cameron Diaz plays uptight as well as relaxed – moving from one to the other at the company ‘retreat’ where her boss (Dennis Farina) makes an instant and unexpected shine to Jack. There is a sub-plot with the couple’s best friends, he a less than principled lawyer called Hater (Rob Corddry) and she a hard-bitten type called Tipper (Lake Bell).
All in all, it is yet another of those contemporary romantic comedies – where it is mostly the men who have to grow up.
1.An entertaining romantic comedy? 21st century screwball comedy?
2.The New York locations, the cityscapes? Jack’s world, work, home? Joy’s world, the apartment, work?
3.The musical score and songs?
4.The introduction to Joy, at work, busy, her control, her friends? The proposal and anticipation, the surprise party, the definite surprise about the breaking up? The aftermath, upset, her girlfriends’ advice, letting her hair down?
5.Jack, at work, lazy, too easygoing, the games, the boss, the confrontation, the basketball, his losing, his being fired? By his father? Drinking, talking with Hater, Hater’s advice to go to Las Vegas?
6.Las Vegas, the glitz, the two arrivals, sharing the room, the wrong booking, the change, Joy and her efficiency, Jack and his getting all the freebies? Their drinking, carrying on, the two talking and telling stories, the other two clashing, Joy waking up, the note from Jack, the wedding, her reaction? The irony of seeing the real wedding footage at the end?
7.The arguments, Hater and Joy’s girlfriend and their advice, the break-up, the coin, the gambling machine, winning the jackpot, the claim?
8.The judge, his attitude, Hater and his inefficiency, the sentence to six months’ hard marriage, going to the counsellor, the visits and discussions, the pretence, her seeing through them? The report for the judge in the final hearing?
9.The apartment, the jokes about mutual owning, the jokes about toilet, washing, the sink, his gross behaviour, her cleaning up? Their possessions? The clashes?
10.Hater and his urging for Jack to break the marriage, get the money? His clashes with Joy’s girlfriend?
11.Joy, at work, the boss, her rival, the possibility of promotion, having to take Jack to the retreat, the party, Jack being the life of the party, getting on well with the boss, success? Joy getting the job? The rival and her attempts at humour, her quiet husband and her anger with him? The irony of her eventually getting the job?
12.The family dinner, getting to know the family, Joy and the niece, the family welcoming her?
13.The change in Jack, Hater’s urging, Jack not able to break?
14.The former boyfriend, Jack giving her the ring, his turning up, talking with Joy, giving her the ring, Joy returning it to Jack with anger?
15.The court sequence, her renunciation of the claim? The counsellor and her advice? The judge?
16.Joy going to the island, Jack finding her secret spot, the photo, going in search of her? Finding her on the beach? The happy ending?
