Aids its cause with its inherent harmlessness, but the end result is too off-the-shelf to appeal to any but the most ardent romantic-comedy lovers.
Along Came Polly (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:151
Fresh:39
Rotten:112
Average Rating:4.8/10
Consensus: Though the supporting actors are funny, Stiller and Aniston don't make a believable couple, and the gross-out humor is gratuitous.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sexual content, language, crude humor and some drug references
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Jan 16, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $87,856,565
Synopsis: Writer-director John Hamburg (writer of ZOOLANDER and MEET THE PARENTS), teams once again with Ben Stiller to make an offbeat character study that is guaranteed to induce helpless laughter. Reuben,... Writer-director John Hamburg (writer of ZOOLANDER and MEET THE PARENTS), teams once again with Ben Stiller to make an offbeat character study that is guaranteed to induce helpless laughter. Reuben, an overanxious insurance risk analyst (Stiller), weighs his every action by assessing pros and cons. He finds himself dumped on his honeymoon by fickle wife Lisa (Debra Messing) who runs off with Jacques, a nudist scuba instructor (Hank Azaria). A few days later, Reuben is back in New York at a pretentious gallery opening, wondering why he's bothering to test the waters so soon, when along comes Polly Price (Jennifer Aniston), a quirky, worldly, adventurous soul, whose only flaw appears to be a generalized lack of commitment. The formerly germ-obsessed, controlling Reuben is transformed by Polly's free spirit, her predilection for spicy food, and her pet ferret. Her love of salsa dancing makes him jealous and painfully uncomfortable. But his heart is aflame. Hamburg, who began his directorial career with SAFE MEN, has proven himself a reliable producer of charming realism and a brand of comedy comparable to that of the Farrelly brothers. Editor William Kerr has an extraordinary sense of comic timing, which gives ALONG CAME POLLY's funny factor a boost. Stiller's salsa solo is striking--the actor is actually an amazing dancer. Last but not least, Philip Seymour Hoffman (PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, FLAWLESS) nearly steals the show as Reuben's best friend Sandy Lyle who plays both Jesus and Judas in a community production of GODSPELL. [More]
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Debra Messing
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Debra Messing, Hank Azaria, Bryan Brown, Alec Baldwin
Director: John Hamburg
Director: John Hamburg
Producer: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Studio: Universal Pictures
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Reviews for Along Came Polly
Stiller anchors the movie in neurotic tension, literally squelching the laughs and snuffing them out.
Another high-brow laugher that delights in running (Ben Stiller) through the ringer.
The tragic thing is [the film] make[s] you laugh.It’s the same as the cheap scare in a horror movie.It makes you jump, but you’re mad that the movie played such a cheap card.
Stiller has turned into a submissive dog that rolls over the instant we settle into our seats, content to bask in our affectionate derision.
Any and all funny aspect of this film are overshadowed by a strong tendency toward the sick and wrong.
A talented group of comedic performers getting together and celebrating some of the lowest forms of comedy (but with excellent timing).
Stiller and Aniston are trapped in the constrictive material, trying to make the best of a crummy, formulaic situation.
This opposites attract tale doesn’t cover any new ground and holds few surprises.
Feels like it was cut from a bunch of other junk and pasted back together in a studio boardroom.
Depends on the mistaken belief that Jennifer Aniston's appeal is so universally recognizable it's unnecessary to write a fully-rounded character for her.
The flashes of life in this Ben Stiller-Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy don't come along often enough to rescue it.
The fringes are full of brilliant digressions and hilarious supporting turns, but the central story is a black hole.
It’s not a bad movie, nor is it memorable. The feature just came along to fill some screen space. Stiller and Aniston have done better work -- and worse.
Doesn’t represent cinema at its height, but it will evoke more than a chuckle or two.
It's Stiller who seems to take the biggest hit, revealing the fact that his career has entered a stale state of self-parody.
Latest News for Along Came Polly
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June 08, 2005:
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