Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

It's billed as a romantic comedy. But there's very little romance, and, at least in my opinion, not a lot of comedy. I'm talking about the Farrelly Brothers' The Heartbreak Kid, starring Ben Stiller. And, to clarify, there are plenty of attempts at humor, just not a lot that really worked.

The basic story: Eddie (Ben Stiller) is 40 and single. His dad (Jerry Stiller) and his friends want to see him settle down. When a chance encounter introduces him to Lila (Malin Akerman), everything seems perfect. Lila's beautiful, fun-loving, and sweet. Six weeks later, when Lila's job wants her to relocate, Eddie decides to marry her, rather than lose her. Thus the two get married, far too quickly, before they really have a chance to know each other. Still, they appear to be happy.

Until they arrive in Mexico for their honeymoon. Slowly, we start to see the "real Lila", the one she kept cleverly hidden while they dated. We come to find out that Lila's not actually employed, quite in debt, a former druggie, into some weird sex practices, and, basically, a petulant brat. An example of her brattiness is displayed when she refuses to use sunscreen, simply because Eddie suggests it. Instead she rubs oil all over herself. Naturally, this sets up the huge sunburn and blisters, which keep her locked inside the hotel for several days, giving Eddie a chance to get out there on his own. Where he meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan).

Eddie and Miranda hit it off, and enjoy each other's company. Eddie likes being around Miranda and her quirky family. Of course, he doesn't mention to them that he's there, on his honeymoon. At last, when he decides Miranda's really the girl for him, and that he has to tell her the truth, and break it off with Lila, it's too late. Through a series of misunderstandings, everyone's mad as heck at him.

There you have it, the basic story. It was a decent premise, and could have been an enjoyable movie. But it fails on a few levels.

I guess I should have known that a Farrelly Brothers movie would contain some raunchy humor. But this movie takes some of the jokes over the top. Potty humor and sexual humor are rampant. The worst is a two-part joke involving a donkey. I'll say no more on that one.

But the real problem with the movie is that the entire story simply didn't work. Eddie's annoyance with Lila started way too quickly, over such minor things that it really made no sense. Like her singing, in the car. He very quickly gets annoyed that she likes to sing along with the radio. So what? She's happy, and expressing herself through song, there's nothing wrong with that. Now, if she got all the lyrics wrong, or had a terrible voice, that could become annoying, but she didn't.

Then they make a big deal about her "unusual" tastes in bed. But she was also shown as someone who desperately wants to please her husband. Therefore, I felt that the differences in their sexual styles could have been worked out. All they had to do was talk it out. Instead, Eddie gets increasingly annoyed with her.

Now, granted, Lila's behavior does get much worse. The worst part was when her omissions were revealed. Like the fact that she's not actually employed, and the fact that she has a large debt. And then there was the ridiculous way she blamed Eddie for her sunburn - even though he tried to get her to use sunscreen. So we can understand, at least a little bit, why Eddie is willing to walk away from her.

Still, Eddie's willingness to start up another relationship so quickly just didn't ring true for me. First of all, he only knows Miranda for two days or so, before he decides she's the one for him. Wouldn't you think he'd have learned a lesson from his experience with Lila? How could he possibly know who Miranda really is after only two days? Acting as he did, Eddie lost all sympathy from me.

I guess that's what really went wrong here. I would have felt sorry for Lila, were it not for those huge omissions, and for being so stupid about the sunscreen. After those things happened, I stopped feeling any sympathy for her situation.

But I didn't feel sympathy for Eddie, either. No matter what happens, you stand by your wife on your honeymoon. And if you want out of the marriage, you talk to your wife, and resolve that issue. BEFORE starting up with the next girl. I simply couldn't feel any sympathy for Eddie, as he told one lie after another after another, and hurt everyone in the process.

I did enjoy Ben Stiller's performance. And it's always fun to see Jerry Stiller. But with too much raunchy humor, unlikable characters, and a story that's just weak, this movie fails.


Recommended: No

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age