Review: We’re The Millers (2013)

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy
Official Website: Here

Editor’s Notes: We’re The Millers opens wide release tomorrow August 7th.

Someone in Hollywood really wants Jason Sudeikis to happen. Like many SNL alums he is being trotted out in comedy after comedy. He started in your typical background roles, reveling in the ridiculous and occupying your mind for no longer than his limited screen time. But now, having completed his background trials and with unobtrusively good looks, he is presented to audiences as a leading man. If we are to unfairly prejudge based on his prior film choices, an assemblage of perpetually unfunny to middling comedies, the outlook would be dire (although Horrible Bosses does offer the rare counter). Luckily it seems like he was a bit smarter in choosing a starring vehicle because We’re the Millers is pretty damn funny.

We’re the Millers is completely self-aware, an R-rated comedy that always knew its rating and is prepared to fully indulge itself. It is gross, vulgar, filled with swears and in possession of at least one prosthetic penis.

David (Jason Sudeikis) is still dealing marijuana despite being well into his thirties. After his attempt at a good deed results in him being robbed of all of his product and money, he has to face the wrath of his supplier, Brad Gurdlinger (Ed Helms). Brad offers him the chance to not only forgive his debt, but make a substantial amount of additional money; all he has to do his pick up the latest shipment from Mexico. Out of options, David takes the offer and devises a plan to pose as a wholesome American family to deter close inspection. Enlisting his socially awkward neighbor, a local runaway and a stripper, he assembles a ramshackle family. With his less than committed participants making the road trip nearly unbearable, David then finds out that the plethora of pot may not actually belong to Brad.

We’re the Millers is completely self-aware, an R-rated comedy that always knew its rating and is prepared to fully indulge itself. It is gross, vulgar, filled with swears and in possession of at least one prosthetic penis. While there are some films that go for the gross out seemingly for the label alone, this time around there is a purpose. The characters, with the exception of Kenny, are decidedly screwed up and reside in an area of society that requires absolutely no level of politeness or need for politically correct awareness. David is in a state of perpetual teen-dom that is commented on as soon as we notice it. Casey cannot abide by rigid parental regulations, and Rose is an aging stripper that abhors her employer. If any of them didn’t use profanity I’d cry foul. Their ridiculous actions make sense. They are shown to be abrasive, slightly mean-spirited and altogether selfish. By all means, feel free to be rude.

While the antics of the darker characters garner their fair share of laughs, it is the clean cut Kenny that captures our hearts and yields the most smiles. He is goofy and square with a barely present social awareness, but he has the best intentions. The juxtaposition between the jaded “family” and the bright-eyed Kenny leads to the expected amount of oddball hilarity, but the reason it all works is Will Poulter’s performance. It’s been a while since Poulter began his acting career, in the criminally under seen Son of Rambow, and he’s certainly done some growing since that inaugural voyage. Kenny should fall into the pit of caricature, but Poulter keeps him grounded, offering up the necessary amount of wonder and deeper emotion when the moment calls for it. As the film progresses and the Miller family grows closer, he is the glue that holds them together. It is somewhat surprising just how sweetly the film evolves. Coming about casually and deceptively naturally, the vein of family devotion and commitment makes this film more than just a conglomeration of adequately deployed dick jokes.

The film is certainly enjoyable and will keep you laughing for nearly its complete runtime; however, it falls before achieving true comic greatness.

The film is certainly enjoyable and will keep you laughing for nearly its complete runtime; however, it falls before achieving true comic greatness. It takes a while to get going, and many of the characters are nearly unbearable; especially an emo-to-the-extreme turn from Emma Roberts that will leave you hating an entire generation of teens regardless of your age-related proximity. The second tier villain is barely established and completely unthreatening. It’s a disappointing English language introduction for actor Tomer Sisley, since he proved in Sleepless Night that he is captivating and can carry a film all by himself. The role of generic ethnic villain is beneath him. Jason Sudeikis gets his share of jokes in, although shackling him to the more-or-less straight man role robs him of the off kilter and goofy proclivities that treat him so well. Jennifer Aniston is certainly convincing as a stripper but for the most part, is there to play foil to Sudeikis and offer up the obligatory romantic storyline. It doesn’t help matters that the ending feels more than slightly borrowed from Monsters, Inc. of all places, in its entire rope-swinging, window smashing enforcement team glory.

On the surface We’re the Millers is your generic raunchy comedy. There are sex jokes, road trip hijinks and more than a couple of middle fingers. Underneath all that filth is a story about family, definitely not a traditional one, but family nonetheless. I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise since it’s directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, of Dodgeball glory, and written by the teams behind Wedding Crashers and Hot Tub Time Machine. They have been dealing with the less than formal family to some extent plenty. Plumbing the depths of the surrogate brothers and sisters and how they inform the characters’ lives with a severe comic slant. The film doesn’t always hit and occasionally goes dirty so as not to be shunned by the other R-rated comedies. However, it’s the sweeter story that ends up establishing the film. Like candy covered in filth, We’re the Millers is a worthwhile and consistently funny comedy with a sweeter core than it would like to admit. It may not be perfect, but it’s sure hard to dislike a film that employs TLC’s “Waterfalls” so well.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Derek Deskins

Staff Film Critic

Derek was the only engineer at Northeastern University taking a class on German film and turning a sociology research paper into an examination of Scorsese’s work. Still living in Boston, MA, he blatantly abuses his Netflix account, but can never seem to get his Instant Queue below 200. He continues to fight the stigma that being good at math means you are not any no good at writing. I good write, very much.

Latest posts by Derek Deskins (see all)

• Review: Jobs (2013) - August 16, 2013
• TIFF’s TOGA! The Reinvention of American Comedy Review: Wet Hot American Summer (2001) - August 15, 2013
• Review: Planes (2013) - August 9, 2013