LAKE OCONEE — Dinner for Schmucks

Rated PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.



There is an interesting semantical issue with the title of the movie “Dinner for Schmucks.” However, I should inform you, right off, that the Yiddish word “schmuck” is, to some folks, vulgar. Perhaps many of my readers are fully aware of that but I just offer that up as general information and in the interest of sharing my vast knowledge...on the subject of vulgarity, not Yiddish…necessarily. Anyway, the polite English translation of “schmuck” is “jerk.” It actually refers to a part of a man’s anatomy; but enough about that. I think you get the idea. “Schlemiel” means loser or dummy.  So, at first, I thought the movie should have been “Dinner for Schlemiels,” but more about that later.

Tim (Paul Rudd) is a young executive in a company that basically buys up other companies, fires employees, and sells off the assets. His colleagues are high-testosterone, ruthless, bullyboys. Hold that thought.

Tim is desperate for a promotion. He comes up with what seems, at first, a lame-brain idea. He brings it up at a staff meeting. He is immediately abused by the very cool upper executive dudes including the oily but snappily-dressed Big Boss. The idea may be idiotic, Tim explains, but it is very popular with an insipid Swiss billionaire named Mueller (played by the brilliant English comedian David Walliams) and this will bring the Swiss guy's big francs to the company.

This impresses the boss and he invites Tim to attend a special dinner hosted by him and his cronies. Each invited guest is to bring the biggest fool he can find. The idea is to bring these folks to dinner so the "cool guys" can make fun of them behind their backs.

Tim is more than happy to do it until he tells his girlfriend, Julie (Stephanie Szostak). She is an agent for a self-possessed, modern artist named Kieren (played by New Zealand comedian Jemaine Clement of the TV show The Flight of the Conchords). She insists that Tim turn the invitation down because that is downright mean. Tim is adverse to not go through the cool dudes initiation rite but love trumps career advancement…until…Tim meets Barry (played by Steve Carell).

Barry makes little dioramas with dead mice dressed up in fancy costumes. He is completely oblivious of his malapropisms, his goofy looks, and his profound nerdishness. Tim figures it is kismet. And decides to take his new found uh, acquaintance,  to a dinner for "special people."

But from the moment Tim meets Barry, Tim’s life falls apart; primarily due to Barry’s ineptitude.  After a back injury , a fight with crashing wine bottles, and  a vicious Porsche bashing, Tim's life is in ruins. What a schlemiel!

“Dinner for Schmucks” is way too long. Some scenes seem to squeeze a gag to death;  most jokes never went beyond  just “funny.” I thought we would never get to the “dinner” and I found myself checking my watch…albeit between laughs.

On the other hand, the comedians are excellent and do their job expertly, however, I thought Paul Rudd seemed to be rather gawky (which felt wrong) in the first half of the movie only to turn terribly serious in the second half. Perhaps that was on purpose but I felt some neck pain from "character" whiplash. Director Jay Roach should have been a little more graceful.

Back to the story: clearly the "execunazis" who invite the schmucks are cruel and , frankly, “jerks.” So, it hit me. Perhaps the title isn’t referring to the nerdish guys, but their hosts instead. They are the real schmucks. The "joke" may be on me...regarding the title.  On the other hand, some definitions of "schmuck" include "dolt." If that is the case, just forget my speculations on Yiddish and double meanings of the title.

As you might expect, the moral of the story is that mean-spirited frat boys usually get their just comeuppance. Tim learns his lesson and the end, although fully expected, is pleasant , sweet, and almost touching.

“Dinner for Schmucks” is actually a gentle, amusing comedy. The humor is naughty but not ribald. It won’t go down in cinematic history as a great, knee-slapping comedy, but it is worth coming out of the blistering heat for more than a few chuckles at the expense of schmucks...whomever they may be.



“Dinner for Schmucks” earns three bow ties out of five.