Coming to Comedy Crossroads with 'The Wrong Missy

The Wrong Missy

Directed by Tyler Spindel

An enjoyable 2.5 out of 5.0

In times of pandemic such these, we all look for a bit of hope throughout our days. We all need our release away from the constant depression and stress of current news and politics. Whether we decompress by bingeing movies and shows on Netflix, scrolling through the depths of TikTok, or tracking our favorite celebrities to see how they are coping on Instagram, we all need to find that one thing that puts us at ease.

At the forefront of entertainment, it is becoming apparent that comedy has become an incredibly vital tool for us now more than ever, as we are all stuck at home twiddling our thumbs, awaiting the day when “normal life” will return. Who are we getting our grim news from? From late night talkshow hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, and more, who put their critical and fun-going spin on things. Stand up specials and slapstick comedies are also becoming a great ways to unwind and have a laugh, which is why I’ve decided to take a look at a movie today that is just about as silliest piece of comedy you can find on Netflix right now.

The Wrong Missy is a wild R-rated comedy, produced by Adam Sandler, that aims to give viewers some good chuckles, and, inadvertently, a vacation from quarantine, as the movie takes place on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. What better way to plan a tropical getaway right now than vicariously through these fanatical characters?

We start off the film with an introduction to Tim (David Spade), an average, middle-aged businessman who, after a painful divorce, has been playing his odds in the world of dating. His experience has been rather stale to say the least, until one day, he decides to throw all of his worries away by going on a good old-fashioned blind date arranged by his Grandma. When he gets there, he is met by a tall, wide-eyed firecracker named Missy (played by Lauren Lapkus). She very quickly reveals herself to be a date straight out of hell, as she rapidly embarrasses Tim with bombardments of practical jokes, obnoxious guffaws, and a giant purse knife/pepper spray alternative she calls Sheila. Skipping ahead a mere few minutes into the night, Tim ends up with a dislocated ankle, and depleted desire to search his own soulmate.

Average Tim (David Spade) and dreamy Melissa (Molly Sims) get to know one another. (Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix)

After the disastrous ordeal, Tim travels to the airport to catch a business flight, when he suddenly runs across his literal definition of a ‘dream girl’. Melissa (Molly Sims) and Tim, after both missing their flights, have a drink of soda water together, and find out that they are more alike than they’d have guessed. After the hitting the bar, the two exchange numbers, eager to continue the “conversation”. Tim returns home and finds out that his boss has planned a corporate retreat in beautiful Hawaii, and immediately he begins organizing a perfect romantic weekend get away with his new potential lover.

On the plane, Tim waits excitedly to meet his girl, when, out of the blue, Missy shows up, packed and ready to go. To his horror, Spade’s unwitting character realizes that he hasn’t been texting the girl of his dreams, but instead the crazy chick from that nightmare experience weeks before. After considering his limited options (in light of also building up major hype of this “dream girl” at work), Tim decides to try riding this one out, hoping that Missy can somehow behave in front of his coworkers. Of course, that doesn’t happen, and what ensues is a loud and tropical adventure involving killer sharks, bottomless tequilas, a threesome, and good old Rob Schneider, naturally.

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I was first turned onto this movie earlier in the month when I saw the trailer, and who starred in it. I thought the movie looked delightfully mental, and I was excited to see what laughs I was in for. Cause after all, it was a Happy Madison movie (Adam Sandler’s production company, bearing some of comedies greatest classics, including The Waterboy, Big Daddy, Grown Ups, and many more). Also directed by long time member of the Happy Madison family, Tyler Spindel, this film was like a perfectly summery slice of key lime pie (that’s a good thing).

The movie stars a great batch of actors and comedians, including Nick Swardson as an incredibly nosy HR rep, Geoff Pearson plays everyone’s uptight boss, Sarah Chalke plays David Spade’s ex-wife, and (as mentioned before) Rob Schneider is a wacky shark tour guide (hilarious as always). The movie definitely contains a wide range of talent that enhances the motion of the story and characters in the process (that sounded vague, but it’s good).

A wild-eyed Missy (played by Lauren Lapkus) is helped out of the water by Tim. (Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix)

At the forefront of comedic genius in this piece though is Lauren Lapkus (Jurassic World, Orange is the New Black, Crashing). The 34-year-old actress joins this movie fresh off of her most recent Netflix success, Between the Two Ferns: The Movie, starring alongside Zach Galfianakis in the quirky internet-series adaption. Over the past several years, Lapkus has showcased her diverse comic talent in various indie films, shows, and specials (I recommend watching her special on the great 2016 Netflix series The Characters), making her an increasingly iconic face in the world of comedy. She has certainly proven herself to be an energetic ball of impressions, voices, and personalities; one to be reckoned with.

Lapkus’ character in this film, Missy, is probably the main reason the film is R-rated, as she minces no words when running her mouth on social climates, sex, or even her suspicious number of certifications in CPR, marriage counseling, and more (probably especially her suspicious number of certifications in CPR, marriage counseling, and more). Though rather “contemporary” in her own way, she instantly makes herself a very likable character, as she stampedes through corporate snobbery and daydreams of romance without a care (most of the times she actually succeeds in loosening up her surroundings).

And then comes the unsuspecting straight-man Tim, played by the great David Spade (Tommy Boy, The Emporer’s New Groove, etc.). For the past three decades, Spade has played the laid-back, but fiery engine of sarcasm we’ve all come to know and love (first making his debut on Saturday Night Live, with a steady flow of movies and appearances to nourish fans since. Last year he made small splash with his new late-night talkshow, Lights Out with David Spade, but we’re now crossing into different territory). Though, for this film, the 55-year-old comedian puts a pause on his smart-ass ways to turn into the dry, uptight, mop-cut character of Tim.

Tim consults his unethical HR rep and bestie, Nate (Nick Swardson). (Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix)

It was interesting to see Spade work on a quieter level here, giving way to the exotic rage of Lapkus, as well as his peers. His character is sort of lukewarm, but likable when he lands funny lines or lets out just a bit of his subtle jeer. I’m much more intrigued by Lapkus as an erratic performer—this film is great showcasing of some of her skill (spend some time watching her hilarious work on Youtube) — but I enjoyed the chemistry between both of the characters very much. Even behind the uncomfortable acting and cringeworthy action, you can almost feel the upbeat vibe the set had in shooting (over time, the cast/crew sort of converge into a giant, functional family. Pretty wonderful).

While I thought the concept the movie played with was rather original (taking the scenario of ’sending a text to the wrong person’ to the absolute worst max), the execution of the story was not as justified. Outside of some outrageous gags and scenes, which whipped up some nice laugh sessions between me and my sister, the story was terribly cliche and failed to the make the impact it could’ve. (I hate saying this but) While I have mild love affairs with some of the Happy Madison movies, I feel that they never aim for a standard higher than “an Adam Sandler comedy” (this isn’t a dig at his movies, just a theme I’ve notice. And I am not referring to films of his like Uncut Gems (2019) or The Meyorwitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017). Those are amazing. Sit and watch them actually). The vast majority contain loud, busy comedy that wears over time, presenting some sloppy storylines that never seem to focus on expanding narrative, but instead the delivery of the chuckles and cackles.

I’d actually like to know whether I’m describing a movie that “features the likes David Spade, Kevin James, and Chris Rock’“, or am criticizing the scene of the ‘American comedy film’ in general. I’m very curious. Going into The Wrong Missy, I roughly knew the type of slapstick I’d be watching. To be clear, I am a firm believer in the absurd, all-nonsense genre of moviemaking (Hot Rod? Austin Powers? Dumb and Dumber? I’d love to keep going). But I’m just asking questions.

Missy listens to instruction from Komante (Rob Schneider), a quirky shark safari guide. (Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix)

One argument I’ve heard begs the question: “has comedy filmmaking lost its ability to be beautiful?”. I could provide you with a laundry list of films that will be subjective as far as hilarity is concerned. But, without much of a gray area to refer, a bold gap in ‘artistry’ shows itself as a sure constant throughout comedy filmmaking. (Forgive the “mansplaining”, but endure a moment) One job in the film industry is that of Director of Photography (aka a cinematographer). It is a whole subfield of film production dedicated to the knowledge of lots of technical info on maneuvering the camera, sure, but also a deeper level of cinematic thinking that considers what the audience will see, and how they will see it. The perfect and unique placement of the camera has the ability to well up a warm sense of inner fulfillment and surprise (stay with me folks). And in comedy, the camera gains a whole other ability to deliver ‘“punchlines” in its own right (visual jokes).

Some comedy filmmakers like the Monty Python group, Taika Waititi, Judd Apatow, and even Wes Anderson are great examples of those whose work has risen above this aforementioned standard of delivery, and still give us the laughs, but in a fresh way, sometimes sparking more of an emotional connection. I feel as though I’m opening a door now that I don’t have the time to close all the way, but I’ve enjoyed digging into this thought with you all. I feel we’ve covered things pretty well considering everything. Now for a quick recap.

Missy doing who knows what to a poor and annoyed Tim. Party time. (Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix)

Conclusion.

(Anyway, went down that rabbit hole. Back on track) This rom-com on steroids is a fun, lively way to spend your weekend in quarantine (though, it feels like every day in quarantine is a weekend). The jokes and hints of jokes land stably throughout, and, with summer coming up, it feels like the perfect time to give it watch.

Lauren Lapkus is a hilarious master of expressive comedy, and provides a rapid-fire momentum I found to reflect Jim Carrey’s characters of the 90s. I think I can go as far as to say that Lapkus really made the film for me. I’m truly excited to watch her as she continues to succeed in her career (I haven’t seen it yet, but consider giving Lapkus’ 2018 comedy about finding a threesome to join The Unicorn. Let me know what you think).

While the chemistry between Spade and Lapkus grows to be so awkward and delightfully funny, the story’s ending felt much too abrupt. I didn’t have a chance to soak in the lovely finish, and it seemed a bit like the filmmakers tried to go with an ending that really only functions on the tail end of a romantic comedy. Story-wise, a bit of heart would’ve pushed this movie to untold lengths.

While I went a bit more hawk-eyed in the writing of this particular review, it’s evident that I wasn’t completely satisfied, but I still had a fun time watching this film. My advice is that you prop your feet up on the couch with some chips and a quality margarita (never had one myself, but I imagine it’s a perfect companion to this film). Sometimes what matters in a film is that it instills in someone a good feeling, gives one a sense of comfort. And, with full confidence, I can say that positivity, hope, and laughter are some of the most critical inputs we need in life right now. Cheers!

The Wrong Missy is currently streaming on Netflix.

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One Step Further:

50 First Dates (2004)

Columbia Pictures/Happy Madison©

• I feel like this is the perfect film to pair with The Wrong Missy. This might be seen as what the David Spade/Lauren Lapkus comedy could’ve be. But I’ll abandon the criticism, and focus in the now. Also a production of Happy Madison, and also set in the tropical majesty of Oahu, Hawaii (perfect for virtual travel right now), 50 First Dates is a wonderful, lighthearted rom-com about a Playboy named Henry (played by Adam Sandler) as he earnestly tries to win the favor of a beautiful and kind girl named Lucy (Drew Barrymore). Though when he discovers that his dream girl has short term memory loss, Henry must find a way to woo Lucy over every single day. This is a wonderfully funny story about perseverance, honesty, and what it really takes to love somebody. Check this out, soak in the sunshine, and stay safe!