Miss March

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Directed by: Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore

Starring:
Zach Cregger - Eugene Bell
Trevor Moore - Tucker Cleigh
Raquel Alessi - Cindi Whitehall
Molly Stanton - Candace
Craig Robinson - Horsedick.MPEG

Disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of "The Whitest Kids U Know". Groups like "Whitest Kids" and "Derrick Comedy" (whose recent film, , which was a hit at Sundance) have found major success on the Internet and revived sketch comedy that's either been trampled from SNL or dormant since Monty Python depending on how you want to interpret the history. As the success of these groups grows online, Hollywood wants in on the action and they've nicked a piece of "Whitest Kids U Know" with writers, directors, and stars Trevor Moore and Zack Cregger in the sex comedy Miss March. Unfortunately, while Moore and Cregger are funny, the film lacks the insane irreverence of their show, the full-dynamic of the show's five-person cast, and that leaves too much wacky/straight-man dynamic between Moore's lovable, horny-idiot Tucker and Cregger's pathetic, suffering, and virginal Eugene.

Eugene wasn't supposed to be virginal. Resolved to have sex with his long-time girlfriend Cindi (Raquel Alessi) (although it's as her insistence and not his since Eugene's older brother suffered darkly hilarious "consequences" from having sex before marriage), Eugene falls down some stairs and is clobbered by heavy objects resulting a four-year coma. He's brought back to consciousness by an energetic Tucker employing the "bat-trick" and before Eugene can even fully regain control of his bowels, the two are hurdled on a cross-country trip to the Playboy Mansion since Cindi is now the titular "Miss March" and Eugene wants closure and the eternally horny Tucker wants to be at the mansion.

The sex-comedy and the road trip film are kindred spirits as the road trip allows for an episodic breakdown of sexual misadventures required of the sex-comedy. So if the sex-comedy-road-trip is formulaic, how successful does Miss March apply the formula? It's an adequate film but adequate just really isn't good enough when it comes to such an easy genre. The sex-comedy sub-genre is an arms race of raunchiness so there's no point in holding back. Much like violence, someone is going to take it to the next level within the next few years so you might as well go as extravagant as possible and throw some jizz in Cameron Diaz' hair or fuck an apple pie. Miss March has a few memorable moments but mostly it's really more Odd Couple than Sex Drive.

Sadly, their characters aren't enough to carry the film. I know that Tucker is the horny idiot and Zack is the Felix Ungar with severe muscle atrophy and that makes their behavior and their relationship predictable. This is where the other three members of "Whitest Kids" could have been a boon to the production. Moore and Cregger have already established a successful dynamic with their "Whitest Kids" co-stars Sam Moore, Darren Trumeter, and Timmy Williams, and by casting these three into supporting roles there would be potential for greater comedy and more memorable characters.

Instead, the only other supporting actors are Molly Stanton as Tucker's vengeful ex (and who's really more of a plot device than a character) and a painfully miscast Craig Robinson as rapper "Horsedick.mpeg". I'm a huge fan of Robinson's work on The Office, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Pineapple Express but he's totally wrong for an obnoxious, stereotypical character like Horsedick (.mpeg). Robinson's talent comes from deadpan delivery and awkward pauses whereas Horsedick is not only a lame character, his abrasive attitude is outside of Robinson's wheelhouse.

Ultimately, Miss March is a serviceable comedy but just barely. It needs more characters and more memorable moments but it did have me laughing constantly throughout and rather loudly at times. As a generic sex-comedy, it does what it needs to do but I know these Whitest Kids have a far better movie in them.

Words by
Matt Goldberg
2.27.09

Rating: 6.7 out of 10