MOVIEREVIEW "You, Me and Dupree" 3 Stars Although not the best of its genre, "You, Me and Dupree" joins the ranks of what has now become a successful series of films ("Old School," "Wedding Crashers") that deal with the same issues: grown-up men who don't want to grow up and the women who deal with them. Fortunately, like its predecessors, the film is salvaged from its potential simplicity by clever casting decisions and overall comic appeal. Kate Hudson plays Molly Peterson, a schoolteacher whose wealthy real-estate-developer father (Michael Douglas) becomes her new husband's difficult boss. Matt Dillon, fresh off the Academy Award-winning film "Crash," is Molly's husband, an up-and-coming developer who struggles with his desire for a life with Molly and his inability to let go of his bachelor habits. His obvious anxiety, coupled with the regular abuse he receives from his boss and father-in-law, creates typical male tension as he bottles up his stress and, ultimately, almost loses everything. But the true scene-stealer of the film is neither of the Petersons but their third wheel, Randy Dupree (Owen Wilson). Wilson - with his attractively crooked nose, blond hair and Texas charm - demonstrates just how endearing and hysterical he can be. He plays the unemployed best friend (and best man) of Carl. After becoming homeless, Dupree crashes in the new couple's bungalow, proceeding to wreak havoc in pretty much every way possible. Unfortunately, the women in the film - as in others like it - have become the villains, holding back their fun-loving husbands from their frat-boy lifestyles. But Molly's struggle to be both hip wife and resident adult makes for a funny performance by Hudson, who is able to evoke a tone more serious than her mother, Goldie Hawn, often achieved. Wilson continues to entertain in the kind of role that has become his forte, though his best moments are his more serious and reflective rather than the tired, slapstick act that he has displayed time and time again. "You, Me and Dupree" explores post-marriage life, post-20-something friendships and the delicate balance between adolescence and adulthood. And though the writing is not as clever as in "Wedding Crashers," and the cast does not include as many comedic faces as in "Old School," "You, Me and Dupree" certainly provides a fun, fulfilling air-conditioned break from the summer sun. Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
