It's probably no coincidence that Alexander Payne, one of the producers of the new quirky farce, 'Cedar Rapids', chose to support such a project, as there are a number of parallels with his 2002 quirky comedy, 'About Schmidt', starring Jack Nicholson. Both films have protagonists who work in the insurance industry. Schmidt is an insurance actuary and Ed Helms, who plays Tim Lippe in 'Cedar Rapids', is an insurance agent. Both films are set in the Midwest with 'Schmidt' set in Omaha, Nebraska and 'Cedar Rapids' in Iowa.
Director Miguel Arteta improves on the smugness of Payne's Schmidt character by making his Tim Lippe protagonist much more likable. Even the principal antagonist of the piece, President Helgesson (played by the always solid Kurtwood Smith) hardly seems offensive at all (just about the worst thing he does is take a $1500 bribe from Tim). As usually is the case with these quirky indie comedies or farces, the quirky protagonist must go on a journey of self-discovery, shedding a repressed upbringing while thwarting the goals of a reactionary group that wishes to maintain the status quo. Here, Tim partners with his lovable loser insurance agents, and thwarts his greedy boss who plans to sell Tim's Blue Diamond Insurance Company (another example of a conservative group getting their comeuppance at the hands of a quirky outsider are the beauty pageant officials in 'Little Miss Sunshine').
'Cedar Rapids' can be viewed as a farcical variation on the classic 'buddy' picture, 'The Wizard of Oz'. Ed Helms plays the 'Dorothy' character whose life is thrown in disarray when he's sent on an assignment to Cedar Rapids, to ensure that his insurance company wins the prized 'Two Diamond Award' for a third year in a row. Ultimately he seeks to return home restored to a state of equilibrium after visiting Cedar Rapids, an 'Emerald City' which he is dazzled by (Nerdy and naïve Tim has never even seen a card key to open a hotel door). Along the way, Tim meets three allies who aid him in his quest, similar to the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion from 'Oz'.
Tim needs someone with some 'brains' to overcome his childish infatuations. When he's dumped by Macy, the older girlfriend played by Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, adopting the Scarecrow role as bold housewife Joan, appeals to Tim's intellect and manages to help him reflect on his behavior, and actually calm him down to the point where he's able to function more like an adult.
Isiah Whitlock as Ronald Wilkes, is similar to the Tin Man, as he ultimately turns out to have a big heart. Wilkes saves Tim after he's knocked down and assaulted at the party, an 'inmost cave' where the group battles dark forces (in terms of 'Oz', the Wicked Witch's castle comes to mind). Whitlock has his best scene in the film when he pretends to be a bad-ass from the ghetto, as opposed to revealing his true demeanor as a mild mannered insurance agent.
Finally, there's John C. Reilly as Zeigler, the 'Cowardly Lion' who has the 'nerve' and 'courage' to encourage Tim to just be himself. Like the 'Cowardly Lion' in Oz, Zeigler provides the comic relief throughout the film, constantly challenging the status quo by uttering one outrageous bon mot after another.
President Helgesson might be the Wizard of the piece here, who leads Tim in the wrong direction by awarding The Two Diamond Award to Tim's company after he accepts the bribe. This is akin to Dorothy's fruitless quest for the Wicked Witch's broomstick. And just as the Wizard is 'found out', President Helgesson must be exposed in the end by Tim and his intrepid allies.
'Cedar Rapids' wins points for following the classic story pattern of a hero's mythic journey, albeit told in a decidedly comic fashion. It's also pretty good natured, which is an improvement over Director Arteta's recent and rather cold effort, 'Youth in Revolt'. Nonetheless, 'Cedar' continues the unwholesome tradition of many quirky indie films—the protagonists, in their 'anything goes' behavior, are held up as morally superior to the antagonists, who are merely 'straw men', derided as either sexually perverse, greedy and/or emotionally repressed.
If you dig Cedar's 'anything goes' philosophy, and you accept the simplistic premise that there is an inferior underclass of conservative reactionaries, this is a film that will warm you to the bone. Others , such as myself, will find these types of films to have a few amusing moments but ultimately too smug to be taken seriously.
Director Miguel Arteta improves on the smugness of Payne's Schmidt character by making his Tim Lippe protagonist much more likable. Even the principal antagonist of the piece, President Helgesson (played by the always solid Kurtwood Smith) hardly seems offensive at all (just about the worst thing he does is take a $1500 bribe from Tim). As usually is the case with these quirky indie comedies or farces, the quirky protagonist must go on a journey of self-discovery, shedding a repressed upbringing while thwarting the goals of a reactionary group that wishes to maintain the status quo. Here, Tim partners with his lovable loser insurance agents, and thwarts his greedy boss who plans to sell Tim's Blue Diamond Insurance Company (another example of a conservative group getting their comeuppance at the hands of a quirky outsider are the beauty pageant officials in 'Little Miss Sunshine').
'Cedar Rapids' can be viewed as a farcical variation on the classic 'buddy' picture, 'The Wizard of Oz'. Ed Helms plays the 'Dorothy' character whose life is thrown in disarray when he's sent on an assignment to Cedar Rapids, to ensure that his insurance company wins the prized 'Two Diamond Award' for a third year in a row. Ultimately he seeks to return home restored to a state of equilibrium after visiting Cedar Rapids, an 'Emerald City' which he is dazzled by (Nerdy and naïve Tim has never even seen a card key to open a hotel door). Along the way, Tim meets three allies who aid him in his quest, similar to the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion from 'Oz'.
Tim needs someone with some 'brains' to overcome his childish infatuations. When he's dumped by Macy, the older girlfriend played by Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, adopting the Scarecrow role as bold housewife Joan, appeals to Tim's intellect and manages to help him reflect on his behavior, and actually calm him down to the point where he's able to function more like an adult.
Isiah Whitlock as Ronald Wilkes, is similar to the Tin Man, as he ultimately turns out to have a big heart. Wilkes saves Tim after he's knocked down and assaulted at the party, an 'inmost cave' where the group battles dark forces (in terms of 'Oz', the Wicked Witch's castle comes to mind). Whitlock has his best scene in the film when he pretends to be a bad-ass from the ghetto, as opposed to revealing his true demeanor as a mild mannered insurance agent.
Finally, there's John C. Reilly as Zeigler, the 'Cowardly Lion' who has the 'nerve' and 'courage' to encourage Tim to just be himself. Like the 'Cowardly Lion' in Oz, Zeigler provides the comic relief throughout the film, constantly challenging the status quo by uttering one outrageous bon mot after another.
President Helgesson might be the Wizard of the piece here, who leads Tim in the wrong direction by awarding The Two Diamond Award to Tim's company after he accepts the bribe. This is akin to Dorothy's fruitless quest for the Wicked Witch's broomstick. And just as the Wizard is 'found out', President Helgesson must be exposed in the end by Tim and his intrepid allies.
'Cedar Rapids' wins points for following the classic story pattern of a hero's mythic journey, albeit told in a decidedly comic fashion. It's also pretty good natured, which is an improvement over Director Arteta's recent and rather cold effort, 'Youth in Revolt'. Nonetheless, 'Cedar' continues the unwholesome tradition of many quirky indie films—the protagonists, in their 'anything goes' behavior, are held up as morally superior to the antagonists, who are merely 'straw men', derided as either sexually perverse, greedy and/or emotionally repressed.
If you dig Cedar's 'anything goes' philosophy, and you accept the simplistic premise that there is an inferior underclass of conservative reactionaries, this is a film that will warm you to the bone. Others , such as myself, will find these types of films to have a few amusing moments but ultimately too smug to be taken seriously.