Ed Helms stars as Tim Lippe in the new Fox Searchlight film ‘Cedar Rapids,’ alongside John C. Reilly and Isiah Whitlock, Jr. | Fox Searchlight films
“Cedar Rapids” is almost what you would expect to see if “The Hangover” and “Step Brothers” had a child.
“What happens in Cedar Rapids stays in Cedar Rapids” seems to be the mantra of this truly hilarious film, but that is not what the audience wants — instead, they want to take what happened in Cedar Rapids home with them.
“The Office” cast member Ed Helms stars as Tim Lippe, a socially awkward, shot-sipping insurance rep from a small Wisconsin town who is unexpectedly thrust into a journey to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There, he must win the coveted “Two Diamond” award for his boss.
Lippe — who has never left the state of Wisconsin — lands in Cedar Rapids with wide-eyed wonder. Soon after checking in to his economy hotel, he calls his attractive former teacher, played by Sigourney Weaver, to rant about the hotel’s indoor pool and lack of other luxury features.
But it isn’t until Lippe meets his roommates, John C. Reilly and Isiah Whitlock Jr., that the audience discovers the real source of humor for the film — these three are perfect together. They bounce jokes off each other with ease, and none of them seem forced.
Ed Helms is refreshing in this film. He has learned how to play comedic innocence without turning into one of Will Ferrell’s spastic Pomeranian characters.
While watching the film, imagine that Will Ferrell is in each scene doing the same things Ed Helms does. You will have a new appreciation for the film — and for Helms’ acting talent. Tim Lippe is innocent without being unbelievable, and has better comedic timing than any of Will Ferrell’s characters.
John C. Reilly plays Dean Ziegler, the bad boy of the insurance convention. Tim was warned by his boss to stay away from Dean, but to the delight of the audience he doesn’t follow the advice. This is a perfect role for Reilly — it allows him to showcase his comedic talent along with his dramatic talent. Reilly has a dimension in this role that he does not have in many of his other comedic roles.
Isiah Whitlock Jr. holds his own as insurance rep Ronald Wilkes. Wilkes is a quiet, thoughtful character who surprises the audience throughout the film when he does unexpectedly hilarious things.
Anne Heche shines as Joan Ostrowski-Fox, an alpha-female insurance rep who downs shots like the boys. But who knew Heche was a comedian? She successfully keeps up with both Reilly and Helms, and even manages to steal most of the scenes she is in — this is definitely new territory for Heche.
This is a refreshing film. The jokes are vulgar without being cheap, and the actors delivering them are funny without creating stereotypes.
Director Miguel Arteta clearly drew from his experience in directing episodes of “The Office” for this film. That being so, “Cedar Rapids” is a film fans of “The Office” will love.
