In “Wanderlust,” Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655460/@@ traverse a midlife crisis in the face of financial uncertainty, hippie communes (sorry — “intentional communities”) and a money-crazed, greaseball brother.
I’m pleased to report that while this isn’t my favorite thing to come from the likes of writers Ken Marino (Watch “Party Down” and your life may never be the same again — at least until about halfway through the second season when the show lost its edge, but still) and David Wain@@see above link@@ (Adult Swim’s “Childrens Hospital”@@no possessive apostrophe@@ — need I say more?), I was happy to have spent $7 to watch the film.
A short series of unfortunate events force George and Linda (Rudd and Aniston) to leave their newly acquired Manhattan studio and travel to their brother’s (Marino also plays a supporting role) house in Atlanta.
Wain, who directed the film in addition to writing it, creates short, situational vignettes that inject brief moments of comedy throughout the film. These moments, along with hilarious and random sound-bite lines  — “I can get him there with the flick of a finger,” says George and Linda’s real estate agent (Patricia French)@@see above link@@ — keep the laughter continuous throughout the film.
When they cross into Georgia after a long drive from New York, George and Linda decide to stay at a bed and breakfast for the night. But nothing about “Elysium,” the so-called bed and breakfast they find, turns out to be normal. The experience starts off with a surprise nighttime encounter (Is there any other kind?) with a nudist and eventually evolves into an all-night pot-smoking, didgeridoo-playing, skinny-dipping party with the local residents. (Sounds like a regular Wednesday night in Eugene, right?)
In the morning, the two overstressed and overcaffeinated New Yorkers are reluctant to leave but nevertheless say goodbye and head to Atlanta to see George’s rich brother, Rick.
The oddball, goofy humor that is a grandchild of the comedy techniques made popular by Steve Carell in the popular TV series “The Office” works well for “Wanderlust.” It’s at this point that one can appreciate the history that most of the cast has with each other.
Soon after arriving at Rick’s home, George and Linda realize that life would be much better back at the commune, and after a hilarious and horrifying visit, they return to “Elysium,” possibly for good.
As regular residents of “Elysium,” George and Linda confront the realities of commune life, from roommates who are all too eager to engage in a conversation while George is trying to use the bathroom to an all-too-common event in movies these days: the “psychedelic drug night.” All this goes on while they struggle to balance their evolving identities with their ever-more-strained relationship.
For the last thirty minutes or so, the movie does the romantic comedy bit and portrays the slightly sappy challenges in George and Linda’s relationship against the unusual background of a vegan commune.
However, it’s a refreshing take on a romantic comedy that doesn’t go too far down the road of the cheesy, sap-fest that sucks the life out of the second half of many other members of this genre of films. For those living in Eugene, many of the vegan, Mother Nature, natural birth, free love and acid-trip jokes land close to home.
“Wanderlust” isn’t the best comedy of the century, but it’s not too bad either, and if you know anything about the alternative Eugene culture, you’ll likely be happy to spend a few bucks and a couple hours on the film.
Grade: B