advertisement

Melissa McCarthy gives 'Life of the Party' a comic college try

<h3 class="briefHead">"Life of the Party" - ★ ★ ½</h3>

In the coming-of-middle-age comedy "Life of the Party," Plainfield native Melissa McCarthy celebrates the courage and the positive self-image it takes for a woman to pick up the pieces after a life-shattering experience.

McCarthy plays Deanna, a wife and mom who returns to complete her college education when her unfaithful hubby Dan (Matt Walsh) unceremoniously dumps her after 23 years of matrimony.

Her daughter Maddie (Molly Gordon) appears cautiously mortified now that her sweetly uncool mom not only goes to Decatur University with her, she becomes her sorority sister. (There must be a "Chinatown" joke in there.)

McCarthy co-wrote "Life of the Party" with her director/husband Ben Falcone, and they create an appealing mix of well-earned laughs and cheap jokes, physical shtick and commercially safe cliches.

Their movie could be considered an overdue female bookend to 1986's Rodney Dangerfield hit comedy "Back to School," about a successful businessman who enrolls at the college his son attends.

In "Life of the Party," the emphasis on the strong mother-and-daughter relationship gradually morphs into a broader plot examining how the earnest Deanna slowly earns the friendship, acceptance and respect of Maddie's pals and sorority sisters.

They include Helen (Gillian Jacobs), who has awakened from an eight-year coma with a comically blunt attitude; a cute, confidence-challenged Debbie (Jessie Ennis); and the gorgeous Amanda (Adria Arjona), who seems oblivious to how others see her.

Deanna has less success winning over her strange roommate Leonor (former "SNL" performer Heidi Gardner), an omniphobic, quasi-goth girl who keeps the lights off and the blinds closed, yet professes to be afraid of the dark.

Debbie Ryan and Yani Simone play the movie's in-house villains, uber-nasty girls Jennifer and Trina, who target poor Deanna for ageist assaults and downright verbal abuse.

Then Deanna meets handsome student Jack (the extremely likable Luke Benward) with a sexy coiff and a beguiling smile. He becomes captivated by this older, emotionally secure woman. Pretty soon, they're heating up the library's book stacks to Fahrenheit 451 degrees.

"Life of the Party" could benefit from one more ruthless pass through the editing software for maximum narrative velocity and removal of less-inspired bits, particularly the cheap, overused groin injury bit.

"Life of the Party" also offers an unsurprising, standard-issue accidental drug ingestion vignette. (After all, it's a college comedy.) And it includes a dance built around 1980s nostalgia that's quickly becoming a commercial crutch.

More mystifying is why Maya Rudolph's Christine, Deanna's best friend, is made to look a little stupid because she can't understand repeated instructions that a divorce arbitration doesn't operate like TV courtroom dramas.

McCarthy sails through this movie with winning confidence and considerable charm in a relatively unchallenging role built around her comedic strong suits.

When Deanna says, "See you around the quad," Maddie politely replies, "Nobody says that, Mom!"

Deanna doesn't miss a beat: "Well, we'll bring it back!"

<b>Starring:</b> Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Gillian Jacobs, Molly Gordon

<b>Directed by:</b> Ben Falcone

<b>Other:</b> A New Line Cinema release. Rated PG-13 for language, sexual material. 105 minutes

Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) practically cooks the books when she strikes sparks with fellow college student Jack (Luke Benward) in “Life of the Party.” Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) embraces college in “Life of the Party.” Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.