"A Guy Thing"

'The Last DJ'

One man + two women = a laugh out loud comedy

By Daniel Bell
Editor

Imagine the horror a man must suffer after waking up in bed with a Tiki dancer from his bachelor’s party the previous night. Now imagine how much more horrible it would be if the girl turned out to be his fiancée’s cousin.

That is the plot of the recently released “A Guy Thing” (PG-13). Paul (Jason Lee) wakes up the night after his bachelor’s party with a hangover and Becky (Julia Stiles) in his bed. After claiming he’s not “that guy” and rushing her out the door he seems to think he’s in the clear.

But Becky reappears at the engagement party as his bride-to-be’s cousin. Selma Blair plays the unknowing fiancée, Karen.

With the plot thickening and the stage properly set, it’s a safe bet that wackiness will ensue.

That bet pays out when Becky’s stalker ex-boyfriend, who is also a cop, attacks Paul and throws him in a dumpster. He later has Paul falsely arrested for drug possession.

Add in the fact that Paul’s brother is in love with Karen, and the makings are all there for a fairly entertaining two hours.

Fans of the infamous Jay and Silent Bob characters will recognize Lee from his various roles in “Dogma,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Clerks,” etc. This is one of the first films where Lee has taken the lead role and he does an admirable job. His situational humor almost makes viewers forget they are watching a romantic comedy.

Fans of Julia Stiles will love her quirky performance even though short scenes and a shallow character limit her range of acting.

“A Guy Thing” will certainly not clean up at the Academy Awards but it will make viewers chuckle at the unbelievable storyline.

The movie, despite a lack of a serious message or theme, has a certain charm that works. And even though the ending is obvious from the time the usher tears the tickets, “A Guy Thing” is quality entertainment without all that mushy stuff.

Guys will like it because it stars Jason Lee and a cuter-than-normal Julia Stiles. Girls will like it because of the underlying love story.

“A Guy Thing” is an ideal date movie and all around good fun.