Friendship (Theatrical)

I will confess that I had never heard of Tim Robinson before seeing Friendship. One of my nephews continually spoke highly of him as well as this film. Paul Rudd also stars, and I took his recommendation and gave the film a chance. And boy am I glad I did. While the film won’t be for everyone, there is just something about it that is hard to describe. I had a great time with it and can’t wait to view it again. I came across a random commenter on social media who described it as a modern day The Cable Guy and I find that a fitting description. While this film might not have quite the mass appeal of the Jim Carrey led vehicle, it still should win over many viewers. You just must give it a chance, and it may work on you like it did on me.

Tim Robinson stars as Craig Waterman, who is a marketing executive and has a wife, Tami (Kate Mara) and a son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). The couple are selling their home (for reasons never fully explained) and meet the new neighbor who recently moved in, named Austin, played by Paul Rudd when they receive a misdelivered package. Austin is a popular local weatherman and it’s clear that Craig takes a liking to him. As we see Craig’s daily routine and behavior, it’s easy to see why the guy doesn’t have many friends. While successful as his job, he doesn’t seem to be a team player and lacks basic social etiquette. Craig and Austin begin hanging out and things seem ok for a short while. It isn’t until one night that Craig visits Austin’s house, along with some of his friends, that things go south. He accidentally breaks his glass door, not knowing it’s closed. The final straw, however, when Austin and Tim are having a fun boxing match Craig takes it too far. Austin informs Craig later that he essentially wants to discontinue the friendship. It’s here that Craig takes his unusual behavior steps further. He shows up unannounced at the TV station where Austin works, throwing him off his game and can’t seem to let go. Where things go from here may be obvious to some, but I felt the film had enough detours to keep me invested.

I can say wholeheartedly that this is one of the few recent films that had me laughing out loud several times. It is also one that I wish to revisit soon as well. That is something I don’t get from most recent films. There is just about this film and the style of humor that won me over. What’s so refreshing is how subtle the film is. It doesn’t have to try so hard. I will give an example. When two characters are out near the woods looking for mushrooms and we slowly see one of them sinking because of the quicksand. It’s moments like that where I was smiling and laughing heavily. I was never quite sure what the Craig character would say or do next, and I couldn’t wait to see. It isn’t always an easy film to sit through, but it left a strong impression on me. I won’t say everything works so great as a small subplot involving a character who goes missing felt unneeded, but the payoff is amusing. Still, this is one of the more enjoyable films I’ve seen this year and hope it garners a cult following. I can’t wait to see what Tim Robinson does next.