The Farrelly brothers have made a career out of mocking the afflicted. They had fun at the expense of the mentally challenged in Dumb And Dumber. Last time out they mocked obesity in Shallow Hal. Now Stuck On You garners its laughs from the exploits of conjoined twins. It's not a strategy that has won the approval of the politically correct, but their bad taste humour has found a large audience.
That they portray their handicapped with affection goes some way to dispel the charges of ridicule. That they do it so brazenly also warrants some recognition. Most humour comes at the expense of somebody's misfortune. The Farrellys just happen to focus on those whose misfortunes are more obvious. And, let's face it, there are few richer subjects than conjoined twins. Stuck On You may effectively be a one gag movie, but it's one they make full use of, including absurd scenes of the youthful brothers pitching baseball, playing football and boxing. Though at two hours long, the joke wears out long before the movie does.
Over the years a number of different pairings have been considered to play the brothers, including the intriguing combination of Jim Carrey and Woody Allen. In the end the role of the shy Bo went to Matt Damon, while Greg Kinnear plays the more gregarious Walt. That Walt looks considerably older is explained by the fact that Bo possesses the liver causing his brother to age faster. Joined at the hip by a loose flap of skin, they are able to move independently, though at times, like when the womanising Walt is entertaining, he requires the cooperation of Bo for his more flexible gyrations.
The 32-year old brothers have been happy running their burger joint in the upscale resort of Martha's Vineyard when Walt decides to pursue his lifelong dream of an acting career and suggests moving to Hollywood. The proposition is less appealing for Bo whose crippling shyness causes him to have anxiety attacks whenever he's forced to be on stage while Walt performs. The one incentive is that Los Angeles is the home of his long time internet friend May (Wen Yann Shih).
Once in Hollywood, a town well used to freaks, they hook up with a dumb actress (Eva Mendes) and an old time agent (the hilarious Seymour Cassell). They also inevitably bump into a couple of celebrities. That Cher and Meryl Streep, along with Damon and Academy nominee Kinnear are willing to put their Oscar careers aside and enter the madcap world of the Farrellys says something about the brothers' appeal. It's unlikely Stuck On You will provide its cast with any statuettes, but it does supply a large dose of silliness and a few laughs.
