I think it’s about time we collectively realize that while Melissa McCarthy is a comedic genius, she and (more significantly) her husband/writing partner, Ben Falcone, just don’t really have the right skill set to reign in her particular energy into something that is more than just mildly amusing. With stuff like Bridesmaids, Spy, or really anything involving Paul Feig (he’s kind of the only one who’s really pushed her into interesting directions), as well as her somewhat dramatic turns in films like St. Vincent, and the upcoming Can You Ever Forgive Me, it’s clear she has a lot of range and maybe even untapped potential, but she still seems to find herself doing roles that don’t give her much of a chance to stretch her muscles and challenge herself. It is strange considering the worst offenders of this disposable streak are the ones directed by Falcone, and produced by the two of them, so far being Tammy and The Boss.
Which brings us to their new collaboration, Life of the Party, which plays like a riff on Back to School and Legally Blonde. Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) is faced with a sudden divorce, and is unsure of what to do. Realizing that she now has the chance to complete her education, which her husband, Dan (Matt Walsh), made her give up after she became pregnant, she decides to enroll and get her degree.
As a premise, it’s fairly well torn territory, but still reliable when it comes to creating a fun set of characters and gags. Unfortunately, the same problem that plagued Tammy and The Boss hits this film as well. It just isn’t consistently funny. Sequences often start with a good hook, but just when it should be building up to a punchline, it sort of peters out quickly and settles for a generic, easy, and uninspiring joke. It never goes big when it should and whenever it tries, it’s just not big enough. One twist landed really well, but it was a gag that was already perfected in 22 Jump Street. It’s just a thoroughly underwhelming experience for a lot of it.
Although, it’s worth noting that Ben Falcone is improving as a filmmaker. The Boss was certainly better than Tammy, and this is also a step up from The Boss. He occasionally comes close to mining great material, but he simply isn’t there yet. Whenever I did get a laugh, it’s because the cast is solid enough to make it work. Making McCarthy the straight man to the strange supporting characters around her is a weird choice that I don’t fully understand the thought process behind, but it gives the opportunity for a lot of young actors to really go with some weird choices.
Gillian Jacobs stole the show for me. She plays Helen, a college student with an amazing backstory involving her going into a coma after a skydiving accident and being in said coma for eight years gaining internet fame as “the coma girl,” but leaving her emotionally and intellectually stunted as a result. It’s a shame the backstory doesn’t really come into play all that much (in terms of the humor), but Jacobs works wonders with the material she’s given. Same goes for Adria Arjona, Jessie Ennis, Heidi Gardner, Molly Gordon, and Maya Rudolph. They all get what is ostensibly one-joke characters, but they are able to bring some semblance of personality and charm to each role.
It may sound like I’m being harsh, but that’s only because I think the people involved can absolutely do better. However, while it’s not great or very memorable, I think it’s harmless and at times, genuinely sweet. There’s an earnestness to this that didn’t quite come through in Tammy or The Boss, and when it does lean on the moments where Deanna is bonding with her daughter and her friends, it kind of wins you over. It lacks a lot of the forced, overbearing conflicts that tend to weigh these kind of movies down, and it was nice to see one where it plays more like a hangout movie. It’s perfectly watchable, mostly because of a killer supporting cast, and I hope Falcone and McCarthy continue improving. Sure, there are better movies just like this, but you could also do much worse.