Review
You're Cordially Invited (Comedy) (2025)
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Writer: Nicholas Stoller
Stars: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner
Two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day, inciting a rivalry between the father of one bride and the sister of the other in a battle for supremacy.
In a direct-to-video release, Nicholas Stoller provides a chaotic bridal comedy co-produced by Ferrell and Witherspoon. Being in the works since around 2022, actual production began with Amazon in early 2023. The film was produced by Gloria Sanchez Productions, Hello Sunshine, and Stoller Global Solutions while being distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.
Serving as a prime location for wedding celebrations, Palmetto House provides an idyllic island with all the amenities those soon-to-be married could wish for. Having previously booked this location for himself and his late wife, single dad Jim (Will Ferrell) would be delighted to have his only daughter Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan) be bound in marriage there too. Elsewhere around Georgia, TV-producer Margot (Reese Witherspoon), surprised by the work visit of her sister Neve (Meredith Hagner), finds out a marriage to her boyfriend, a stripper with a southern draw, is on the horizon. Booking the same island location as Jim, and his daughter on the same date. Due to the passing of the Palmetto House's former owner, her son inherited the venue, and the original booking wasn't clearly noted. Once the date arrives, both wedding parties make their way to the front desk, shocked to discover the blunder; some confusion later, they agree on an armistice, sharing the venue in peace. However, it is short-lived, and an all-out conflict between the two wedding parties commences.
With a career catalogue in comedy, Stoller attempts to deliver a situational comedy centred around a wedding with over-the-top eccentrics by Ferrell and versatility brought to the forefront by Witherspoon.
An intense, overbearing parent and an emotionally invested sister lead a conflict in the midst of a double wedding, with two unique families contrasting in many ways. The spirited energy it brings carries through the entire screenplay, rarely taking a moment to breathe or extend an apology for its contents.
Given the situation at hand, conflict seems inevitable as hostility echoes on Palmetto Island. Ferrell's incalculable comedic stamina seems challenging to contend with, but his on-screen daughter in Viswanathan's Jenni appears to be on pace with the energetic veteran. Even other supporting cast can provide justly in their admittedly exaggerated caricatures of Georgian commonality stuck in a mindset of a thankfully bygone era.
In setup alone, you'd likely struggle to find any other purpose in Stoller's film, and the slapstick situation comedy antics provide some punchlines that might be worth remembering. Though most humour isn't meant to be taken seriously, trying to build on a love-to-hate relationship. Although it is only natural to find some commiseration for the brides and grooms on their special day, while two in their company act as two sides of the same coin, meant to imply a romantic denouement—their competition could've been playful, yet coming across inevitably petty and unreasonable.
There should always be a place for such comedy as "You're Cordially Invited" provides, yet Stoller's feature proves that subtlety can be an easing repose, allowing the viewer to relish the extremes that this film sadly prefers over everything. There's only so much you can add, stacking up and up until the whole structure collapses on itself, and that is precisely what happens in this absurd game of one-upmanship.
Verdict
Ignore the invite.
4,5
