A Guy Thing Starring Jason Lee, Julie Stiles Directed by Chris Koch Rated PG-13 for language, crude humor, some sexual content and drug references 3/4 out of Stars, Movie Grade: B-

Theatrical Release: January 17, 2003
Running time: 101 minutes

by Kevin Lang

I seem to have this tendency toward giving movies two and three fourth stars lately. It's those movies that were enjoyable, but either something was missing, or there was something about the film that held it back just that little bit. In the case of "A Guy Thing," directed by Chris Koch, it was the romantic developments between Paul (Jason Lee) and Becky (Julia Stiles). For one thing, there wasn't very much development.

Paul and Becky met at Paul's bachelor party. Becky was a first-time party dancer, and Paul ended up taking her home after drinking too much alcohol. Paul woke up the next morning to a phone call from his future mother-in-law, reminding him that his fiancée, Karen (Selma Blair), was on her way over. He rolled over in bed to discover Becky sleeping next to him. Quickly, he ushered Becky out of the apartment and the chaos for Paul began. He soon began to see Becky everywhere. He saw her working at the tool booth on his way to work, and then he saw her at Karen's house, only to discover that Becky and Karen were cousins. I didn't mind these over-coincidental events. They were funny, even if they worked to almost solely advance the plot.

Although I enjoyed "A Guy Thing" perhaps more than I anticipated, there were several things about the film that caused it to be a little less fulfilling than it should have been. First, the developing connection between Becky and Paul was not all that convincing or enjoyable. Like in other recent films, such as "Two Weeks Notice," we had a free spirited girl opening up a guy who had restricted himself from enjoying life to the fullest. He was playing it safe instead of living a little, which turned out in the end to describe his relationship with Karen. First off, will we ever see a movie where these gender attributes are reversed? I didn't mind it much here, but why does it always have to be the guy who is so repressed and closed off? Are most men really that non-spontaneous and boring? Ladies, don't answer that. In "A Guy Thing," there wasn't enough happening between Becky and Paul to convince me that these two were meant for each other. Becky encouraged Paul to jump his car off the level part of a downhill slope, and suddenly Paul was in love. There was a little more to it I admit, but nothing that was very believable or convincing.

I have grown to like Selma Blair with each role that I see her in. She seems to often be typecast into roles where she plays quirky, gullible characters. Karen wasn't all that far from this. However, Selma Blair has done well in these roles, but I don't feel that her acting talent is limited to just these types of characters. I liked Karen, not just because Selma Blair looked her best in this film, but because at times I saw flashes of an actress who possibly should have been the star, or at least deserves similar starring roles to express the broader range of acting ability that she likely possesses.

In the end, "A Guy Thing" failed to provide a significantly enjoyable romance, but the film did offer several funny moments throughout that managed to keep me entertained.

"A Guy Thing" Review written January 15, 2002, CTF.

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