When you hear We’re the Millers, you may think it’s all humour with no substance. A film comparable to the likes of Dumb and Dumber. You could also argue it is on parr with The Inbetweeners, or even more closely parallel to Friday Night Dinner. Or at least that’s what I believed before watching. But boy, was I wrong.
We’re the Millers is more than one-dimensional. The 2013-released hybrid crime-comedy produced by Rawson M. Thurber leaves no stone unturned, no page unread and no dust swept under the carpet in its sharp 110 minutes of runtime. This film simply has it all.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better – a stacked cast who collectively share a radiant abundance of compatibility that chimes their humour transforming a dry one-liner into a belter.
With a premise so cleverly crafted it will leave you satisfyingly gratified with the ending; you forget every other usual theme for a standard comedy film. But here’s the thing, the narrative doesn’t need gag after gag after gag to remain humorous. The plot continues to be an enjoyable watch with a perfectly planted one liner and anecdote here and there. Not to mention teeth gritting innuendos that will leave you awkwardly laughing, or alternatively covering your eyes in awe when viewing Will Poulter’s exaggeratively swollen testicles following a tarantula bite.Â
The plot surrounds small time marijuana dealer David Clark (Jason Sudeikis), who has been recruited on a mission to deport a ‘smidge’ of what turns out to be two or more tonnes of drugs across the Mexican border back to Denver in return for a huge wad of cash.
To complete his mission, he not only has to play the part, but he has to look the part. David experiences his light bulb moment when viewing the typical all-American White Christian suburban family sitting in an RV after being stopped briefly by police. He glares at them almost like a tourist would at a museum exhibition.h
Bingo! What’s whiter than the surname Miller? Owning an RV.
And so, David Clark (now David Miller) sets off on his mission across the Mexican border – but not before recruiting his freshly formed family of social outcasts including stripper Sarah O’Reilly (Jennifer Anniston) who is transformed into Rose Miller, the second of the newly formed parental figures.
But what’s a family without kids? From there David reaches out to one of his neighbourly friends: Kenny Rossmore (Poulter), who is a shy, awkward, goofy virgin – the polar opposite to Rose. And finally runaway Casey Mathis (Emma Roberts), an arrogant young girl making ends meet.
The group of strangers embody their roles as family members of the Millers after David desperately enrols them in the quest enticing them individually with a share of the cash. Well except for Kenny who remains a clueless mug throughout the film.
The strung together dysfunctional ‘family’ set off on their journey utilizing their joint wits to wiggle free from any sticky situation which results in border patrol being the least of their worries. We witness action packed scenes, surprising plot twists, a replica family to the Millers’ caricature personas, and much more. We’re the Millers contains everything.
Move over the strangers-to-lovers trope, strangers to family is a winner. And watching four social outcasts unite over money but disregard this need in replace to experience a family bond was a truly powerful message that delves deeper into the standard roots of a comedy production.