Cedar Rapids (***1/4)

Ed Helms stars as the milquetoast hero whose only daring act has been the affair he’s having with his onetime seventh-grade teacher (Sigourney Weaver). But even that represents the timid act of a small-town boy who still maintains his child’s eye view of the world, which doesn’t include potty-mouthed salesmen, cheating, lying, or death by deaths by auto-erotic asphyxiation, all of which he comes to grips with in the kind-0f-big city in Iowa. (The city and state are played by Michigan, which gives bigger tax breaks to filmmakers.) In many ways Tim Lippe is the same sort of relative innocent as Helms played in The Hangover. And, structurally speaking, the movie is a lot like that farce, in that it involves a diverse foursome going a little wild on a trip, in this case an insurance conference.

But this comedy will also appeal to people who found that movie a little on the silly side. Yes, there’s some unlikely plotting, but director Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt) and writer Phil Johnston keep the focus as much on the characters. Besides Tim, unexpectedly asked to represent his agency at the conference, these include his temporary roommates, foul-mouthed Dean (John C. Reilly) and reserved Ronald (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), who confesses a fondness for “the HBO program The Wire” in a tone suggesting one who’s discovered a hidden gem. Ron also amusingly shocks Tim by being…black and also garners perhaps the movie’s biggest laugh line when he later uses racial stereotyping to his own advantage. Lastly, there’s a female in this buddy quartet (Anne Heche in a great comeback role), who’s the right mix of flirty and down-to-earth to lure Tim out of his comfort zone.

Creating strong characters is why this movie is a cut above its buddy-comedy brethren. Even Dean is not simply a wild-and-crazy guy, but might also be like someone you’ve met. And while Tim is naive, your sympathies are still with him. The comedy is not about in Tim being so dumb he thinks Cedar Rapids is a big city, but a coming-of-age story about a guy who’s just waited awhile to come of age.

IMDB link

viewed 2/9/11 at Ritz East [PFS screening] and reviewed 4/19/11