YOU AGAIN

US, 2010, 105 minutes. Colour.
Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Odette Yustman, Victor Garber, Betty White, James Wolk, Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Wing, Patrick Duffy.
Directed by Andy Fickman.

You Again is a slight romantic comedy. With a strong cast, it did not get very good reviews and went straight to DVD and television in some countries.

However, for those wanting to relax and watch something pleasantly undemanding, they could do worse than watch You Again.

The film focuses on Kristen Bell as Marni, a gawky teenager who is able to transform into a very successful public relations executive. She comes back to town for her brother’s wedding, only to find that he is marrying the chief persecutor while she was at school. The girl, Joanna (Odette Yustman) pretends not to know her, but finally is unmasked – leading to all kinds of fights, especially in the Mean Girls tradition.

The enjoyment of the film for many will come from Jamie Lee Curtis as Kristen Bell’s mother and Sigourney Weaver as the aunt of Joanna. It turns out that they were rivals at school in something of the same way. Sigourney Weaver has become a very successful hotel owner and manager. She is full of style, supporting her niece. However, while teeth are bared against each other, they are polite until some final confrontations. Victor Garber appears as Jamie Lee Curtis’s husband, Betty White as her mother. There is a joke at the end where Betty White finally meets the person who persecuted her when she was at school (a cameo appearance from Cloris Leachman).

The film has a lot of high school high jinks, has a lot of wedding preparations and wedding sequences and the ruining of weddings. It is slight – but not as bad as many of the bloggers seem to make out. Director Andy Fickman has made family-style films like She’s the Man, The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain.

1. A blend of romantic comedy with the tradition of Mean Girls?

2. The portrait of the town, homes and school, middle America? The characters and plot real for many of the audiences from this part of the US? The musical score, songs? Especially for the final credits and the introduction of the band?

3. The comic touches, the farce, the comedy of bullying, the wedding, meanness – but nice?

4. The title, with Marni and Joanna, with Gail and Ramona - and the final joke with the two grandmothers? Generations and rivalries?

5. The strong cast and the cameos?

6. Marni’s story, her initials being M.O.O? At high school, the interviews for the time capsule and its being buried? Marni, at school, the zits, her glasses, her hair? Joanna and her friends? Mocking, singing, Marni as a loser? The sports, the cheerleaders, Joanna pushing Marni into her brother? Marni and her frustrations?

7. The revelation that Marni had been transformed, was giving a motivational lecture, illustrating it by her own life? Thinking she was to be fired – but promoted? Finally telling her family, their pride?

8. Going home for the wedding, on the plane, her mother on the phone, discovering who the bride was to be, her tantrum on the plane – and the humour with the cameo from Dwayne Johnson as the marshal? The welcome, her parents, her father’s support of her, Will and his love for her, her brother? The happiness of the family?

9. Joanna, her reaction, pretending not to know Marni, being friendly? In love with Will? The family obsessed with her? Mother and father? The dog even liking her more than Marni? Her grandmother and her friendship with Joanna, going shopping? Marni and her accosting Joanna, Joanna’s pretence, the revelation of the truth? The change, the antagonism? The service? The dancing rehearsals? The information that Joanna’s parents had died in an accident? Her dependence on her Aunt Ramona?

10. The meal comedy at the house, the father and his blindfold, the weight loss? Ramona and her joining in the discussion about weight loss?

11. Marni, her mother, wanting to talk? Ramona’s arrival, her style, the greeting, the memories of the rivalry? Ramona and her range of gifts, her manner, languages, the hotels, offering Gail and Mark a holiday at the hotel? Her phone calls, the background of her divorces? Her clothes? At the rehearsal? Gail’s visit to her, looking at the dress, tearing it, in the shower? Ramona and Gail and their discussions?

12. Gail and Mark, Gail and her past success, but now in suburbia, love for the family, with her mother?

13. The shower, the gifts, the dance rehearsal, Tim, Georgia and her putting on the show?

14. The tree house, the younger brother, the plan? Will taking it away? The collapse of the tree house? Marni and her deciding to dig up the time capsule?

15. The dinner, Tim coming, Joanna upset, their past relationship, Tim’s infatuation with her? His awkward speech? Mark’s speech? Joanna, the song, her being off-key? The spectacle of the dance? Marni deciding to show the capsule video – Joanna, in a bad light, the consequences?

16. Joanna and Marni and their fight in the kitchen, Marni and her parents, their being ashamed of her? Finding Joanna, the heart-to-heart talk? Apologies?

17. Gail and Ramona, their talk, in the pool, the memories of the past, the reconciliation, the truth?

18. Grandma, with Joanna, the phone numbers – and Tim? Her dancing?

19. The breaking off of the wedding, Will and his being upset, Marni and her trying to explain, Will and Joanna in the tree house, the collapse, their being in hospital?

20. The hospital, discussions in the hospital, the wedding in the hospital? Marni, thinking she was the ugly duckling, Charlie in the background, his friendship? Her being attracted to him? Ramona, the probably of meeting somebody new, Richie from the past? In the form of Patrick Duffy? The two grandmothers and the clash?

21. The final credits – and all the meanness turning into niceness?