What Do The Critics Say?

"Hall Pass, proves without a shadow of a doubt the two talented brothers can still bring the funny. And here they bring it with the power of a bodybuilder hopped up on steroids. Hall Pass gave me the best workout I've had in months." Adam Tobias WATERTOWN DAILY NEWS "An initial look at the frustrations of married life soon gives way to the titular concept and brings Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis firmly back into the pantheon of Farrelly-style arrested-development types. A worthwhile, farcical comedy." James White EMPIRE MAGAZINE "It’s about men hovering near 40 who learn that sexual freedom they once prized is worth less than the commitments that make them anxious. The Farrellys, who wrote the script with Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett, play enough variations on that theme to keep us curious about how the inevitable reconciliation will go." Lawrence Toppman CHARLOTTE OBSERVER "This dirty little secret is one of the funniest films to start 2011! "Hall Pass" was surprisingly entertaining, a raunchfest that tries to live up the Hangover reputation but falls a little short. The cast had great chemistry and superb comedy in every scene. " Jolene Mendez ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM "Hall Pass is hilarious, a return to form for the Farrelly Brothers. Hall Pass is an equal smattering of buddy, gross-out, shock, and feel-good comedy. It never swings too far from having heart, but is raunchy enough to drop your jaw and offend sensitivities. This formula is what made the Farrelly Brothers great in the past." Julian Roman MOVIEWEB

"A film about, for and by, middle-aged guys. It is at times riotously raunchy and funny but, for the most part, grounded in a sweet reality. It may not be the peak for the Farrellys but they could and have done much worse." Pete Hammond BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE "It may not be the second coming of "There's Something About Mary", but the Farrelly Brother's latest offers a number of hearty laughs and good performances to boot. One of the reasons that Hall Pass works as well as it does is that carries a personal touch that’s been missing from much of the Farrelly's recent work." Ethan Alter FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL "A foul-mouthed, raunchy, ridiculous, sometimes gross, and inevitably funny movie. Farrellys' film about infidelity has both raunch and heart. Credit goes to the Farrelly brothers for handling the wives' response to the hall pass with some complexity." S Jhoanna Robledo COMMON SENSE MEDIA "Faithful Farrelly fans won’t be disappointed by this bawdy, shock comedy laced with coarse dialogue, full-frontal nudity, sophomoric slapstick and bodily-function fare. The tried and true Farrelly Brothers formula." Kam Williams THE LOOP 21 "Isn't by any means flawless, but its ability to integrate extreme scatological humor with moments of genuine feeling is rare. Some of the material is just plain gross, but some of it is damn funny. When the film is over, the viewer will feel like he has been told a story rather than merely subjected to a string of rude, hit or miss jokes." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS

The Inside Story Rick and his buddy Fred consider themselves average, maybe even above-average, husbands. Easygoing, dependable and gainfully employed, they’re the kind of guys who aren’t averse to pitching in with the household chores now and then, or stopping by the dry cleaner’s: the kind of guys who wouldn't dream of cheating on their wives. Well, actually they would. Not cheat on them necessarily, but dream about it: every single day; and with every woman they see. "Rick is happily married, with kids and a wife he loves. He has a good job, a nice existence but, like a lot of men, he can’t help noticing women and this irritates his wife," says Peter Farrelly, who, with his brother Bobby Farrelly, directed and produced "Hall Pass" and shared the screenwriting credits with Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett. Together, they felt that this eminently relatable scenario was ripe for some frank and irreverent exploration. "The first thing that struck me about the story was how much comic potential it had. It’s a universal theme. If God came to me and said, 'Pete, you’re with the hottest woman on the planet, she’s the best and there’s no one better,' I’d probably still want to take a look at the second-best. Even if you’re happily married and committed, it doesn’t mean you stop looking. The question is how far do you take it?" Owen Wilson, who stars as the easily distracted suburban dad, Rick, agrees. "Most guys can’t help noticing a good-looking woman walk by, but some of them do a better job at being subtle about it. With others, like Rick, it’s like they have their heads on a swivel." One of the ideas behind "Hall Pass" is that men and women, too; are just hardwired to look. And occasionally, they may also wonder: What if I wasn’t married? What could I be doing now? And with whom? Being a Farrelly brothers comedy, such probing philosophic questions are bound to lead down some dangerously slippery slopes. Rick’s best friend Fred attempts a higher level of finesse with his gawking: locking his gaze into position slightly ahead of his quarry; but that strategy fools no one. Jason Sudeikis ("What Happens in Vegas") remarked: "Rick and Fred aren’t the coolest guys in the world but they don’t know that. I always find it funny when people think they’re so sharp and act like know what they’re talking about when, clearly, they don’t." The bottom line is these two are out of control and their spouses patience has run out. The last straw is when Rick’s wife Maggie and Fred’s wife, Grace, are unspeakably humiliated at a party where their guys’ R-rated commentary on the female guests is exposed. The women realize it’s time to take drastic action to revive their marriages: if, in fact, they’re worth reviving. It’s time to show their shameless husbands how good they have it at home by giving them a week off to indulge their fantasies and see what they might actually be missing out there, or, forever hold their peace. "Since the guys are under the impression that if it weren’t for their wives they’d be living wildly different lives, why not cut them loose for a week and let them find out the hard way what it’s really like out there?," Peter Farrelly suggests. Jenna Fisher (Katie Van Waldenberg in "Blades Of Glory"), who stars as Maggie, notes: "Everyone has been in a relationship that could use a bit of spice and maybe they’ve tried something out of the box, whatever that might be. A hall pass is certainly extreme, but the idea behind it is relatable and I believe these characters come from a real and familiar place." So what is a 'Hall Pass'? A week off from marriage do whatever you want without consequences. No questions asked. No guilt. One week. Do what you like and get it out of your system, once and for all. "Who knows? It might be a healthy thing if a relationship isn’t working because a couple wonders if they’re missing something," says Christina Applegate ("Going The Distance"), who stars as Fred’s wife, Grace. "When two people are together a long time, they can sometimes get to that place. Still, I wouldn’t be giving a hall pass to my man. He can forget about that!" For Rick and Fred, it’s suddenly like Christmas, their birthdays and the Super Bowl all wrapped up into one: a gift so incredible it leaves their envious buddies awestruck. They hardly know where to begin. "But it’s not going to be as easy as they think," Bobby Farrelly ("Me, Myself & Irene") warns. Producer Bradley Thomas ("Shallow Hal") says, "It’s a classic case of 'Be careful what you wish for,' I think the dream of a hall pass far exceeds the reality. Imagine sitting around your house thinking, 'Man, I wish I was at those clubs with all those beautiful girls. There’d be no stopping me. If only I was single.' Then, imagine being at those clubs and it’s awful, and no one will talk to you. One thing I’ve come to realize is that my single friends are complete frauds on this subject. Being a free bird, being able to do whatever you want all the time: it’s not so great." Still, the guys are honour bound to try. Indeed, this holiday from matrimony could cost Rick and Fred plenty, especially after it dawns on them that their born-again bachelorhood has temporarily turned their wives into singles too. Conversely, it could pay off in ways that neither of them anticipates. Of the two, Bobby Farrelly says, "It’s more Rick’s emotional arc that propels the story so it’s important that the audience likes him. That’s one of the reasons we cast Owen Wilson, because he has such an inherent likeability and decency. He’s very funny, but also someone you can get behind and want to support." In such a potentially polarizing role, being able to convey that core decency is key. Pegging Rick as 'kind of a schlub', Wilson explained: "It’s not that his marriage is bad, just a little predictable, and he has this illusion that if he was still out there, single, he’d just be crushing it. But that’s not necessarily the case. He really has no idea what it’s like anymore. Besides, you have to wonder if he was ever that great to begin with." As Rick, Wilson got the opportunity to portray a character not as successful with women as he imagines, in contrast to some of the actor’s best-known roles. "Owen is usually Mr. Slick on screen, the charming, good-looking dude, but he can also be goofy. We thought it would be interesting for him to play a guy who struggles to be noticed," says 1999 ShoWest Convention USA screenwriter of the year, Peter Farrelly. Comparing his character with that of his onscreen partner-in-crime, Sudeikis observed, "Rick is more thoughtful about the hall pass, asking himself, 'Should I be doing this? Is it a good idea?', whereas Fred is gung-ho. He’s like, 'Let’s do it!' Fred is the guy who, if they were discussing a plan on the battlefield, would take off before the plan is fully explained. He’d be the first one out of the foxhole." Meanwhile, egging the Hall Pass holders on from the sidelines are Rick and Fred’s friends, Gary, Hog-Head and Flats, played by accomplished comic actors Stephen Merchant (2006 Emmy® winning writer on "The Office"), Larry Joe Campbell ("According to Jim") and JB Smoove ("Date Night"). Deemed "a motley crew of likeable goofballs" by Peter Farrelly, "these three are eager to inhale the contact high from standing next to a guy holding a hall pass." Together, they are a Greek Chorus of bad ideas and even worse advice. Not that Rick and Fred need any help when it comes to bad ideas. Initially conceived as a tale in which two husbands score a week off from marriage while their mates anxiously await developments, "Hall Pass" took another twist as the Farrellys delved further into the story and characters. Now, in addition to tracking Rick and Fred on their seven-day bender, the story takes a look at what might happen if Maggie and Grace assumed the same freedom. "It has to go both ways. That’s key to unlocking the story, making it fair and opening it up for everyone," says Peter Farrelly ("Stuck On You"). Not only fair, but, as Bradley Thomas ("There's Something About Mary") points out, more honest. "If you make a movie about two guys who get a hall pass while their wives are sitting at home, hoping and praying they don’t do anything, that’s just baloney. It’s not real. I’m sure that if these two guys are looking at other women, then other guys are checking out their wives, too." To allow Rick and Fred some space for the week, as well as themselves, the women head out of town to Maggie’s parent's home in Cape Cod. Two days later, tanned and relaxed in the stands at a Minor League baseball game, Grace attracts the flattering attention of Gerry, a confident, young hard-bodied first baseman, played by Tyler Hoechlin (Michael Sullivan Jr in "Road to Perdition"), while Grace is approached by the team’s suave coach, coincidentally named Rick, played by Bruce Thomas ("Legally Blonde I & II"). It’s not till the guys ask them out for a beer that Maggie and Grace understand that this hall pass could be printed on both sides. "For Maggie, the story becomes about her own complacency in the marriage," Fischer offers. "After she grants her husband a week off because she thinks it’s what he wants, she realizes that she’s also been feeling a little restless. Then she meets a man who’s willing to help her cash in a hall pass of her own. Owen and I really focused on the dynamic of Maggie and Rick’s relationship so that when the complications arise, they carry some weight. I think you have to believe that these two people are really meant to be together. It’s one of the reasons why I responded to the script." If Maggie is looking for moral support at this crucial juncture, Grace is no help. "Grace is the voice in her head beckoning her to the dark side," says Emmy® Award winner Applegate ("Friends"). In fact, it’s Grace who makes the valid point that if Rick and Fred are taking the week off, then she and Maggie are likewise single—and should behave accordingly. "The way Grace sees it, it should be tit for tat. The best way to get back at her husband is to do the same thing he’s doing." By throwing the wives into the breach along with their husbands, "Hall Pass" not only doubles the story’s comedic possibilities but raises the emotional stakes. Set in suburban Rhode Island and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, "Hall Pass" was filmed on location in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Avondale High School in DeKalb County provided the baseball field. The exterior of the pulsing club called Enter the Dragon was a loft-style building in the downtown art district, but its interiors were captured in The Gold Room, a 4800-square foot space boasting two bars, a floating DJ booth, VIP banquet seating and a lot of history. Formerly The Gold Club, it was one of the country’s most successful and high-profile strip clubs before being raided by the FBI for ties to the Gambino crime family and shut down in 1991. Re-opened under new management in 2009 and currently the hottest dance club in Atlanta, The Gold Room suspended business for a week while Excellence in Production Design Award winner Arlan Jay Vetter (TV'S "George Wallace") transformed it into one of the film’s major sets. What's It All About?

Best buddies Rick and Fred have both been married for many years. Rick is married to Maggie and has a successful career in Real Estate. Fred is married to Grace and has a successful career in Insurance. When they begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives take a bold approach to revitalize their marriages: they grant the guys a Hall Pass: a week off from marriage do whatever you want without consequences. No questions asked. No guilt. One week. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred, but they quickly discover that their expectations of the single life and themselves are completely and hilariously out of sync with reality. With their wives out of town the guys move into a motel. After all, they don't want to be doing the deed in front of all those family photos that populate the family home. But try as they may, Rick and Fred haven't managed to score. Yet!

The Verdict "It's amazing how precious people can and have become. The new age political correctness that has crept up on citizens all over the world has meant a shift in the way we perceive films should potray many of the aspects of ordinary life. Take for example The Farrelly Bros film, "Shallow Hal". It was a disgusting film in which Hal, who only dates gorgeous women, falls in love with a weight challenged everyone else could see was humoungously obese (monsterously fat ie: Michilen Woman), but he couldn't. In a stunning and wonderfully romantic finish, after the shackles fell from his eyes, Hal still loved her. Happy ending! Then there was "Me, Myself & Irene" an off the planet politically incorrect film that raised issues I'm sure many would have loved to solve in the manner Officer Charlie Bailygates did. Let's face it. If your neighbours wife was stealing your daily paper and reading it in the 'crapper', wouldn't you like to march in their toilet, rip it out of her hands and then take a dump on their lawn while reading your paper? Oh I'm sure you would! I don't know what upset the 'politically correct' more: Charlie taking a big dump; shooting a cow in the head six times or the fact that he was married to a white woman who somehow gave him three, mutha fuckin' black kids. Oh those were dark, dark, days for the Farrelly Bros. And I've hardly scratched the surface. Good news folks. Half the critics hate "Hall Pass" and half love it. But then, the half that love it, say it's a resurgence, a rising from the grave, for Peter and Bobby. What grave? Fans will love it. Some will be disgusted. Remember Neighbours and that lesbian kiss? Well Nicky Whelan (aka Pepper) is at it again. But not with a kiss. Whatever you do, leave the kids at home. Strictly for 'mature' minded adults. AOF. 4 STARS. Who Is Playing Who?

Owen Wilson Jason Sudeikis Jenna Fischer Christina Applegate Nicky Whelan Richard Jenkins Stephen Merchant Larry Joe Campbell Bruce Thomas Tyler Hoechlin Derek Waters Alexandra Daddario Rob Moran Lauren Bowles Christa Campbell Macsen Lintz Kristin Carey Joy Behar

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Rick Fred Maggie Grace Leigh Coakley Gary Hog-Head Rick Coleman Gerry Brent Paige Ed Long Britney Emma Gunnar Aunt Meg Dr Lucy

The Production Team Directed by Bobby Farrelly & Peter Farrelly Screenplay by Pete Jones/Peter Farrelly/Kevin Barnett/Bobby Farrelly From a story by Pete Jones Produced by Mark Charpentier/Bobby Farrelly/Peter Farrelly Produced byJ.B. Rogers/Bradley Thomas/Charles B. Wessler Cinematography by Matthew F. Leonetti Film Editing by Sam Seig Casting by Rick Montgomery Production Design by Arlan Jay Vetter Art Direction by Dan Morski Set Decoration by Cindy Carr Costume Design by Denise Wingate Run Time 105 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2011 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.