The Wrong Missy,
directed by Tyler Spindel
(Netflix, 2020)


The Wrong Missy is another film I likely never would have watched if I hadn't been laid up for several days following rotator surgery and desperate for entertainment. (Sadly, the pain medications interfered with my ability to focus on reading, so the stack of books I'd optimistically placed by my recovery chair largely went untouched.)

The setup here is a classic mistaken identity scenario. Tim Morris (David Spade) meets Missy (Lauren Lapkus) for a blind date, and it goes about as badly as one might expect. He is reserved but polite; she is crude, abrasive, and simply not his type. There is no second date.

Jump forward a few months, and Tim has a meet-cute encounter with Melissa (Molly Sims), a former beauty queen, in an airport. She seems to be his perfect match in almost every conceivable way. At the encouragement of his intrusive friend and coworker Nate (Nick Swardson), Tim invites her to go along on a weekend business retreat in Hawaii; however, he mistakenly sends the text to the wrong Melissa. When Missy shows up on the plane, it's too late to fix the mistake -- especially when he learns she was on the verge of jumping off a bridge when she got his text.

Hijinks ensue.

In Hawaii, things go as poorly as one might expect, particularly considering that Tim's ex-fiancee Julia (Sarah Chalke) and her new boyfriend Rich (Chris Witaske) are also at the retreat. Meanwhile, Tim and his coworkers are getting to know their new boss Jack Winstone (Geoff Pierson), and Tim is competing with a self-centered coworker Jess (Jackie Sandler) for a big promotion at work.

Oh, and Rob Schneider is there as Komante, a boat guy and shark attack survivor, doing the sorts of things he does in any movie involving Adam Sandler (who is credited as a producer here).

The movie is certainly not great cinematic art. It's kind of clever, it's fairly silly, and sometimes you will laugh. It's cute and occasionally sweet. Will you enjoy it? Maybe. Will you want to watch it again? Probably not.

As Missy, Lapkus undeniably throws herself into her role, and at her best she is a lot of fun. Granted, the overindulgent alcoholic shtick gets a little old, and her inability to read a room or situation defies credulity. Some of her scenes are gross, others are awkward, and viewers will definitely feel uncomfortable every now and then. You'll probably cringe about as often as you laugh.

Spade, on the other hand, is kind of wooden as Tim, but that actually is a character trait and is probably an intentional choice. His growth as a person is enjoyable to watch, but the evolution feels rushed and I'm not sure the ending is entirely earned.

But you know what? I had time to kill, and for 90 minutes this filled it. I'm grateful for that.




Rambles.NET
review by
Tom Knapp


17 August 2024


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