Actress/producer/co-writer Melissa McCarthy collaborated with her husband/director Ben Falcone on this flaccid, cliché-riddled mom-com, set at (fictional) Decatur University. The story begins with Deanna (McCarthy) and her husband, Dan (Matt Walsh), dropping off their daughter Maddie (Molly Gordon) at her sorority house for her senior year. Leaving the campus, Dan tells Deanna he wants a divorce; he’s having an affair with a real-estate agent (Julie Bowen) who has already put the couple’s house on the market. After an Uber driver (Falcone) totes her to the home of her parents (Jacki Weaver, Stephen Root), stunned yet spunky Deanna decides to return to college to get the archeology degree she was pursuing before she dropped out during her senior year for marriage and motherhood. While Maddie’s understandably a bit dismayed, her sorority sisters adore clueless-but-kind Deanna. One is called Coma Girl (Gillian Jacobs) because she was hospitalized for eight years, and Deanna’s BFF (Maya Rudolph) swills wine coolers on the racquetball court. Naturally, there are a couple of mocking Mean Girls (Debby Ryan, Yani Simone), as well as Deanna’s mysteriously agoraphobic, goth-y roommate (Heidi Gardner), but what’s most surprising is Deanna’s hot-to-trot romance with a sweet, wine-loving frat boy named Jack (Luke Benward), which leads to an unexpectedly outrageous twist. McCarthy has made other films with Falcone (Tammy, The Boss), but her brassy, bawdy comedy has been far more effective under the guidance of someone experienced, such as Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat, Ghostbusters). Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an “‘80s Party” production segment (5 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted scenes (47 min.), a gag reel (6 min.), a “Mom Sandwich” behind-the-scenes featurette (3 min.), “Line-O-Rama” (3 min.), and “Bill Hate-O-Rama” (3 min.) alternate takes, and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package (on the Blu-ray edition) for a lackluster comedy.] (S. Granger)
Life of the Party
Warner, 105 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $35.99, Aug. 7 Volume 33, Issue 5
Life of the Party
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: