Paul Rudd’s Early Work with the Pack
It’s much easier to see (or, perhaps invent) connections after the passage of time, which is exactly what we’re going to do today in anticipation of this week’s opening of How Do You Know with Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and Reese Witherspoon. Rudd of course is a recent addition as an “official” member of the Frat Pack, an award we bestowed about a year ago based in large part in Rudd’s role in How Do You Know. Which makes it interesting to go back and see if he had more “Frat Pack connections” than previously were top of mind.
First up is the 1997 film The Locusts, starring Vince Vaughn as a mysterious drifter who runs into Paul Rudd and company at a country bar in the 1950’s. Vaughn’s character is looking for work, so Rudd hooks him up with the owner of a cattle ranch played by Kate Capshaw. Capshaw has a thing for young ranch-hands and doesn’t like people interfering with her anti-social son, played by Jeremy Davies. Vaughn’s character start to bring Davies’ character out of his shell, much to the consternation of the overly controlling Capshaw. Can you see where this is headed?
The film is slow-paced and features disturbing content. But you might enjoy the film as a perfect example of the kind of offbeat dramatic films that were commonplace in 1997-1998 from our future Frat Pack comedy stars (see also: Minus Man with Owen Wilson, Permanent Midnight with Ben Stiller). Rudd’s role is as the good-natured supporting sidekick, but some fans might have other reasons to check out this film…
Vince Vaughn and Paul Rudd
Vince Vaughn and Paul Rudd
Vince Vaughn and Paul Rudd
More timely perhaps is another offbeat film from the same period, this time a comedy. How Do You Know is actually the second time that Witherspoon and Rudd have hooked up on-screen. 1998’s Overnight Delivery is a road-trip romantic comedy that also stars Christine Taylor (playing a mean girl). Witherspoon hasn’t quite learned how to act naturally in a romantic comedy, but the film is not without it’s charms.
Rudd definitely holds up his end of the bargain as a good guy who is heartbroken when he finds his girlfriend (Taylor) is cheating on him, then sends a retaliation package to her in the mail featuring his friend Witherspoon, who happens to be a stripper (no nudity, though…). But, tell me if you can see this coming or if you’ve heard this plot before (hello… Road Trip), problem is that Rudd was wrong so he has to go on a road trip to intercept the letter before Taylor finds out. Bickering turns to friendship, then love.
The most famous clip from the film features Rudd’s signature wacky dancing (see also: I Could Never Be Your Woman). So, the film is definitely worth checking out.
Vince and Paul in wet thirts doesn’t warrant a single comemnt, ladies?