Synopsis
In 2017, William H. Macy, a well-known actor from “Fargo” and “Shameless”, directed a romantic comedy film called “The Layover”. This movie is his second feature film as a director. The movie is centered on a screenplay by David Hornsby and Lance Krall. Although the movie is described as chaotic in energy, The Layover is centered around a conflict of wits between two good friends fighting over the same man during a trip with travel complications.
The film stars Alexandra Daddario as Kate and Kate Upton as Meg. They play two bestfriends living in Seattle. Kate is an uptight and practical English teacher, and Meg is an easy-going saleswoman obsessed with beauty. At the begining, both women are going through challenging times in their personal lives. Kate is in the process of job hunting and Meg is getting over a relationship.
With their summer on the verge of becoming lethargic, the friends decide to take an impromptu trip to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Their beautiful vacation turns chaotic on the flight, when they are sat next to Ryan (Matt Barr), a dashing and flirtatious gentleman. Both women are equally attracted to him and their decades-old friendship starts getting strained as each of them tries to get his attention.
But a catastrophic blizzard makes their plane fly in circles, resulting in a layover at St. Louis. The delay leads to a chain reaction of increasingly absurd antics, and include: miscalculated connections, bizarre locals, lost bags, a hotel stay gone terribly wrong, and numerous comical clashes as both women try to use their wits to win Ryan over.
As the storyline progresses, the friends drift further apart, leading to an increase in backstabbing antics and spiteful insults being hurled back and forth. They go out of their way to interfere with each other’s plans, attempting everything from malfunctioning costumes to shifting the relationship dynamics of Ryan. The movie’s remaining half transforms into the nostalgic screwball comedy genre with some form of slapstick silliness, crude jokes, heightened reality, and illogical shifts in the narrative.
In any case, Ryan seems to be pretty oblivious to the attention the women are giving him, and to their constant bickering. Since there is only so much rivalry they can bite, they eventually get into a serious fight. The third act rounds up the storyline as the two women come to terms with the madness they have done to their friendship, and on how independent they are as individuals with or without a partner.
As for the women, the friendship spell is going to be broken, yet still holding strong. Their perceptions about the romantic conflict were far more about competition than romance, and so as they complete the journey, they will learn to appreciate and understand each other’s key concerns in life overlooking the rivalry.
Cast & Crew
Kate is played by Alexandra Daddario.
Daddario draws her character with a touch of humor and emotional depth, portraying the more introverted, studious half of the duo. She has appeared in a number of films and shows like Percy Jackson, San Andreas, and Baywatch, but here she uses her range in playing this loony yet vulnerable character.
Katherine Upton as Meg
Upton, of modeling and acting fame, embodies the obnoxious, Meg, quite well. Upton turns the character into a hyperbolic, self-indulging, party girl with a heart of gold, which is quite different from her typical typecast. However, Upton is not known for embodying a more nuanced, softer side to her characters, which she completely misses the mark on in the case of Meg.
Matt Barr as Ryan
His romantic side was played by Barr and he encapsulated the charming—not-too-difficult male lead really well. For his part, Barr performed with a very surface level approach to the character. This was intentionally done given the shallow nature of the character, who was meant to be a prize rather than a fully-developed character.
William H. Macy (Director and Cameo Appearance)
Macy is known for directing action and crude humor and this film did not seem to stray from that avenue. He makes a sparse appearance in this movie while performing in a minor role, something more characteristic of Macy’s other more whimsical acting style. While typically dealing with more dramatic and darkly humorous themes, it does feel like it is in the wrong hands for this particular genre, as they try to blend emotional moments with desperately crass humor.
Writing team consisted of David Hornsby and Lance Krall
Both writers, well-versed in telivision comedy, put together a script full of one-liners, slapstick moments, and predictable romantic comedy structure. While some jokes did land, others came off as relying too much on lowbrow shock humor and overused tropes from better travel comedies.
Cinematography: David Procter
The visuals are satisfactory, but generally forgettable. Procter achieves the bright, summery feel required for a light-hearted comedy, but does nothing more with it past standard road-trip trip highlights.
Music: Aaron Zigman
Zigman’s score appropriately accentuates the comedic and romantic elements of the film without feeling excessively sentimental or overwhelming. He provided a light, pleasant, and uncomplicated flavor to the film’s overarching mood.
IMDb Ratings & Critical Reception
The Layover rates a mediocre 4.7/10 on IMDb, which showcases the lukewarm reception the film got upon its release. Zigman was heavily critiqued by many, particularly for his use of clichés. Daddario and Upton headlining the film did not save it from the critiqued shallow narrative, and the supposed witty approach to comedy fell flat, losing the message of friendship. The plot was marked alongside the shallow breaks of comedic sequences scattered throughout which led most viewers to lose appreciation for the rest of the film.
Anticipating a modern-day feminist approach to the romantic-comedy genre left audiences baffled for the most part. The plot-center—two best friends engaging in an excessive battle over a single man—seemed outdated, and during the viewing proved to be a consensus for many other viewers. Upton and Daddario showcased slight chemistry, but unfortunately, their characters do possess engaging storylines that are truly dive-deep-emotion-roller-coaster-level.
Despite this, some audience members valued The Layover for what it was worth: a witless, crude comedy with a straightforward premise bolstered by one or two laugh-out-loud moments. For fans of cheesy, effortless rom-coms, the film marketed on stunning cast and forced a frenetic plot onto them, providing just the right kind of effortless pleasure.
Conclusion
The Layover (2017) is an extremely light romantic comedy that combines traveling blunders with mid-best friend rivalry and is completely bereft of serious stakes. The movie tries to tap the spirit of female-centric comedies like Bridesmaids or The Sweetest Thing, but it ultimately fails to innovate and go in-depth. But, there are still some funny scenes that surface alongside the movie’s better performances and a—quite unfocused—reminder of the value of friendship over superficial love.
Best approach the film with lowered expectations and a keen interest in nonsensical physical comedy. The fiasco that is The Layover lacks any originality, depth, or true poignancy, but does manage to serve some viewers with shallow, mild amusement and a twinkling escape from reality.
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