Buying the Cow *** (2002, Jerry O’Connell, Ryan Reynolds, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Bill Bellamy) – Classic Movie Review 1016

‘Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free?’ Co-writer/director Walt Becker’s 2002 wilfully non-PC comedy is a shameful, hilarious, laddish hoot.

Jerry O’Connell stars as Dave, a Los Angeles commitment-phobic yuppie who resolves to find his soul mate, but of course she keeps eluding him. He can’t commit to his advertising executive girlfriend Sarah (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras), who then takes off for New York on a job, so O’Connell decides to play the field with his awful buddies Mike (Ryan Reynolds) and Jonesy (Bill Bellamy).

The amiable and extremely likeable O’Connell and the tough-looking beauty Wilson do their excellent best with this sometimes uneasy, bad-taste romantic comedy. It is mostly very amusing, though it gets into some difficulties with bad-taste gags when it starts becoming desperate to please.

The performances are very good all round but Reynolds is extremely funny as O’Connell’s narcissistic, sex-crazed buddy, who gets into a lot of trouble while dating as many chicks as possible.

Stand by to be offended. But at least it’s offensive to everybody: women, gays, racial minorities, the physically handicapped etc. So that’s all right then.

Also in the cast are Alyssa Milano, Jon Tenney, Annabeth Gish and Ron Livingston.

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