I’m sure on paper, the notion of having Adam Sandler and Kevin James play firemen pretending to be gay to reap financial benefits for the children of James’ character was comedy gold. Throw in Jessica Biel as their hot lawyer who Sandler pretends to be “one of the girls with” while secretly lusting for her, must have seemed like a license to turn coal into diamonds. But turning this thing into a semi-serious consideration of gay rights seems a little misguided for a film that throws around the f-word so casually.



In fact, I Know Pronounce You Chuck & Larry reminds me a lot of Adam Sandler’s last “comedy” Click, where typical Sandler buffoonery turns into a teary eyed melodrama about appreciating one’s family. So Chuck (Sandler) and Larry (James) get themselves into sitcom-like situations where their expert use of gay stereotypes allows them to get out of trouble. As the plot progresses though, the screenplay addresses issues of bigotry and rampant homophobia in a way that sees everything tied up into a neat little package by the time the credits role.



The battle lines are clearly drawn. Larry has yet to get over the death if his wife three years prior and has thus avoided like a deadly plague anything that reminds him of her death, including the renewal of his City of New York life insurance. Chuck, meanwhile, is a horn dog that hits on his female doctor mere micro-seconds after waking up in the ER. Larry saves Chuck’s life while in a collapsing building and according to the firemen code, Chuck owes Larry one big favour regardless of size or magnitude. Larry needs a new domestic partner to inherit his benefits for his kids; Chuck owes Larry one… everything’s working out fine.



That is until the city starts an investigation into Larry and Chuck’s arrangement (it’s fraud after all) and the boys are required to enlist the services of the very good looking attorney played by Biel. Pity everyone involved with this loose collection of broad caricatures called screenwriting, but above all pity Biel who must fain ignorance in regards to her clients obvious non-gayness and the indignity of having Sandler’s hands on her breasts for a prolonged period as proof of their questioned authenticity.



I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that the screenplay leans on the tired standards of working class homophobes or that the filmmakers have conned themselves into believing that they’re doing a good thing. Perhaps most surprising of all is that the co-author credits go to Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, the guys behind Sideways and Election. I know that everybody’s entitled to a few unapologetic failures, but this is like acing a whole year’s worth of math tests only to get a zero on the final.



Sandler regulars like Blake Clark, Allen Covert and Steve Buscemi do their part to provide back-up, gay icons like Richard Chamberlain and Lance Bass also stop by in the name of being well known gay people and Ving Rhames plays a big, burly, in-the-closet black man, which is now almost as big a stereotype as the mincing flamer. I remember laughing at some of the lines, but I remember the wincing a lot more, probably because I did that more often, then chuckle.



Basically, the jokes are tired, the set-up is tired and I think Sandler’s tired. He has the appearance of a man desperately desiring to engage in more non-sophomoronic material and stretch his skills. Granted the drama Reign Over Me, which was released earlier this year, was not successful, but that Sandler was more appealing than this Sandler.



Ultimately, I think that this would have played better if Chuck and Larry were legitimately gay and not conning their way to that rainbow flag. To me, if the film wanted to make an actual statement then telling the tale of two guys desiring to leave their days in the closet behind them while daring an unfair system to accept them, would have been far more daring and satisfying. Although it wouldn’t have required Jessica Biel to strut around in her undies, but true comedy is scarce and Maxim magazines are plentiful.