By McKenzie Gregory ‘25
Just Go With It is a comedy that families will love for its appropriate humor and for being an on-the-edge-of-your-seat love story.
The beginning of the movie takes place in a wedding venue where Daniel Maccabee is about to get married when he overhears his bride bragging about using his money and leaves. Daniel ends up using his old wedding ring as a way to meet women. He thinks this is a great idea until he takes that ring off and meets a lovely woman that he adores named Palmer. Things are going well until she finds that wedding ring. Instead of Daniel telling the truth, he claims he is divorced. Palmer wants proof and to meet his ex-wife. So Daniel decides to use his best friend, his secretary, Katherine, as his ex-wife. He changes her name to Devlin, and also uses her kids as his own. He thinks this is a great idea until it turns into blackmail. The “son” convinces him in front of Palmer to take them all to Hawaii. As the story goes on, there is a lot of humor, romance and a bit of a twist that you might or might not have seen coming.
The film is loved by many even though it was released in 2013. The director uses lighting to perfect this movie visually. In the beginning of the film when Daniel is grieving about the loss of his fiance and wedding, he is in a bar. Instead of the bar being bright and fun, it is dark and loud showing that his sad emotion is being put into the scene. It gave me a better understanding of how he could be feeling in the moment. How maybe being in a bar might be helping him right now. As the movie goes on, Daniel’s “son” convinces the fake family to all go to Hawaii so he can swim with the dolphins, and the lighting changes. The lighting turns very bright when they walk in the hotel and explore the state. It shows the excitement of being on vacation.
The choice the film made on the costumes fits the story line well. When we first meet Katherine in the plastic surgery office, she is in a more comfortable wardrobe with her hair up and glasses on. Once she becomes Daniel’s ex-wife Devlin, she is forced by Daniel to get a new wardrobe. Then she is in dresses, heels, and a new hairstyle without glasses for the rest of the movie. The film creates almost a different person for Katherine’s new identity. It transforms Katherine into a rich snobby type of person to try and make Daniel seem like a better man.
Although this film has such a good plot, it also has a relatable script that can make anyone laugh but is also appropriate for any age. In the film, Katherine has two children. The youngest boy is known for enjoying using the bathroom, and Katherine does not like the childrens’ words they use to indicate they are using the bathroom. Katherine tells them to start calling it, “making a Devlin,” which ends up being her name as she poses as Daniel’s ex-wife. The name comes from an old “frenemy” from college that Katherine did not enjoy. The movie creates a light script that includes comedy that anyone can laugh at.
I would recommend this movie to anyone – families, adults, teens. This is a movie that can make anyone laugh and melt anyone’s heart. The film production did a very good job making this film likable to any age or generation.