You're Cordially Invited - A Movie Review

What do you mean two weddings were booked?

Once the mix-ups were resolved, You’re Cordially Invited was released to Amazon Prime in 2025. Two weddings are double-booked at the same venue and the families decide to hold both. Tensions arise as both parties try to achieve more attention.

You’re Cordially Invited is another wedding comedy that follows the usual tropes, but it's still funny. The problem is that too many ongoing and repetitive jokes take away from the story. Plus, there was no reason to make the main characters a couple.

Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon star as Jim and Margot. Ferrell is the usual Will Ferrell, embracing his trademark comedy. He plays a goodhearted dad. Editors gave him too much screen time with ongoing jokes. As for Witherspoon, she is a talented actress, but certain comedy films don’t suit her style.

Finally, a comedy duo that works! Ferrell and Witherspoon hit it off as a comedy duo. Witherspoon has struggled to find the right pairing in past movies. Examples include Vince Vaughn in Four Christmases and Ashton Kutcher in Your Place or Mine. They are genuinely funny together.

One thing: Ferrell and Witherspoon did NOT need to be a couple. The comedic energy sparked, but they had no romantic chemistry.

Geraldine Viswanathan is a highlight as Jenni, Jim’s daughter. Usually, she is cast as the mature mom-friend who keeps everything together. It’s nice to see Viswanathan play an energetic and free-spirited character. Although it was weird, Ferrell and Viswanathan shared a tender karaoke song.

Since this is a wedding film, many characters play as family members. You can have a lot of fun with this angle of the story. They have complex relationships. Credits include Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Celia Weston, and some surprises. Keyla Monterroso Mejia also appears as one of Jenni’s friends. She’s a memorable supporting actress in media.

With all the characters, there’s an overload of subplots. Wedding films are like this. Anything can happen. Just as long as it makes sense with the story. The rest of You’re Cordially Invited is hit-or-miss, meandering in typical wedding tropes and characters.

Nicholas Stoller infuses the film with raunchy humor and heartfelt moments. He specifically made the film for its two characters and their rivalry. Everyone can identify with this wedding comedy-drama. He made up most of the corny ideas in the film. Some ideas could have been excluded.

It’s the usual comedy where Jim and Margot get revenge - for what? They both agreed to have their weddings together. Are they trying to up one another to see who has the best wedding? Both sides want to have the best wedding ever which means fighting over who gets the sunset.

The comedy is forced - like the alligator scene. Talk about a big-lipped alligator moment! It’s so outrageous and corny but it was the funniest scene in the movie.

An entire golf course in Greensboro, Georgia was shut down for several days so they could film there. Locations are important in any wedding setting. Characters run around or fall into the water during all the chaos.

The film felt like a waste because of how events play out. But no, the character's decisions play an important moral. Don’t rush into marriage. It’s important to listen to every voice.

As silly and over-the-top as it is, You’re Cordially Invited is worth seeing. It’s streaming on Amazon Prime. If only it could have been in theaters because it may have had different reactions. Laughter is the best medicine.