"The Ricker's a dog! The Ricker's a dog!"
Added 1/11/2009
It's a bit "Huh!" to me, that Paul Rudd seems to be more marketable now that he's older, rather than when he was younger and exuded that teen heartthrob vibe. Rudd's a good-looking dude, a darn capable actor, and he touts the ability to deliver one-liners in a wickedly dry way, which probably helped to cast him in teen flicks like Clueless (Special Whatever! Edition) and OVERNIGHT DELIVERY. Yet, years later, it's films like Knocked Up - Unrated (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Widescreen) which have made him more of a household name, even though he hasn't really changed things up. On the other hand, Reese Witherspoon has always stood out, been tabbed for stardom from the get-go. OVERNIGHT DELIVERY is a little known gem, made in 1998. I'm not even sure if it actually had a theatrical run, but it does star Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon, and their performances are enough for me to consider this romantic comedy road flick a near must-see classic.
Students Wyatt Tripps (Rudd) and his girlfriend Kimberly (Christine Taylor) have been going out for years, even though they attend different colleges hundreds of miles apart. When Tripps thinks his girl is cheating on him (with someone named the Ricker), he gets hammered and composes a nasty letter in retaliation and fires it off via overnight delivery. But then he learns that his suspicion is wrong ("The Ricker's a dog!"). So the hapless Wyatt finds himself scrambling on a cross country trip, with only 24 hours to intercept that letter and accompanied by a cynical fellow student who part times as a stripper (she helped him pen that poison letter). And, honestly, when this stripper is played by Reese Witherspoon, well, who really cares if Tripps ends up retrieving that written McGuffin or not.
Paul Rudd has always been likeable, and, here, you can't help but pull for his square, idealistic, kinda wound up character, even if you do get frustrated with how long he comes to his senses. Because, even while he's getting his Galahad on and pursuing his too-good-to-be-true girlfriend, there's Reese Witherspoon, man, who's sitting right next to him, and she's never looked hotter and she's quietly pining away. Reese does well as Ivy, tempering her character's sarcastic, hard-bitten edge with a veiled sweetness and vulnerabity. There's a certain wildness to Ivy. Not only is she a stripper and dates professors, she also flashes dudes on the road (in a PG-13 kind of way) and she dines and dashes. Not that I'm condoning not paying for meals, but this girl rocks, and again it's Reese Witherspoon playing her. So it's pretty much a sure thing that Paul Rudd will sooner or later get over his cluelessness.
OVERNIGHT DELIVERY is romantic and energetic and it's funny. It reminds me quite a bit of The Sure Thing, one of my all-time favorite John Cusack movies, and, in fact, there are times when Paul Rudd seems to be channeling John Cusack. Tripps and Ivy do get into some hilarious improbable scrapes, some of which are even life-endangering. As it turns out, Paul Rudd is also pretty handy with the physical comedy. The two leads get nice support from Christine Taylor and Larry Drake. Christine Taylor (DODGE BALL, THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE) has the thankless role of Tripps' sweetheart, all sweetness and light shooting out of her bum, but you know, chances are, she won't end up with the guy. Larry Drake, whom I've only ever seen in the slasher horror DR. GIGGLES, is a friggin' hoot as the persistent (and kinda manic) overnight delivery guy, on his first day running the delivery route. He's tapped as the villain in the piece, but really he's just a guy doing his job and it's just too bad that Paul and Reese have to get that package back. So pity poor Dr. Giggles, who ends up being steamrolled by undergrad romance.
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Sweet, Silly and Sexy
Added 6/8/2008
A romantic screwball comedy that hits all the classic areas, but does it with style and flair, and just enough offbeat attitude (until I read the Amazon review I didn't know Kevin Smith wrote the original script, but there are still plenty of traces in the finished product) to make it well worth seeing. Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon have genuine chemistry, and Reese has never been more adorable. Would have gotten another 1/2 star if not for the no-frills package, but does contain both widescreen and pan-and-scan versions.
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cute movie
Added 4/2/2008
Great cast! Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon, and Christine Taylor are together in this love lost, love revenge, love gained tale. Paul Rudd Plays Tripps, an average guy in love with an above average beauty, Kim Christine Taylor) who attends college across the country. Tripps is lead to believe that she's cheated on him. A heart broken Tripps, turns to friend Ivy (Reese Witherspoon) whose, got her own love problems. She's sleeping with her married professer, for starters! Tripps and Ivy team up to give Kim a taste of her own medicine. Ivy poses topless with Tripps and they take a picture and send it "OVERNIGHT" delivery to Kim for Valentines day. When Tripps finds out that Kim really didn't cheat on him, he flips out and tries to stop the package from reaching her. Ivy feels guilty so she offers to drive him across country, to stop the heartbreaking pic from reaching Kim. It's one of those "nothing goes right" romantic comedies...but your promised hilariousroad trip mayhem, laughs and some falling in love all the way...
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Great revenge movie
Added 7/10/2007
Great writing and acting. A must own. Resse and Paul work great together.
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It was great
Added 5/14/2007
I saw this years ago and could not remember the name. It was great to find it again. I still could not stop laughing
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Decent Thriller - NO spoilers here
Added 10/18/2008
This is a very early move for Witherspoon and Josh Brolin. The film may not have the best script but the plot and charcters progress enough to make it interesting. I don't think is a movie to see over and over unless you are a rabid fan of the stars. The acting is good and actors sell the story, even it does strech the imagination. In general it is about greed and what people will do to get easy money.
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A Seemingly Simple Story That Unravels Its Twists Surprisingly Well
Added 9/7/2007
Screenwriter Ted Griffin ('Ocean's Eleven', 'Matchstick Men', 'Rumor Has It', etc) has provided a story for this little film that is successful on many levels: it is a suspenseful mystery, an intelligent look at the Now Generation's unstable approach to life as hopefully handed to them on their parents' goodwill, a mind twister full of surprises, and most of all a metaphor for where we now stand as a consumer world contained in disposable vials. Working with director Mike Barker's keen sense of timing and comic relief, a fine young cast of notable actors drives this story of desperate turns of fate to an unsuspected ending. The trip is worth your attention.
The nowhere/somewhere town setting is Tropico, a dusty boring little place whose reason for existing is a massive recycling plant for discarded containers - just the right setting for a story about little town people who have discarded their dreams. Nick (Alessandro Nivola) works in the recycling plant, basing his hopes for something better on the death of his father and the Will through which he plans to gain a comfortable inheritance. But the Life Insurance policy is negated after an autopsy report reveals a 'preexisting condition' and the remaining assets of his father are owed to the IRS. Nick is broke and in his low state of esteem agrees to be a driver for a drug heist to make enough money to leave boring Tropico. The heist is a bust and Nick is threatened by the owner of the drug stash that he must come up with a large sum of money or else. Nick turns to his girlfriend Lissa (Reese Witherspoon) who also wants to leave Tropico and reluctantly agrees to a complex scam against Nick's old college chum Bryce (Josh Brolin). When that scam falls apart there are even more surprises that keep the story bubbling until the unsuspected conclusion.
Nivola is outstanding in this tricky role and Witherspoon and Brolin are convincing. Of note there is a very brief role for newcomer Terrence Howard - the film was made in 1999 before some of these actors gained notoriety in the Oscars. Though not entirely without flaws, this fascinating study of recyclable people enmeshed in their own wayward schemes is an entertaining and stimulating tour de force for all involved. It is well worth a second look! Grady Harp, September 07
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Another Film du noir
Added 6/10/2006
I saw the scene,where they have Lissa chained to the pool table and gagged in the basement.I didn't understand most of the movie. I bet Kim Possible,Ron Stoppabl,and Rufus can deal with them.
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