I happened to catch a few minutes of Ashton Kutcher’s Just Married the other night and it occurred to me that he’s made a pseudo-”Marriage” trilogy this decade, likely without even realizing it.
Guess Who
A Meet the Parents redux, albeit one infused with interracial conflict. Kutcher falls in love with a girl and must deal with her bigoted, traditionalist father (Bernie Mac) before asking for her hand in marriage. It’s about falling in love and getting others to accept your somewhat non-traditional relationship before taking the next step and starting a life together. Parallels to the actor’s own romance with Demi Moore are clear as day.
Just Married
Kutcher and his new bride (Brittany Murphy) encounter obstacles while on honeymoon that test the bounds of their relationship. It’s about facing the world together as a newly married couple and coming out stronger in the process.
What Happens in Vegas
Two strangers (Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz) drunkenly hook up and get married. While shocked to find themselves trapped in their situation: they resolve to make it work, while each secretly conspires to retain the fortune jointly won the night of their wedding. Is it the first part of the trilogy (discovering a new partner, falling in love despite the odds) or the life-affirming affirming finale (finding yourself married to a stranger, money troubles that lead to strife, eventual rebirth and renewal)? I can’t decide, but I appreciate that it’s left open to the viewer.
Anyway, the series isn’t exactly told in the correct order (Guess Who was actually the second film released, following Just Married) but it works. Here’s hoping The Criterion Collection reads this and issues the three films in a exquisite box set.
UPDATE 4:28 PM EST: This might be the worst, most incoherent thing I’ve ever written.
I try not to make blanket statements, such as “I will never see a movie with X in it,” but Kutcher is close to that. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him in anything–I was once on a plane that showed that thing he was in with Tara Reid (I’ve blocked out the title) but I didn’t buy the headphones. He would really have to do something with a great director to get me to watch his movies.
I dig this post. I also dig how the priest in the photo looks very ashamed of himself. What was he thinking?
Considering that Mr Kutcher’s next two films (one of them is about a womanizer and the other about a couple whose neighbors turn out to be assassins out to get them) Mrs Kutcher must also be wondering/dreading what his next unofficial trilogy will be about.
Honestly man, you can’t blame yourself for the post being a bit incoherent. Those films might have warped your mind.
I’m with Jackrabbit Slim on this one.
You say this like it’s a problem. Honestly, I’d start to worry if you started posting in-depth, logical, coherent critiques of Ashton Kutcher films.
‘My Boss’s Daughter’ – Be thankful you didn’t listen, that was appalling.
I’m a fan of ‘That 70′s Show’ and Kutcher was quite funny in that… but he’s not someone who I think has what it takes to prosper on the big screen.
I think Ashton Kutcher seems like a very nice young man, who just appears to be addled with playing characters I absolutely loathe and committing scenes to celluloid that should never have been thought of in the first place (I blame his awful show ‘Punk’d’ for all the other celebrity-invented shows for MTV, like ‘Yo Mama’).