SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY

SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY is a highly entertaining return to classic screwball comedy. It moves quickly, stacks one misunderstanding on another, and benefits from terrific performances across the board. Owen Wilson is superb at the center of the insanity, while Jennifer Aniston is hilarious as a psychiatrist increasingly disgusted by her clients’ behavior.

The cost is substantial. The story revolves around prostitution, illicit affairs, lying and sexual innuendo, even though nothing explicit is depicted. The foul language is gratuitous and R-rated. Still, the cheating is exposed and confronted, forgiveness is offered, and marriages are re-affirmed.

If you are an adult who can make a discerning choice about those elements, this clever farce is worth seeing; it is not suitable for children or young teens.

Arnold Albertson is a top Broadway director with an unusual habit: he takes female “escorts” to dinner, sleeps with them, and gives them $30,000 to pursue their real dreams and stop being call girls.

One recipient, Isabella Patterson, uses the money to pursue acting. Her first major audition is for a prostitute in a new play directed by Arnold—and she is so perfect for the role that the producing team insists she be hired over his objections.

Four stars means this is a highly entertaining, mostly successful comedy. The film is fast-paced, highly inventive and filled with constant surprise. Peter Bogdanovich’s direction and co-writing bring a modern energy to the classic screwball genre.

The performances are the great strength. Owen Wilson gives one of his best performances as Arnold, carrying the center of the insanity with skill. Jennifer Aniston stands out as an embittered psychologist whose clients’ repeated missteps disgust her more and more. The deep cast is terrific across the board.

The film presents a strong romantic worldview. Its characters pursue secret lovers, maintain second lives and deceive one another, but the comedy eventually exposes and confronts that behavior. The ending has a light moral and redemptive quality: forgiveness is offered, the illicit activity stops, and marriages are re-affirmed.

The film’s moral perspective is limited by its comic treatment of prostitution, implied fornication and adultery. These matters are central to the farce rather than treated with sustained seriousness. Still, the story does recognize that deception and cheating threaten important relationships, and it ends by affirming forgiveness and marriage rather than celebrating betrayal.

That movement from selfishness and deception toward forgiveness reflects Scripture’s call to “forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13).

SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY is a fast, clever and well-acted farce with a positive resolution. Its R-rated language, sexual innuendo and comic focus on illicit relationships make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.