If “Snatched”, the new comedy starring Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn, proves anything, it’s that Hawn has still “got it.” Though she’s been away from film making for over a decade, she’s lost none of her on-screen charm or comic timing.
Thanks to Hawn and some memorable supporting cast moments, the film is consistently entertaining and often laugh-out-loud funny. Assuming all parties involved have a taste for Schumer’s brand of potty-mouthed humor, it’s perfect Mother’s Day “Take Mom to the Movies” fare.
What's it about?
Schumer plays Emily Middleton, who when audiences meet her only has one thing going for her – her relationship with an up-and-coming musician, Michael (Randall Park). She can’t hold a job, she’s never really taken anything seriously, and she’s a mess, but Michael’s career is taking off and they’re set to celebrate with a romantic vacation to Ecuador.
That is, until Michael rather bluntly dumps her. As if heartbreak wasn’t enough to deal with, the tickets to Ecuador are nonrefundable, so Emily’s left scrambling to find someone to go with her.
Enter Linda (Hawn), Emily’s long-divorced mom who lives in the family’s old home with her many cats and Emily’s Nth-degree momma’s boy younger brother, Jeffrey (Ike Barinholtz).
Emily and Linda share a mother-daughter relationship that’s rather common in modern times. Linda calls a lot, and Emily tends to not answer the phone. Emily rarely comes home, and calls when she needs something.
But as fortune would have it, Linda is the only person remotely willing to join Emily on her South American adventure. Bon voyage!
Ecuador, of course, has far more adventure in store for the Middletons than either of them bargained for. They find themselves first kidnapped and ransomed, then lost in the Amazon once they escape from their kidnapper (Oscar Jaenada).
Mother and daughter are forced to put their fears and growing annoyance with each other aside to get to safety. Meanwhile, back at home, the frantic Jeffrey does what he can (not much) to get the U.S. State Department involved in rescuing his family.
Don’t you just love family vacations?
All about Goldie
The last time Goldie Hawn shared top billing for a film was 2002’s “The Banger Sisters,” with Susan Sarandon.
Within her first few minutes of screen time in “Snatched,” it’s clear that she hasn’t lost a step in all that time away. She’s immediately convincing and relatable as the nice-to-a-fault, overly fearful Linda. Hawn makes it fun to watch Linda slowly lose it as she gets further and further away from her very small comfort zone.
Schumer, meanwhile, is Schumer. To be fair, this is a far different character than the one she played in 2015’s “Trainwreck”; in fact, Emily is that character’s opposite in many ways.
But Schumer’s delivery of that character is essentially the same. That’s partly by design – after all, it’s her vehicle, and her current star power will no doubt be the draw for most audiences on opening weekend – but there’s never a moment in “Snatched” when she disappears into the character.
Together, Schumer and Hawn create a very likeable chemistry in their scenes together. The bickering, the freaking out, and eventually the affection comes off as believable and genuine – the two sell it, and it keeps the film engaging.
Scene-stealing supporting cast
That said, some of the funniest moments in “Snatched” are provided by the cast around Schumer and Hawn.
First among these standout performances is that of Ike Barinholtz. As Jeffrey, Barinholtz aims low while presenting Jeffrey as the archetypal, basement-dwelling TV/Reddit addict, boasting of being capable of speaking Dothraki and Klingon but incapable of buttering his own toast. (Jeffrey would tell you his Maman – yes, he calls Linda “Maman” – just does it better.)
Joan Cusack, meanwhile, delivers a memorable nonverbal turn as a fellow American vacationer with a “colorful” background, traveling alongside her “purely platonic” friend, played by the ever-verbal Wanda Sykes.
Also, watch for longtime “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Christopher Meloni as Roger, who at first appears to the Middletons as though he stepped right out of “Romancing the Stone” as he offers to guide them through the jungle. That is, until it becomes clear he’s not at all what he seems.
Worth seeing?
If you’re out with Mom on Mother’s Day and you both love R-rated comedies, you could do a lot worse than “Snatched.” Have a few mimosas with brunch, then sit back at a matinee and enjoy the mayhem.
That’s not to say the film’s entertainment value is limited to the holiday. With game performances and a script by veteran comedy writer Katie Dippold (“The Heat”, TV’s “Parks & Recreation”) that supplies more than a few comedic surprises, there’s lots to laugh at here, and plenty of heart, as well.
Snatched
Starring Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes, Christopher Meloni. Directed by Jonathan Levine.
Running time: 91 minutes
Rated R for crude sexual content, brief nudity, and language throughout.