Better to sneak into another auditorium than pull up a seat at the loser table opposite these six dusty nerds. Director Jeffrey Blitz (Spellbound, Rocket Science) skips the hors d'oeuvre — nothing can whet the appetite for what’s to follow — and for the main course, serves up the comedic counterpart to rubber chicken and a cash bar. There’s barely enough structural nutriment to sustain an SNL skit, but that won’t stop screenwriters (and mumblecore initiators) Jay and Mark Duplass from padding out a rail-thin premise and calling it a feature. Craig Robinson's decision to bring a book to a wedding supplied the film with its one and only notable laugh. It’s inevitable that the Duplass’ band of disposable contrivances should get all serious, and a third act cameo by the ghost of John Hughes (The Wedding Dinner Club?) turns what should be the dessert course into pathos-laden pudding. One more choice of scripts like this and it’ll be time to start seriously questioning Anna Kendrick’s sanity. (2017) — Scott Marks
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