In my review of The Lovebirds, I favorably compared that movie to getting kicked by a horse, and The Wrong Missy to having a pan of boiling-hot bacon grease thrown in your face. In order to give a balanced account, I will now review Netflix’s The Wrong Missy, starring David Spade and Lauren Lapkus. This movie is average, yes, but it also made me reexamine my entire life. While I was noting its flaws, it held up a mirror and forced me to take stock of my own. I see myself in David Spade’s character, Tim Morris, but he’s the one I like the least. He’s prissy and uptight, afraid of confrontation, afraid of standing out, afraid of telling the truth. Lauren Lapkus’s Missy, on the other hand, is brash and rude and doesn’t care at all if people don’t like what she has to say. And yes, she softens a bit and ends up growing on everyone, but even during the first act when she’s supposed to be a terror I found myself more drawn to her than to him. That’s why I had to take a step back. Maybe I put too much stock in being under control and keeping things cool. Maybe I’m too concerned about social niceties. Who cares if people think I’m abrupt or crazy? The worst part was I kept turning away from the TV and pausing during the awkward scenes ,and that’s exactly the kind of behavior I would find repellent in David Spade’s character.
The story is Shakespearian cookie cutter. A text message mix up leads Tim to invite the wrong girl on a work retreat who, through a series of unconventional moves, accidents, and conversations, helps Tim realize he’s on the wrong track and they fall in love in the process.
With the exception of Lauren Lapkus, this cast lacks the kind of young, cutting edge improvisational talent you’ll find in a lot of comedies these days so it leans on the script a bit more, which is hit-or-miss but not terrible. It’s comforting to see all these actors still doing the thing. The cast is full of Happy Madison ensemble players. Spade’s best friend is played by Nick Swardson, who I’m always happy to see. There’s that guy with the eyes from Little Nicky, Jonathan Loughran. You got Rob Schneider, John Farley, and Bobby Lee, everyone a little older and probably not that much wiser. Adam Sandler’s wife and nephew, and two daughters are all in there and while normally I’d find this level of nepotism upsetting, they’re all pretty good. Chris Witaske plays David Spade’s ex-fiancée’s new boyfriend, another character who’s supposed to be a douchebag but I ended up loving, and Rob Van Winkle looks amazing.
David Spade goes through an examination of his own character at the end of the movie, proclaiming he wants to be a better person, less uptight and more free. The question for all of us is can we change our instincts at this late stage of the game. I like to think so, even if I am drawing inspiration from a B comedy. Hey role models can come from anywhere. So is it as bad as having bacon grease thrown in your face? It’s definitely not that bad. It’s not as outright funny as The Lovebirds, but I clearly have an affinity for it. It’s lovable, and watchable, if for no other reason than to see Lauren Lapkus do Hellstar. Force yourself to sit through the awkward scenes. It’ll be good for you.
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