Spa Weekend

September 16 & 17

Two Days Only

Wed Sept 16 – 3:30 & 7pm
Thurs Sept 17 – 1:30 & 7pm FINAL SHOW

Comedy
Rated 14A – 1 hr 37 min

Jon Lucas and Scott Moore are the screenwriters who struck gold nearly 20 years ago with The Hangover, a brilliant stag-weekend nightmare comedy about what happens in Vegas, which sadly spawned a terrible (though lucrative) franchise. Now, as writers and directors, they have tried turning it around and making a movie about how middle-aged women behave on a longed-for spa weekend at a luxury-porn hotel. The premise behind Spa Weekend is repeated a few times throughout the film — the idea is that in a group of female friends, there’s always one the rest don’t really like. In the case of Jane (Leslie Mann), Coco (Michelle Buteau), Sophie (Anna Faris) and Mel (Isla Fisher), that friend is Mel. The movie then proceeds to explore what happens when Mel shows up for a spa trip planned by the other women in the group.

The undeniable strength of Spa Weekend is the quartet of talented comedic actresses at its center. Mann plays the same awkward and slightly neurotic, but lovable, character she does in many of her other films; she’s nailed the archetype so it makes sense she doesn’t stray from it here. Spa Weekend gives her a sweet story about taking time to put herself first, which she learns while having a fling with one of the resort’s yoga instructors, Kai (Adam Demos). Fisher is the definitive standout as Mel, whose hijinks lead the friends from stealing a golf cart to unleashing a band of goats on the resort. The actress brings a great deal of heart to the raunchy character, and manages to mostly balance the film’s comedy with the more genuine moments. Spa Weekend is a perfect example of an old adage: that 90% of what makes a good movie comes down to casting.

Spa Weekend functions as a movie about the wonders of vacation and the everyday struggles of ordinary life. In many ways, it elevates a tested formula. What has previously been reserved for the raunchy teenage male perspective is shifted to women in their late thirties and forties trying to enjoy their lives. It takes the tropes once defined by annoying young frat guys and hands them to women who have earned the right to let loose. The jokes are occasionally easy, and at times the movie dips into formulaic sitcom territory or simplistic humor, but it generally treads a fine line between crowd-pleasing accessibility and well-written comedy.

Spa Weekend is the movie that it sets out to be: something heartwarming, blissful, and exciting about motherhood, growing up, and not caring how the world perceives you. A breezy getaway with the gals, Spa Weekend celebrates friendship while delivering fun without pretense, leaving audiences refreshed — just like a five-star spa treatment. If you like the Bad Moms movies or the Hangover movies, then Spa Weekend is for you.