I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) * * *

Directed by:  Dennis Dugan

Starring:  Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Dan Aykroyd, Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames, Nick Turturro

Adam Sandler occasionally stars in a pretty good comedy like I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.     It has a plot which could go horribly wrong in the wrong hands, but has an underlying sweetness and charm.      His better movies, such as 50 First Dates, The Wedding Singer, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, and this one, all have that quality.     Sandler should stick to that.    It suits him well.   

I Now Pronounce...stars Sandler as Chuck and Kevin James as Larry.    Both are New York City firefighters.     Chuck is single and according to his captain, "If this pencil had a skirt, you would try and sleep with it,"    Larry is a widower with a young daughter with medical benefits issues.    They are about to run out, I think, but whatever it is, it sounds bad.    In order to ensure Larry can keep his benefits, or whatever calamity may befall him, Chuck and Larry propose to pretend to be a gay couple and marry.    The news of their sudden coupling floors their friends.     Some of the more homophobic ones keep their distance from them.    

A hot lawyer (Biel) named Alex is hired to help Chuck and Larry with their case.     Chuck falls for Alex, causing obvious issues because he is supposed to be gay.    Alex is one beautiful woman and has a scene in her bra and panties which is sexier than entire pornos, not that I watch them much these days.     Chuck and Larry encounter homophobia and shunning not just from friends, but from protesters as they attend gay functions to keep up the façade.   

Their story soon becomes news as a city inspector (Buscemi) smells a rat and suspects Chuck and Larry are defrauding the system.      He is correct and actually on the right side of the law, but because we like Chuck and Larry, the inspector is seen as a villain.     There is also a new firefighter (Rhames) whose demeanor and size scare the hell out of everyone, but reveals his secret to Chuck because he is so moved by his plight.

I Now Pronounce... is actually a warm comedy.    To my recollection, there is no projectile vomiting or body functions run amok.     The movie finds humor in the misinformation about homosexuals and turns the joke on the misinformed.      A scene where the soap falls to the shower floor is a funny example of this.     James and Sandler are a couple of guys just trying to help each other out in whatever way possible.     There is also a funny dynamic in which Larry assumes the role of the nagging wife who complains the husband isn't home much anymore.

This is a movie that walks a fine line between bad taste and the charm it manages to maintain for the most part.     An Adam Sandler movie wouldn't be an Adam Sandler movie without occasional lapses in good taste, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well this movie maintains its tone.