Article by: Kelly Harvell
Just because autumn is here, it doesn’t mean the vacation needs to be over. Couples Retreat (Universal Pictures, 2009) includes four couples who leave their normal life to go to Eden East Island, a resort that specializes in restoring marriages. Sadly, it was the film that needed more therapy then the actual couples.
The story opens up introducing Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman) as the happy couple. They have two kids which, sad to say, brought more humor then they did. It then transfers over to “Daddy” Shane (Faizon Love) who, in a mid-life crisis, decides to buy a motorcycle for himself and date twenty-year-old Trudy (Kali Hawk). As Dave is on the phone with Shane, his phone call gets interrupted by Joey (Jon Favereau) complaining about how they all have to go to another one of Jason (Jason Batenan) and Cynthia’s (Kristen Bell) power point, meetings. They all eventually cave in stating that it better be nothing like the last power point which included Jason’s fear of testicular cancer. As the meeting occurs, they all soon realize that the situation is a little more serious then they had expected.
Jason and Cynthia are having trouble reproducing. They feel that this has put a strain on their relationship and are headed for a divorce. While debating a separation, they decide they want to go to Eden Resort in hopes that it will restore their marriage. Since they can’t afford going by themselves, they find a package deal in which they need three other couples. Jason and Cynthia convince the happily married couple Dave and Ronnie, the soon-to-be divorced couple Joey and Lucy (Kristen Davis), and the recently divorced Shane and girlfriend, Trudy. The three couples are misinformed that they don’t have to actually join in with therapy session and can do all the activities such as scuba diving and jet skiing. They quickly discover they must partake in these sessions or leave the resort.
Through the therapy session, the couples realize that the trip isn’t what they expected. With shark attacks and a Fabio look-a-like yoga instructor, the couples face challenges that ask the question, “will they make it through paradise?”
If you put aside the cheap humor, it is a movie that with little expectations one can walk out of enjoying.
