Simple little low budget movie, about a small town insurance agent who is, and has been so sheltered, that a trip to a convention in the mighty metropolis of Cedar Rapids almost blows his mind.
Ed Helms stars as said agent, who upon arriving in Cedar Rapids is quickly taken under the wing of John C Reilly as a boisterous veteran agent who at first seems like he may be one of those nerve racking stock characters, but this script is too good to let that happen. In fact, a lot of the characters in this film might give you pause when first introduced, but rest assured that this is no stock movie, and the writers and director go to great lengths to flesh everyone out enough to give the viewer something to care about.
That's not to say this is some deep movie, because more or less it's a light, fun piece, a coming of age story for the 40 year old near virgin, if you will.
The wonderful thing about this film is that all the actors shine. Anne Heche was so magnificent that I didn't even realize it was Anne Heche till the credits rolled. Every character is more a character than a caricature, and flow with the story a lot more than maybe their initial scenes and motivations might suggest to you they will.
More than anything I love how the movie shows that adults can be fun, crude and exciting when in the middle of a mid life crisis without turning into blubbering morons or ridiculous archetypes. The makers of movies such as, oh I don't know, Hall Pass, should be forced to sit down and watch real adults in real situations being funny. It can be done, and it's a fucking blast when it's done right, as it is here.
Spend the night in Cedar Rapids, you'll enjoy the stay.
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