Universal Pictures
98 min., dir. by David Wain, with Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, and Justin Theroux

Director/writer David Wain‘s Role Models may be the most critically underrated comedy of the century. While it didn’t topple his earlier, free-formed style films, it proved he can deliver a straight story line structure with success. Wanderlust is the next logical progression in that journey and it works well, yet those few glimpses of unshackled delivery throughout the film make me yearn for his more irrational sensibility.

George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) are your seemingly typical young, married, New York City couple. Jumping into owning their first apartment in the city, things are going in the right direction — that is until the day after they move in, when they both become jobless. With no income in a job market crippled by the recession, George and Linda pack everything up and head to Atlanta to stay with George’s annoyingly imbecilic brother. En route, they stop for the night at what they believe to be a bed and breakfast, but is, in fact, a hippie commune, Elysium. The night at Elysium is odd and off-kilter, but ultimately a positive one. They continue to Atlanta, but after only one day with George’s brother and his chaotic family, the two decide to give living the crusty life at Elysium a shot.

Wanderlust is this generation’s Lost in America. While a story of disenfranchised people looking for the life they think they are missing out on is familiar to more stories than Lost in America, the comedic tones of both works resonate the comparison. All of this considered, Wanderlust is its own story with its own unique brand of humor. Fans of the “The State” and the previous combined writing of David Wain and Ken Marino (Role Models, The Ten) are treated to the wildly gut-busting laughs they expect. It’s another notch in their belt as they continue to infiltrate the mainstream with their brand of irreverent humor.

A film of this kind is an experience that is only as strong as those portraying it. It’s the reason why so many members of “The State” appear in each other’s works. Their immediate understanding of the provided humor allows them to freely deliver some of the most unfathomable material. Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux are already seasoned Wain vets, but new arrivals such as Jordan Peele, Lauren Ambrose, and Malin Akerman (of the Wain-produced “Childrens Hospital”) fit the mold nicely. The heartwarming addition of Alan Alda, however, is the best thing anyone could ask for. The man doesn’t even have to say a word on screen to make you smile (though he has a few words his character likes to say, over and over again).

The only shortcoming of the film is Jennifer Aniston. Where other actors seems to melt into form with the essence of Wain/Marino style, Aniston felt more like an intruder, doing her thing in a different world. I’m not saying it’s a poor performance, but it doesn’t match the involved intensity of the rest of the cast. Justin Theroux’s evolution of his Jesus H. Christ portrayal in Wain’sThe Ten is the most mind-bending blend of subtle absurdity I’ve ever seen. Paul Rudd’s comedic tour-de-force improv string in front of a mirror delivered the best laugh I’ve had in a long while. Aniston, however, just seems to exist in this realm, with nothing special to add.

I wonder if older audiences just don’t understand Wain’s humor — is that why Role Models got mixed reviews? All I know is I want more. Wain has transversed the gap of skit-making to story-making. Only a few troupe comedians in history have made this jump a successful one. That said, bring on the ethereal madness that I hope the Wet Hot American Summer sequel will be.

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Matthew Schuchman is the founder and film critic of Movie Reviews From Gene Shalit’s Moustache and also the contributing film writer for IPaintMyMind.