Just Go with It

''Just Go with It'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Allan Loeb and Timothy Dowling, and produced by Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, and Heather Parry. It is a remake of the 1969 film '' Cactus Flower'', and stars Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, with Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Brooklyn Decker, Bailee Madison, Griffin Gluck, and Heidi Montag in supporting roles. It tells the story of a plastic surgeon who enlists his assistant into helping him woo a sixth-grade math teacher.

Production of the film began on March 2, 2010. ''Just Go with It'', produced by Sandler's Happy Madison Productions, was released in North America on , 2011, by Columbia Pictures. The film grossed over $214 million, making it a box office success. However, it received negative reviews, with criticism for its plot and editing but praise for its writing and acting. It won two Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Actor and Worst Director.

Plot

In 1988, 22-year-old Daniel "Danny" Maccabee (Adam Sandler) leaves his wedding right before the ceremony after learning that his fiancée Veruca is cheating on him, and is only marrying him because he is going to be a wealthy cardiologist. While he's drinking alone at a bar, a beautiful, young woman walks in and sits next to Danny. She's rude to him initially, expecting him to hit on her like all the other guys had, but then she notices the ring. Taking a chance and making up a fake sob story about his "wife," Danny ends up sleeping with her.

Twenty-three years later, Danny is a successful plastic surgeon in Los Angeles who feigns being in an unhappy marriage to get women, as well as avoid romantic commitment that may lead to more heartbreak. The only woman aware of his schemes is his office manager/assistant and friend, Katherine Murphy (Jennifer Aniston), a divorced mother of two. At a party, Danny tends to a kid's knee scrape, removing his ring to treat the wound. Shortly after, he meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), a young sixth-grade math teacher who he hits it off with immediately. The next morning, after spending the night on the beach together, she finds Danny’s wedding ring in his pocket. She leaves, upset that he cheated on his wife with her.

Instead of telling her the truth, Danny tells her that he is getting divorced from a woman named Devlin because she cheated on him with a man named "Dolph Lundgren". When Palmer insists on meeting Devlin, Danny asks Katherine to pose as "Devlin", which she ultimately agrees to.

Katherine then meets with Danny and Palmer and gives them her blessing. However, after hearing Katherine talking on the phone with her kids, Palmer assumes that her kids are Danny's as well. Danny then privately meets with Katherine's kids, Maggie ( Bailee Madison) and Michael ( Griffin Gluck), to get them to play along and gives them the aliases of "Kiki Dee" and "Bart" respectively.

Palmer meets the kids at a play center where Maggie has adopted a fake British accent, and Michael acts very morosely. They blackmail Danny in front of Palmer to take them all to Hawaii. At the airport, they are all surprised by Danny's goofball cousin Eddie ( Nick Swardson), who has adopted an Austrian disguise as "Dolph Lundgren" because he is running from his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. To maintain the lies, Danny and Katherine are forced to bring him along.

At the resort in Hawaii, Danny tells Eddie that he is considering asking Palmer to marry him. Katherine and Danny also run into the real-life Devlin Adams (Nicole Kidman) and her husband Ian Maxtone-Jones ( Dave Matthews). Because of Katherine and Devlin's long-time rivalry, Katherine introduces Danny as her husband rather than admitting she is a single mother. Over time, Katherine is impressed by Danny and his way with her kids.

Katherine again runs into Devlin, who invites her and Danny out to dinner. Eddie agrees to take Palmer out to dinner so that Danny can go with Katherine. Since he is supposed to be a sheep salesman, Eddie's cover is nearly blown when he is forced to save the life of an actual sheep who choked on a toy whistle. At dinner, Devlin asks Danny and Katherine to tell each other what they admire most about each other, and, as Danny and Katherine talk, they start to feel a connection. Later, when Palmer and Eddie return from their dinner date, Palmer suggests that she and Danny get married now since a drunken Eddie told her about Danny's plans of engagement. Danny and Katherine are both surprised by her proposition, but Danny agrees. Danny later calls Katherine regarding his confusion, but Katherine says that she will be taking a job in New York City to get a fresh start.

The next day, Palmer confronts Katherine about Danny's feelings for her, which Katherine dismisses. Katherine then runs into Devlin at a bar and admits that she pretended to be married to Danny to avoid embarrassment. Devlin confesses that she is divorcing Ian because he is gay and also that he did not invent the iPod, but rather made his money by suing the Los Angeles Dodgers after getting hit by a foul ball. Katherine confides in Devlin about being in love with Danny, but then Danny shows up behind her, saying that he is not marrying Palmer and that he is deeply in love with Katherine. Meanwhile, on the plane ride back to the mainland, Palmer meets a professional tennis player (Andy Roddick) who shares her interests. Sometime later, Danny and Katherine get married.

Cast

* Adam Sandler as Dr. Daniel "Danny" Maccabee
* Jennifer Aniston as Katherine Murphy
* Nicole Kidman as Devlin Adams
* Nick Swardson as Eddie Simms
* Brooklyn Decker as Palmer Dodge
* Bailee Madison as Maggie Murphy
* Griffin Gluck as Michael Murphy
* Dave Matthews as Ian Maxtone-Jones
* Rachel Dratch as Kirsten Brant
* Kevin Nealon as Adon
* Heidi Montag as Kimberly
* Minka Kelly as Joanna Damon
* Rakefet Abergel as Patricia
* Dan Patrick as Tanner Patrick
* Mario Joyner as Henderson
* Keegan-Michael Key as Ernesto
* Allen Covert as Brian (Soul Patch)
* Andy Roddick as Himself
* Jake Shimabukuro as ukulele player

Production

Originally titled "Holiday in Hawaii", and then "Pretend Wife", it was released as "Just Go with It".

The film was shot in Los Angeles and the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai between March 2, 2010, and May 25, 2010. The film is deliberately vague about which Hawaiian island its latter portion depicts; thus, the characters hike across a rope bridge on Maui and arrive in the next scene at a spectacular waterfall on Kauai, rather than the ordinary irrigation dam and pond on Maui where the actual trail terminates.

The characters stay at a Hawaiian hotel called the Waldorf Astoria. In actuality, the film was shot at the Grand Wailea in Maui, which is owned by Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts.

One of the film's in-jokes is the scene where Decker's character meets her obvious soulmate—professional tennis player Andy Roddick—as Decker and Roddick are actually married.

"Every Car You Chase" by Party Ben, a mashup of " Every Breath You Take" by the Police and " Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, is one of the main music themes.

Reception

Box office

''Just Go with It'' grossed $103 million in the U.S. and Canada and $111.9 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $214.9 million.

The film topped its opening weekend box office with $30.5 million. The biggest market in other territories being Russia, where it grossed $13,174,937.

Critical response

''Just Go with It'' received generally negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 19%, based on 138 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's consensus reads: "''Just Go with It'' may be slightly better than some entries in the recently dire rom-com genre, but that's far from a recommendation." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 33 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

''The Telegraph'' named ''Just Go with It'' in its "ten worst films of 2011" list, saying it is "a crass and overpopulated remake of '' Cactus Flower'', served up as a mangy romcom of serial deceptions." Christopher Orr of ''The Atlantic'' noted that "the title itself seems a plea for audiences' forbearance" and is part of a disappointing trend involving "the reimagining of good, if perhaps not quite classic, films associated with the latter 1960s and early 1970s." ''Entertainment Weeklys Lisa Schwarzbaum wrote that ''Just Go With It'' "is saved from utter disaster, though, by Jennifer Aniston" who has "expert comic timing" and "plays like a grown-up."

Nicole Kidman was praised by critics as the sole bright spot.

Accolades

Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released ''Just Go with It'' on DVD and Blu-ray disc on June 7, 2011. As of 2019, it has grossed $25,014,665 in North America DVD sales.

References

External links

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{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor

2010s English-language films
2011 films
2011 romantic comedy films
Remakes of American films
American romantic comedy films
Columbia Pictures films
Films scored by Rupert Gregson-Williams
Films about families
Films about vacationing
Films based on adaptations
Films directed by Dennis Dugan
Films produced by Adam Sandler
Films set in 1988
Films set in 2011
Films set in California
Films set in Hawaii
Films set in Los Angeles
Films set in Long Island
Films with screenplays by Allan Loeb
Golden Raspberry Award winning films
Happy Madison Productions films
2010s American films