Think of the worst day you've ever had. Started out as a bad hair day, slowly drifted into a terrible day at the office, maybe having the car door slam on your hand halfway through. Whatever your case may be, regurgitate those horrid thoughts for a minute. Have you done so? Good! Now prepare to have them eradicated from your memory. As there's a man who has it worse.
His name is Barry Munday (Patrick Wilson). He's a single Insurance Salesman who only has adequate luck with the ladies. The only times he does win them over is when he's out at a bar with his buddy, Kyle Pennington (Matt Winston). Even then, it's only because he's piling drinks into them. When sober, most, if not all, women turn him down at the drop of a hat.
Except for one girl. Her name is Candice (Mae Whitman), a movie patron he eyes from across the street. He chats her up and heads into the movies with her, where she invites him to accompany her. It's not long before she's making the moves and running her hands up his legs. All seems to be going well. Until her father shows up, trombone in hand (don't ask). Outraged that his little girl is flirting with another man, he takes the trombone and strikes Barry with it, directly in the family jewels.
Six unconscious hours later, Barry awakens in the hospital with his aberrant mother, Carol (Jean Smart). The doctors inform him that both of his family jewels had to be surgically removed. Their partner in crime is still intact, but they couldn't save the two, little warriors. I told you he had it worse. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't end here.
About a week after losing his meaning in life, he receives a letter from a lawyer. It states that Ginger Farley (Judy Greer) is pregnant and that she believes Barry is the father. He can't remember this woman for the life of him, but she certainly remembers him. In her words, he's the only man she's slept with. The only way to find out if she's lying is through a DNA test, which Barry cannot take. Instead of causing a problem, he goes along with it.
He finds it as a blessing in disguise. He never once considered having kids, as he always found them to be a nuisance. In his own words, "They grow up to hate you and take your money." Now that he has the inability to have children, he sees it in a different light. This is his last chance to carry on the family name. Whether or not the kid truly is his.
All signs point to yes, as Ginger isn't the average bar patron. That's not to say she's ugly (even though others believe so), but more and less distinguishable from the pack. She doesn't wear make-up, wears clothes that aren't flattering and speaks her mind, which usually consists of pernicious insults. She too wouldn't have fallen for Barry if it weren't for the assistance of alcohol, though her reasoning is different. Content with her image, she has been able to saunter through life without a care in the world. That is until an unruly driver is cut off by her and calls her an ugly... you know what. Wanting to feel good about herself, she confides in Barry. A few months later she pays the consequences.
Trying to be a good father, Barry does his best to become a part of Ginger's life, whether that means being a husband or simply a friend. It's not easy to do as she berates him any chance she gets, though she does have a right in doing so. For starters, she is pregnant, which means half of the spiteful comments she makes are a result of said pregnancy. The other reason being Barry is the one responsible for this tragic miracle. Worst of all, he can't remember it! I'd be mad, too.
Nonetheless, he is doing his best to be there for her, which is sweet. He may not always have his head in the right place, but his heart is. Take the scene where he goes to a doctor's appointment with her. He does it out of integrity, but aimlessly has his head in the gutter. He asks the doctor a few questions, which start off sincere and understandable. What Ginger can and cannot eat and general questions about the pregnancy. He then transposes these questions for those on the inappropriate side. He asks if women defecating whilst giving birth is true and whether or not doctors can recognize patients via their breeding ground. He's still sincere about it all, but can't comprehend that what he's asking is incongruous.
Which is what makes Barry Munday truly stand out. The plot resembles a low-rent Knocked Up knock off (pardon the pun), which it could have easily traveled down the road to being. Instead, Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer play such sweet, yet offbeat characters that the movie becomes it's own entity. Wilson turns in one of his best performances as the title character, playing it straight and never truly knowing what he says and does is wrong. He rarely plays it for laughs, more and less simply playing the character. Judy Greer is the same way, making her character believe she's right, even when she's not. It's clear that Ginger is lonely and depressed. It bothers her that her parents (Malcolm McDowell and Cybill Shepherd) treat her sister, Jennifer (Chloe Sevigny), as the crown jewel of the family. For once, she wants to be the center of attention. Thanks to Barry, she is.
The direction of Chris D'Arienzo isn't as dexterous as the acting. He directs a fine story, but holds back quite a lot and plays it safe. He rarely, if ever, takes risk with the plot, which is doleful considering how dark this comedy could have been. There are hundreds of ways to treat this story differently, and he doesn't attempt to do a single one of them. He settles for the bare minimum.
Even at the bare minimum, D'Arienzo makes Barry Munday feel fresh by interjecting many funny jokes and scenes. There's one in particular where Barry attends a meeting for those who are genitally impaired that is hysterical. That's only one of many scenes that had me laughing out loud. Wilson and Greer also help out in making the story worthwhile by being a lovable and sympathetic couple that's far from pleasant. It may look and feel like a carbon copy of Knocked Up, but Barry Munday is anything but.
-Justin Oberholtzer
