Couples Retreat: Underrated or overhated?

We all have that one friend that tries to convince us to follow some elaborate plot, or invest in some less-than-trustworthy scheme, or in the case of this film, go on some trip so they can get a better group rate. I know I certainly do. 

For me, this happened back when the majority of the COVID-19 restrictions were ending, and life was starting to go back to some semblance of normalcy. My friend proposed that we go on a cruise and while the trip never happened (mostly due to lack of planning on our part) and it didn’t involve a marriage on the brink of collapse, his attempt to convince us did involve taking advantage of the cheap prices the cruise lines were offering in order to encourage people to start travelling again. 

Similar to my experience with my friend, Couple’s Retreat, a 2009 rom-com directed by Peter Billingsley features a pitch to friends involving a cheaper group deal. 

This rom-com follows the lives of four couples living relatively normal lives in the suburbs of Chicago. We are first introduced to Dave and Ronnie, who are raising two young boys while also navigating a kitchen renovation. However the story really starts to take shape as we focus on Jason and Cynthia.  

The film highlights each individual couple's complex and different lifestyle early on and also displays a small peak at some of the problems in their marriage. We soon come to learn a very important revelation about Jason and Cynthia’s marriage which sets up the rest of the film. 

While at Dave’s son's birthday, Jason presents one of his infamous PowerPoints to the group, much to their dismay. I’ve never had one of my friends show me a PowerPoint presentation about his failing marriage and how he needs to go on a trip to a remote island to attempt to save it so I don’t know how I’d react. In this scene, I respect Jason’s commitment. The PowerPoint is well thought out and detailed, it outlines the couples history together, where their problems began and in the event of a divorce, how long it would take them to find a new partner. 

Prior to the presentation Jason reveals to the other couples that he and Cynthia have had trouble conceiving a child, and that it has taken such a toll on their marriage to the point where they are seriously considering a divorce. 

Believing they need third party intervention, while also not wanting to waste anymore time if they can’t work things out, Jason and Cynthia researched ways they can save their marriage. 

One night Jason and Cynthia came across the “Pelican Package” which includes a week-long stay on an island that offers a program called Eden, that is designed to help troubled couples regain the spark they once had. It’s important to note that Eden offers two separate resorts, Eden East and Eden West. 

Eden West is designed to reunite couples, where Eden East’s is exclusively designed for single people, and the primary function is partying and having a good time.

While attempting to convince the group to embark on this journey with them, Jason tells the group that if they travel with them to the island they will be able to take part in activities such as jet skiing and snorkeling, while he and Cynthia will focus more on the couples skill building that the Eden resort offers.

The four couples agree to go on the retreat and when they first arrive on the island they are greeted by Sctanley (yes Stanley with a C), where they are transported to the huts they will be staying in for the duration of their stay on the island. 

During their first night on the island, the group is confronted with an unexpected surprise while at dinner. They are presented with an itinerary full of couple skill building activities, rather than just the more lucrative activities they had been promised in the presentation. 

Despite being caught off-guard by the sudden revelation that they are required to take part in the couple’s activities, the group reluctantly agrees. 

Maybe I just relate to having to sit through a pitch by a friend about a trip you are less than interested in, but Couple’s Retreat in my mind is an underrated comedy for a number of reasons. The cast is loaded, with so many big names that I think mesh together really well. I love the work of Vince Vaughn, pretty much any movie he is in becomes a must watch for me. 

Something that stands out to me, and I’ll touch on it later, is how relatable the film feels. When I’m watching, I feel like I’m witnessing a real life group of friends navigating their marriages while on a remote tropical island, rather than a group of actors. 

Honestly, that may be due to the fact that couples retreat has become a go to film for me whenever I’m feeling down or whenever I just need a good laugh. So there’s that level of comfort from when you’ve watched a show numerous times, you start to develop a deeper knowledge of the characters, which makes me feel like I know them on a personal level. 

Obviously If I ran into Vince Vaughn at the bar I wouldn’t say hey it’s Dave from Couples retreat, but it might be my gut instinct with how many times I’ve watched this film. 

I’ll admit, I am a sucker for rom-coms (just don’t tell my friends). Whether it be hitman starring the one and only Glen Powell, or Adam Sandler's 50 first dates or of course Couple’s Retreat.  It’s always been one of my go to genres when I am searching for either a casual binge watch or when I am in my feelings. 

There are frequent conflicts involving these three characters during the movie, whether it be due to disagreements on how a certain character acts towards their spouse or a character's lack of interest in viewing another slideshow presentation about testicular cancer. 

The dynamic between Vaughn, who plays Dave, Jason (Jason Bateman) and Joey  (Jon Favreau) in the film resembles that of brother’s who are always at each other's throats, which simply adds to the comedic and relatable aspect of the film for me. 

What I specifically like is the way that we see the characters keep each other in check throughout the entire film, especially towards the middle and end of the film. 

As we age in life, it’s important to have friends who help you grow as a person and an important aspect of that is having friends that hold you accountable. When I think of what characterizes a good friend, I think of someone who is supportive of you, but also isn’t afraid to tell you when you did something wrong, so you can learn from your past mistakes and grow into a better person. Similar to how the character’s act in this film, they aren’t afraid to call each other out on their bs. 

I also like this film simply due to the aspect that it’s relatable. When I am watching a good film, for the most part I want to be able to relate to the plot. If the movie has something that viewers can relate to it makes it that much better. In the case of Couples Retreat most of us (whether we like to admit it or not) have had relationship issues in our lives, and we’ve all been at that stage where we don’t wanna give up but we feel helpless and unsure of what to do. 

Throughout my childhood and into my adult life whether it be my friends parents, my family members or even my own parents, I’ve seen people close to me split up for a variety of reasons. Sometimes I wonder, did they do enough to try and stay together? Watching this film makes me wonder if those relationships could have been salvaged if the couples had an opportunity to attend this retreat. 

I also enjoy the dynamic between Shane and Trudy. Here’s a 40 something year old man, fresh out of a marriage trying to keep himself young by dating a much younger lady who as we come to learn in the film he has trouble keeping up with. 

As the film progresses we see more and more how Shane struggles to keep up with Trudy who is focused on partying and having the time of her life. In the end, Shane’s failure to keep up with Trudy causes her to run away to Eden East, the singles side of the island. 

This leads to one of my favourite scenes where we see an argument between Shane, Jason, Joey and Dave about their respective relationships. 

One quote that I always get a good chuckle out of is when Dave says “What we need to do now is get focused and stop pointing fingers. You're a problem, you’re a real real problem” when referring to Joey. 

I find myself referencing this quote a lot, mainly when one of my friends does something out of pocket or is trying to stir the pot. 

I don’t know what it is about this specific encounter, but it just makes me laugh every time, and who doesn’t love laughing. Maybe it’s the chaos of the confrontation between the four men. 

In this scene, the four men are rushing to find Shane’s girlfriend Trudy, while Jason is also stressed out that the group may not make it back to their side of the island before sunrise resulting in them being expelled from the island. So the stakes are high and everyone is on edge, which contributes to the aspect of “chaos”

While the film was a success at the box office on its opening weekend, grossing $34 million and becoming Vaughn’s most successful film since The Breakup in 2006. 

Critics on numerous sites were not a fan of the film, where it on average received a  number of 3.8/10 ratings. The main point from critics is that despite the star-studded cast, majority of the film was “average” 

When it comes to the rating’s the film garners, my opinion - and I'm just spitballing here- is that maybe people had too high of expectations coming into the film after seeing the loaded cast. 

It's easy to expect movies with a cast with as many well known actors as this one, to be one of the best movies you’ve ever seen. When it comes to comedy, obviously it’s subjective and not everyone has the same type of humour. 

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with having standards and high expectations for a film but I don’t think it's as bad as people say

If you were to ask me, the film is a solid 8/10. It’s not a 10/10, but I enjoy the comedic effort from Vaughn, Bateman and Favreau. Like I said before, the way these three characters interact makes the film much more enjoyable for me. The banter and constant jabs at each other is right up my alley when it comes to a comedic film, because it reminds me of how I interact with my own friends.

Overall, I enjoy this film and I would recommend it to anyone looking to relax and enjoy a timeless comedy with a well rounded cast. If you are expecting this movie to blow your socks off, it probably won’t do that, but it always gives me a good laugh no matter how many times I watch it.