REVIEW: “Serving Sara” funny, yet not for everyone

Only in America can movie goers actually see what they want and love every minute of it. “Serving Sara” does just that for a summer that was dry and out of touch with the audience in so many ways.

First and foremost, “Serving Sara” is not for everyone. The sparse audience who saw the film last weekend with me seemed to enjoy it. And if they didn’t, I did and that is what matters here.

The plot is nothing to be proud of – I concede on this point. The plot was nothing at all really. It had a line and stuck to it, that was about it. But the magic of the film was not in the plot. The question I ask is who goes to a film like this expecting a ground-shaking, earth-moving story. From the previews you knew it was not a plot-driven flick.

This film was crude, brash and sleazy. This “theme” carries from the first frame until the very last one, and was brilliant to see. Maybe that says something about me, but I thought it was funny. Darn fine fun in a film.

Perhaps what made this film for me was the actors. Elizabeth Hurley and Matthew Perry had chemistry. They connected in ways often absent from film.

Spitting hostility and snide innuendo between the two was refreshing. The love sparks were dim, but who needs them. Love has been the constant cow pie Hollywood keeps its foot planted in as a plot filler anyway.

This film keeps that from happening and gives you the real thing instead.

Perry was surprisingly different for a change. Not the normal lovesick Chandler Bing we have come to expect. True there were Chandleresque moments, but overall he showed us a darker side to his personality. His snide and quick wit do come out and sting like a rattlesnake’s strike, but he is also much subdued and shows a human side.

Hurley was also cast outside of type for this movie., which is something I enjoyed. She normally is served with a domineering and controlling role where here she is handed a much softer and dumber role. She is humiliated and then left to fend for herself.

One of the highlights of the film lies in the baggage-handling areas of an airport. The two take an unexpected ride down the conveyor belt and hilarity followed behind. Man, I was envious. I have always wondered what it was like.

Overall, “Serving Sara” served up laughs and some fantastically crude moments. The film is still rated PG-13 so it is not too crude, but you may want to put on you rubber boots before you head to the theater for some not so clean American fun, Texas style.

Justin Berry is doing his second bachelor in theater. Comments can be sent to

jsberry@cc.usu.edu