Cedar Rapids is a rather underrated and mildly unheard of comedy that came out in 2011, under the radar of most. The film stars Ed Helms as Tim Lippe, a small town insurance salesman who must break out of his shell in order to represent his tiny office at the annual insurance convention office that takes place in, you guessed it, Cedar Rapids. Full review after the jump.
While the film is R-Rated it keeps a surprisingly perfect balance between the raunchiness and the small town charm generated by lead Ed Helms. Most of the film actually takes place in the convention hotel, which dazzles Lippe, and works as a great setting for him to come into his own, as well as also generate a few laughs as well. One would think that a comedy set almost entirely in a hotel would check out on laughs, but this allows for more than a few extremely entertaining circumstances. The film is hilarious in it's own suite and subtle way.
Ed Helms is made for the role of Tim Lippe, and captures the essence of his naivety and innocence. In the beginning the character resembles his character of Andy from The Office barring the anger issues, but we soon find the character to be more troubled and ultimately, more interesting. Watching him become exposed to the outside world and forced to change and adapt actually makes for an interesting take on the 'hero's journey', and while Tim Lippe certainly is an unlikely one, it works. Maybe he should in fact be wearing a big red 'I' on his shirt for the extent of the film.
John C. Reilly's character of Dean Ziegler doesn't quite steal the show from Helms, but he comes close. His boisterous yet endearing character is fun to watch, and probably makes for some of the more hearty laughs in the film, but ultimately you care more for Lippe. Anne Heche is also a great addition to the cast of characters, flawed yet kind, she is charming and fun. And finally Isiah Whitlock Jr. is also in the film, a gentle giant, he doesn't have many few moments, but when he does, they're great.
I don't find myself having any qualms or disappointments with Cedar Rapids, and I actually found to be the most satisfying film I've seen in a while. It's funny, it's raunchy at times, but most of all it's heart-warming. Cedar Rapids is certainly not a choppy ride, and I would definitely recommend jumping on board. In the end, Cedar Rapids teaches the importance of the little joys in life like good friends, hearty laughs, and the accomplished feeling of getting an extra bag of honey-roasted peanuts from the snack cart.
